Beef Tenderloin With Marbling

Tenderness and marbling don t necessarily go hand in hand so while the beef tenderloin is possibly the most tender cut of beef it doesn t usually have much marbling.

Beef tenderloin with marbling. Because almost all us cattle are finished on grain and have been for decades marbling became the quickest and easiest way to grade the beef. The top sirloin the bottom sirloin and the rear part of the tenderloin. Be sure to choose at least a prime grade filet. Usda s agricultural marketing service ams employs 200 highly skilled beef graders who sometimes with the help of electronic monitoring evaluate several factors that determine the grade including the amount and distribution of marbling.

For more even cooking let these beef steak cuts stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before searing. It comes from a back muscle that doesn t get much exercise. Tenderloin is a lean piece of meat without a lot of marbling and sinew so it has a nicer texture when raw. By and large the bottom sirloin is the inferior cut of the three.

The beef grading system developed by the united states department of agriculture is a voluntary grading system based on the meat s maturity and level of fat marbling these two factors are indicators of the beef s tenderness. These different parts vary wildly in general quality tenderness and flavor. Beef tenderloin costs more than other cuts because its marbled fat makes it extra tender. Marbling is the intramuscular fat that adds juiciness and some elements of tenderness to beef.

Marbling is what gives beef its flavor juiciness and tenderness. Beef that is given a higher grade is usually from younger cattle and has more fat marbling. Filet mignon also comes from the muscle we know as tenderloin. How to cook beef tenderloin to cook beef tenderloin first sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on the meat and sear it in olive oil.

The tenderloin does not have a lot of marbling but it is flavorful and is considered to be a prize cut of meat. The sirloin is one of the most famous cuts of beef but it s actually generally divided up into three smaller cuts. When butchers cut the tenderloin into two inch steaks it becomes filet mignon. Hence the practice of wrapping tenderloin steaks with strips of bacon without it the steak would lack flavor and moisture.

How to choose steak from the loin.