Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon Steak

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:17:58 +0000

The word ‘filet mignon’ means small boneless piece (in French ‘mignon’ means small and ‘filet’ means a boneless piece). It is considered to be a premium cut of beef, taken from the small end of the tenderloin. Filet mignon steaks are called by different names in different parts of the world – chateaubriand, medallions, tournedos, filet de bæuf, tenderloin, etc. are all different names of the filet mignon steak. It is the tenderest steak and is circular in shape about 3 inches in diameter.
The tenderloin is the least exercised part of the animal and hence the flesh in this region is tender. Beef cuts from the tenderloin are hence very soft and easy to cut. Due to their tenderness, they are also referred to as ‘the kings of steak’. However, the filet mignon steaks are also the mildest in their taste. Usually they are packed with bacon to increase their flavor.
Filet mignons available in butcher shops are a 2-3 inches in thickness. Their color determines how fresh they are. Filet mignon steaks should be bright red externally and internally they must be darker in color. They should be brought only if they were preserved in cold storage. Mostly filet mignon steaks are aged before cooking. Aging provides a unique flavor. Steaks can be preserved under cold storage for as long as a year if they are securely wrapped.
There are several ways to prepare filet mignon steaks. They can be grilled, sautéed, pan-fried or roasted. Fat should be removed before cooking the steak. Use of salt must be avoided as salt draws out the juices of the steak. Water is not used while cooking filet mignon steaks as it affects the taste. Instead olive oil or butter is used to prepare different recipes.
Filet mignon steaks are prepared by restaurants in several ways. There are several exotic preparations with wine, whiskey and with a variety of stuffing like crab meat, eggs among many others. Almost every restaurant has a special recipe for preparing filet mignon. They are eaten with rice, noodles or pasta. They are garnished with parsley, garlic, spring onions, etc. depending on the recipe. Red wine complements the filet mignon steak well. Also, they are eaten along with sea food such as lobsters and crabs or with pork derivatives such as bacon and sausages.

Steak provides detailed information about steak, flank steak, grilling steak and more. Steak is affiliated with Disposable Chef Hats.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy

Author Max Bellamy

How to Cook Filet Mignon

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:17:22 +0000

Filet mignon! To many peoples’ minds, the words themselves speak of excellence, good living and expensive taste. No wonder. Carefully selected and expertly cut, filet mignon is a steak lover’s dream.
Filet mignon is a boneless steak that is cut from the tenderloin of the cow, which, as its name implies, yields the tenderest meat.
The filet itself is usually cut into portions between 1 and 2 inches in thickness. Oftentimes, stores sell such portions pre-wrapped with bacon. The reason for this is that file mignon does not contain as much fat marbling as bone-in steak cuts generally do; the bacon, then, substitutes for the missing fat.
If you prefer your marbling to be natural, or you simply don’t eat pork, then look for filet mignon that is pink rather than red–the lighter the color the better, in other words. Lighter color=more marbling.
One key point to remember when cooking filet mignon, whether you broil, roast, grill or pan fry it, is to use high heat in the process. A second key point is not to cook it too long; filet mignon is particularly susceptible to drying out as it cooks.
Keeping those two key points in mind, almost any steak recipe will work for filet mignon. Cookbooks and the Web are overflowing with imaginative things you can do with this royal cut of beef. If you’ve never cooked filet mignon, though, here are two basic recipes to get you started:
Grilled Filet Mignon
Ingredients
4 filets mignons
Salt
Black pepper
Directions
Heat grill. Grill filets mignons for 3 to 5 minutes per side, which will cook them to medium or medium-rare doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Note: Connoisseurs will tell you that filets mignons can only be properly appreciated medium-rare or even rare. I tend to agree. But if you really can’t stand the thought of eating steak that pink, feel free to cook longer. Again, start with high heat so as to minimize the time needed to reach your preferred state of doneness.
Sauteed Filet Mignon
Ingredients
4 filets mignons
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary
Cooking oil
Directions
Season the filets mignons with the salt and pepper, then sprinkle rosemary over them. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Place the meat in the skillet and fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side (for medium-rare doneness).
By the way, a red wine such as cabernet sauvignon or burgundy makes a great accompaniment to filet mignon.

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah’s article where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html
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Author Sarah Sandori

Filet Mignon - The Gourmet Steak

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:16:41 +0000

Filet Mignon is a gourmet class of steak cut of beef which is the primary choice of the typical affluent beef lover. Filet mignon is carefully extracted from the tenderloin part of the animal and is a definite gourmet connoisseur’s delight.
It would be helpful to understand how the famous filet mignon came into being. The word ‘filet mignon’ is borrowed from French where the word filet means a thick slice and the word mignon means a delicacy. The tenderloin part of the cow extends on both sides of the back bone on the backward side of the rib cage of the animal. This particular area of the animal does not bear weight, and so the flesh does not experience much exercise. Because of this filet mignon typically is a very tender and soft meat.
The only drawback of cutting it from the tenderloin area is that the steak lacks the flavor found in meat which has the bone attached, a fact ignored and sometimes loved by the affluent customer who swear by this beef steak. The tenderness of the filet is so connotative that it is sometimes referred to as a tender filet.
The filet mignon is typically cut with a thickness of about one or two inches and a diameter of about two to three inches. It is cooked in a variety of ways. Some prefer quickly grilling it but it is also possible to broil, pan-fry, roast or even sauté filet mignon. Filet mignon is a dryer cut of beef compared to other steaks. To see if it has been cooked well enough, it is necessary to touch the steak. If the steak feels hard, it is too done. If it is soft enough to receive and imprint from the touch, it is done too rare. A compromise between the two states produces the best possible filet steak. In every form chosen, this version makes for a gourmet delicacy preferred and loved by the affluent diner world wide.
The filet Mignon of beef is also sometimes referred to as Medallions and Tenderloin Steak. It is sometimes misspelled as filet mignon and it is also called fillet steak in UK and Ireland. The filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef, and is also considered as the most expensive one. It is priced relatively very high as an average cow does not yield more than four to six pounds.
Sometimes it is sold whole as it is harvested from the cow. Usually it is available as one to two inch thick pre cut portions which are grilled and served as is. Bacon wrapped filets are also available in stores. In this format, the cut is wrapped with bacon after being cut into portions.
The purpose of wrapping in bacon is that it particularly lacks in fat because of the nature of the region of the animals body the steak is cut from. When it is wrapped in bacon, the bacon enhances the flavor by contributing the necessary fat which keeps the cut from drying out.
The filet is usually served with sauces which tend to go well with its mild flavor. It is either smothered in sauce or the sauce is used as a dip for the filet sauce. There are no specific sauces that are recommended as it tastes good with any particular sauce. The selection of sauces is solely dependent on the personal preference of the diner alone. Some people prefer a marinade to be used during cooking rather than have sauce during dining.
No matter where you have your filet mignon or in which form, this exceptional steak will change your convictions about the steak as a whole and take you into a new world of culinary delight.

Saman Rashid is an experienced writer. She has been writing articles and web copies since 3 years. To contact her, kindly visit http://www.mscopywriters.com
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Author Saman Rashid

Cooking Filet Mignon

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:16:02 +0000

Filet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning "thick slice" and mignon meaning "dainty." Filet mignon comes from the small end of the tenderloin (called the short loin) which is found on the back rib cage of the animal. This area of the animal is not weight-bearing, thus the connective tissue is not toughened by exercise resulting in extremely tender meat. This also means that the meat lacks some of the flavor held by meat that has the bone attached. In order keep the flavor, you must cook filet mignon quickly. This can be done a variety of ways, including broiling and grilling. It should never be cooked beyond medium rare, because the more done it is, the less tender and more dry it becomes and the more flavor it will lose. You should always use a dry method of cooking, even when it will be a quick method. Methods of cooking that are dry are such types as roasting, pan frying, grilling, broiling, etc. Since this cut of meat is more dry than others, you will not want to cut the meat to check to see if it is done. Instead, you should touch it. The touch-method of checking is not as hard as it may sound:
1. If the meat feels hard or firm, it is too done.
2. When the filet mignon is soft when you touch it and your finger leaves an imprint, it is rare.
3. If it is still soft, but leaves no imprint, and is slightly resilient, then it is medium rare (best for this particular type of meat).
The reason filet mignon is often wrapped in bacon (this wrapping is called barding) is because this particular cut of meat has no layer of fat around it. The bacon not only adds extra flavor to the filet mignon, it also gives it the fat necessary to keep the meat from drying out. This is a concern since the strips are so small in filet mignon and they have less fat than most cuts of beef.
What to serve with Filet Mignon
Since the flavor of filet mignon tends to be quite mild, many people prefer to serve it with sauces, either smothering the beef or as a dip. There are many different choices for the best sauce for filet mignon and most depend solely on the person’s particular flavor preference. Some consumers prefer to have a certain type of steak sauce for dipping and some may prefer a marinade to add flavor during cooking. Either of these can turn out well.
Wines & Filet Mignon
There are many different types of wines that are good to serve with filet mignon, and determining which one will go best with it depends largely on the flavor of the sauce. This is especially true if the sauce is rather strong, or has a flavor that is stronger than the filet mignon itself. The best wines to match with filet mignon are dry, red wines such as Merlot. If your preference is a sweet wine, you may want to consider trying a White Zinfandel (if this is your choice, though, you will not want to use very much pepper on the filet mignon). If you are a white wine drinker, the best match for filet mignon will be a rich Chardonnay.
Tips for cooking Filet Mignon
-When selecting tenderloin or slices, choose the lighter color over dark red. This indicates more marbling which makes it more tender. This cut is so tender that it should never be cooked beyond a medium-rare stage. The longer you cook it, the less tender and more dry it becomes.
-Use a dry, high heat method such as broiling, roasting, pan-frying or grilling for this tender cut.
-Whole tenderloin is wonderful to stuff or bake en croute (in savory pastry).
-Cutting into the meat to check doneness lets precious juice escape. Use the touch method. Press the meat. If it feels soft and mushy and leaves an imprint, it is rare. -If it is soft, but slightly resilient, it is medium-rare. The minute it begins to feel firm, it is overdone.
-Since the tenderloin has no surrounding fat tissue, it is often wrapped in a layer of fat (called barding) such as suet or bacon to keep it from drying out. Likewise with filet slices. The barding also adds flavor.
-Cubed tenderloin is a popular choice for fondue hot-pots and shish-kebabs.
-To ensure even cooking when roasting the whole tenderloin, the small end should be tucked up and tied or trimmed for other use.

Daniel Urmann is a contributor and author for the website Big Sky Filet Mignon.
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Author Daniel Urmann

Steak House For Steak Lovers

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:15:17 +0000

Steak House is most happening place for all the steak lovers. It is just because they will find all their preferred dishes at only one place. In reality, a diversity of the steak dishes adorn list of options of the steak house. Steak is generally prepared from the beef meat. The Non-vegetarian Food eaters will worship to visit all these places, because of lip smacking food as well as the aroma of the food. Although food is most important attraction of any of the steak house, interiors as well as service quality of steak house as well matters a lot. The Steak House at the South Street Seaport is the perfect example of the suitable location, as it has the beautiful surrounding that is including the sea view.
South Street Seaport is also situated in the New York City, which enables you to like a perfect eating out the experience. Steakhouse also has to have the various benefits, which can act as crowd pullers. The kindness, the interiors, also the service timing as well as other arrangements also have to be of the high excellence, so the steak house can also have the wonderful business. Everybody go into the market to make money and do cutthroat business. They also need to have the certain special qualities, which can earn the fame for them plus the positive responses from customers. These factors are also responsible for the increase of their business.
The Steakhouse is one of the best places to have the peaceful dinner as well as celebrate the special occasion. There is the variety of the steakhouse in the South Street Seaport, which reserve certain days for the private parties. You can also celebrate your wedding, your anniversary, the kitty parties, the birthdays as well as many other occasions at steakhouses. After spending much on the celebrations of the special occasion, you must get to have just everything in the perfect place. This is advantage as well as plus point of the House Of South Street Seaport. The Perfect location with the wide variety of the steak house as well as many further crowds pulling the points in these restaurants that has been this place is hot spot.
If you were enthusiastic to enjoy the surf plus turf plate, then you can visit the steakhouse Of South Street Seaport. The numerous tasty as well as lip smacking seafood fragility adorn menu of these restaurants. A variety of types of the fishes, flavorsome lobsters, crabs as well as much more are the part of the dishes. You order the surf and turf dish to take pleasure in the taste of both the seafood plus steak together. The steak house is dinners’ delight because of food court. The seafood or else steak food are generally accompanied with side dishes. These are the side dishes that can be baked the potatoes, creamy spinach, sautéed broccoli as well as various other vegetables.
Now, you do not have to just wait for the long or else waste time in just looking out at the proper steak house. The Seaport South Street is just being the perfect rest for you.
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Article Tags: food, house, steak
Read more articles by: Dave Text
Article published on February 26, 2008 at Isnare.com

More Steak Please

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:14:53 +0000

After advising dieters for years to satisfy their hunger with liberal amounts of steak, eggs and other saturated fats, the promoters of the Atkins diet now say that people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat.
Responding to years of criticism from scientists that the Atkins version of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat regimen might lead to heart disease and other health problems, the director of research and education for Atkins Nutritionals, Colette Heimowitz, is telling health professionals in seminars around the country that only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat. Atkins Nutritionals was set up by Dr. Robert C. Atkins to sell Atkins products and promote the diet.
An Atkins spokesman said Ms. Heimowitz has been giving these seminars for five years, but that they do not represent a departure from the original premise of the diet.
Atkins representatives say that Dr. Atkins, who died last year, always maintained that people should eat other food besides red meat, but had difficulty getting that message out. There has been a revision in expressing how the diet should be followed, not in the diet itself, they say.
But in their consumer publications, Atkins officials have never set limits on saturated fat, and Atkins is widely known as the diet that lets you eat all the meat you want.
Dr. Atkins did more than anyone else to popularize the idea that dieters could eat fat and lose weight. As millions followed his advice, sales of red meat soared and steakhouses grew in popularity. His book ”Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution” has sold 15 million copies. Atkins Nutritionals reported $100 million in revenues for 2002.
The change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carbohydrate diets that call for less saturated fat. A book on one such plan, the South Beach Diet, came out in April 2003 and has sold more than five million copies. Atkins representatives made the revision, Ms. Heimowitz said, because ”we want physicians to feel comfortable with this diet, and we want people who are going to their physicians with this diet to feel comfortable.”
The Atkins regimen remains a high-fat diet. But Atkins officials are specifying the amount that should be saturated — the kind that comes from meat, cheese and butter — and the amount that should be unsaturated — the kind that comes from most vegetable oils and fish. The revision places more emphasis on fish and chicken.
Paul D. Wolff, chief executive of Atkins Nutritionals, said the company is trying to get its message out clearly. ”The way the book was promoted was, here’s the program that is counterintuitive,” he said. ” ‘You can eat a lot of bacon and steak.’ It was the marketing of the book. The media saw it as a sexy story.”
”Perhaps what was communicated in the past was unclear,” he said. ”We would agree with that.”
So why not tell people straight out that you can’t eat all the steak and eggs you want, Mr. Wolff was asked.
”Interesting question,” he said as he hung up to catch a plane.
The clarification came as a surprise to Atkins dieters who were interviewed. ”A lot of people will be totally shocked,” said Ellen Bain, a graphic designer in Brooklyn. The message she said she had taken away from reading Atkins books and Web sites was: ”The fat in the diet is very good for you; it doesn’t make any difference what kind of fat it is. There are no limits of any kind in the meat department, like steak and eggs for breakfast, a burger for lunch and beef stir-fry for dinner.”
Ms. Bain, who said she has lost 48 pounds on the Atkins diet since July 1, said, ”Is it possible that now they are revising their thinking?”
Beef, pork, lamb and butter were on the list of ”foods you may eat liberally” in ”The New Diet Revolution,” first published in 1992; its update is No. 1 on the New York Times advice, how-to and miscellaneous paperback best-seller list.
”Atkins for Life,” Dr. Atkins’s newest book, published a few months before his death, says: ”You should always eat a balance of different types of natural fat.” The precise proportion of saturated and unsaturated fat was unspecified, Ms. Heimowitz said, because ”trying to tell consumers to do math is futile.”
Russ Klein, a marketing executive, who has been on Atkins since Dec. 21, interpreted the phrase ”foods you may eat liberally” to mean ”eat until you are full.” And, he added, ”I think it’s probably true you can eat all the red meat you want.”
Ms. Heimowitz said people read the phrase ”eat liberally” as a license to gorge on red meat. ”Not making a distinction between one kind of protein and another, that was a mistake,” Ms. Heimowitz, ”and that is why we had to write another book, to get the story straight.”
But, she added, ”Even in the old book it says ‘eat until you are satisfied but not stuffed.’ ”
Total fat in the revised Atkins diet remains much higher than other diets recommend: 60 percent of the calories are still derived from fat, twice the level recommended by the Agriculture Department. Of that, one-third can be saturated fat — also twice the level recommended by the department. The rest should be poly- and mono-unsaturated fats.
That means that a person who eats 1,500 calories a day could eat a 17-ounce strip steak every day, according to Mindy Hermann, a registered dietitian. After the diet’s first phase, the amount of fat allowed drops to 55 percent, but the percentage of saturated fat stays the same.
Dr. Atkins said that carbohydrates caused obesity and eating fat helped regulate levels of insulin, which helps produce body fat. Ms. Heimowitz said, ”Saturated fat isn’t as much of an issue when carbohydrates are controlled; it’s only dangerous in excess when carbs are high.”
But Dr. Frank M. Sacks, a professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health, scoffed at those scientific claims. ”What they are saying is ridiculous,” he said. The revision, he added, ” has nothing to do with science; it has to do with public relations and politics.”
The medical establishment largely disputes Dr. Atkins’s reasoning and says that high levels of saturated fats are dangerous.
Dr. George L. Blackburn, associate director in the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, said the diet’s new version is ”definitely healthier,” but that ”all of the studies we have on Atkins are based on the Atkins of the 1970’s: eat all you can as long as you keep carbs out.”
About the Author
Sara Wright is a nutritional expert specializing in the Atkins diet. She also does freelance writing for the beef industry. For more information on the benefits of red meat please visit http://www.steaksavior.com
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Article Tags: atkins, diet, fat
Read more articles by: Sara Wright
Article published on July 27, 2007 at Isnare.com

Steak Marinades

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:14:15 +0000

When you are looking to spruce up an otherwise unremarkable steak, one of the best ways to do it is with a steak marinade. Coming in a wide variety of styles and flavors, there are plenty of choices available if you are looking to spruce up a nice steak with something a little different. Whether the flavor takes the form of teriyaki, olive oil, barbeque, or something spicy, there is a steak marinade out there that can make all the difference in your next meal.
Using a steak marinade is exceptionally easy. Simply pour the marinade into a large, shallow bowl, plate, or platter and place the steaks in the marinade. Then flip them over and let them soak in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Then cook your steak however you like. With the flavors of the marinade locked into the steak, it will come to life in a way you would have never imagined before.
Fortunately, it is not difficult to find a nice variety of sauces to use on your steak. The local grocery store will usually have a variety of steak marinades available and the only problem will be figuring out which one to choose. Whatever you have a taste for on your steak, there is a marinade to match.
Once you have tried out a few marinades, you might want to experiment on your own to see what you can create. You may wish to concoct a creation on your own once you have determined just what you enjoy on your own steak. That way, you will be able to have that blend that is just right every time.
Another bonus of cooking with a steak marinade is that it allows your steak to be more forgiving. After all, adding a little more flavor never hurt a meal, and soaking meat in a marinade can also make it more tender. Thus, by readying your steak beforehand, the beef will be more tender and will give you a little more leeway in the preparation. After all, you aren’t going to get it on and off the grill perfectly every time, so giving yourself a little more flavor and a little more cushion all at the same time will make for a much easier meal.
Overall, a steak marinade can provide a great deal to meal. It adds a little more flexibility to your repertoire, it can give a variety of different flavors to one type of meat, and it makes the cook’s job a little easier when working with the meat on the grill. So, when you want to add a little something to your steak and bring out more flavor in an otherwise routine meal, a marinade can do the trick. It’s very easy, it only takes a little bit of preparation, and the rewards are well worth it. So, the next time you want to do something more with a steak, see what a good steak marinade can do for you.
About the Author
Everything about steaks from cooking steaks, ordering them by mail, preparing steaks and much more including favorite recipes.
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Article Tags: flavor, marinade, steak
Read more articles by: George Royal
Article published on August 28, 2006 at Isnare.com