Fillet is a thick, lean cut of steak with little intramuscular fat and is the most expensive of all steak cuts. The fillet is a prized part of the steer as it is the tenderest part of the cow, this is because it doesn’t bear the weight of the animal making it one of the least worked muscles.
The fillet steak is a boneless cut from the lower middle of the back of the carcass. When whole, the muscle is referred to as a “Beef Tenderloin”, which is thick at one end and tapers at the other.
The thicker end is known as the “Chateaubriand”, whilst the tapered end – which is the most tender part – is known as a “Fillet Mignon” when cut into individual portions.
The fillet is from the tenderloin of the steer, which is cut from the loin of the cow. The tenderloin is oblong in shape and spans horizontally from the sirloin, which is towards the back end of the animal to the short loin which is nearer the middle. The tapered end of the tenderloin is cut from the short loin whilst the other end is cut from the top sirloin.
As the fillet comes from the tenderloin of the steer there are a limited number available from each carcase as it is one of the smaller primal cuts of meat making up only 1% of the whole cow. There is around 2kg of fillet per carcase and only two Chateaubriand cuts, which is one of the reasons why it is one of the more expensive steak cuts
A fillet steak is small and rounded in shape and is usually cut thicker than other steaks. As a leaner steak cut it doesn’t generally have much marbling, but if it does is usually very fine marbling that looks like thin flecks of fat.
Fillet steak is lean and has little fat marbling through so is buttery smooth, but also means it doesn’t have as pronounced a flavour as other cuts with heavier marbling, so is a more delicate taste. Fillets are often wrapped in bacon to infuse fat and flavour to the meat.
For cooking, use a small amount of butter, a flavourless oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil or beef dripping. Due to its tenderness, fillet steak is best cooked to lower degrees, such as rare to medium, which can be done by searing evenly on a high heat using methods such as grilling. As fillet is a thicker cut, rare is 2.5 minutes per side, medium-rare is 3.5 minutes per side and medium is 4.5 minutes per side. It is important not to overcook fillet steak as it may lose some of its tenderness, which is what makes it a unique and premium cut of meat.
A fillet steak can last up to five days in a fridge and up to nine months in the freezer. Vacuum packing fresh steak can last a few months and even longer when frozen with a shelf life of up to a year.
We have a large range of premium steaks, from more expensive and in demand, to less familiar cuts that are able to be used creatively to produce premium dishes using cheaper cuts.
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