Here's our step-by-step guide to trimming a beef tenderloin like a pro. From one whole tenderloin, you can get the center-cut beef tenderloin roast, a whole tenderloin roast, or individual filet mignon steaks.
The first step is to arrange a clean work surface with a large cutting board and a very sharp knife.
We also recommend butcher's twine and a pair of cut-resistant gloves—this helps to minimize any chance of scrapes when handling meat and cutting it.
Pat it dry
Start by removing the full beef tenderloin from the packing and patting the meat dry with paper towels. This will help you handle it better.
Arrange it on the cutting board so you can easily maneuver it.
Remove the chain
The first cut will be to pull back the long piece of meat running along the side muscle of the tenderloin, known as the 'chain.' It pulls back easily, exposing a natural seam to follow.
Then, working in gentle short, swift cuts with your filet knife, separate this from the whole tenderloin and set it aside.
Remove the connective tissue, hard fat, and silver skin
Next, trim excess hard fat over the roast without cutting deep into the meat.
Then, carefully remove the long strip of silver skin that runs along the entire length. Do this by gently sliding the knife tip under the silver skin and pulling up gently while also sliding along the silver skin. This helps it to come off easily without removing any excess meat.
Take the time to trim off any excess fat carefully.
With a paper towel, run your hand the length of the tenderloin to clean off excess bits and smooth out the exposed surface, leaving a nice, even, clean surface of the meat.
Trim the butt end and tail end
At this point, you could stop and fold the small end, known as the tail, up and secure it with butcher's twine every one or so inches along the tenderloin to the thick end, creating an even thickness for the whole beef tenderloin roast, perfect for grilling or roasting.
Or, you can continue to divide the whole tenderloin for more variety of cuts, as described in our next step. Carve into beef tenderloin center-cut beef tenderloin roast or filets
Carve into beef tenderloin center-cut beef tenderloin roast or filets.
Simply cut off the larger butt end and tapered end for an even roast, known as the center-cut beef tenderloin roast or the chateaubriand. It is the prized, most tender, and ideal cut for roasting due to its shape and size and usually weighs between 2 to 3 pounds.
Alternatively, it can also be sliced into 1 1/2 to 2" thick steaks, known as tournedos.
Both the butt end and tail end can be cut into even thicknesses and tied to create individual tenderloin steaks. We aim for steaks about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick.
The tail end of the tenderloin, the most tender end, can be cut into individual filet mignon steaks or smaller tenderloin tips and tied off with kitchen twine to secure them.
Before discarding the chain, look to remove any large pieces of meat. These scraps are perfect for other quick-cooking beef recipes. We label and vacuum seal our trimmings for other uses later.
Cook the Tenderloin:
Now that you have expertly trimmed the whole tenderloin, you are ready to cook it with your preferred method, like sous vide, grilling, smoking, oven roasting, or pan searing. See our list of recommended recipes in the full post.
To perfectly cook your beef tenderloin, use a digital meat thermometer to ensure that the beef has been cooked to your desired internal temperature. We recommend medium rare 135 degrees F for the tenderloin to help retain its famous 'cut's with a fork' texture.
Notes
We immediately place anything we aren't going to cook in bags and vacuum seal them to remove the air. We then date the bags, label them, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. We use these later for stew meat or other quick dinner recipes.