Beef fillet

Enlarge

The fillet (or tenderloin) is cut from the loin of beef. This is a wonderfully tender part of beef that does not have a very strong flavour. The meat cooks quickly but it can also become tough quite fast, as it does not contain a great deal of fat. The tail of the fillet is used to cut smaller cubes of meat that are often used in recipes that require small, but tender bits of meat. The butt of the fillet is cut into tournedos, and the centre cut yields the double tournedos.

Basic techniques: raw, marinating, poaching, frying, grilling. 

Taste combinations: cucumber, avocado, teriyaki, spring onion, nori, truffle, king prawn, lobster, oyster, oyster mushroom, shiitake, mangetout, onion, white radish, ginger, garlic, lemon, parsley.