Beef Tenderloin With Marbling

The usda defines an extra lean cut of beef as a 3 5 ounce serving about.

Beef tenderloin with marbling.

For more even cooking let these beef steak cuts stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before searing. Beef that is given a higher grade is usually from younger cattle and has more fat marbling. 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. Tenderloin is a lean piece of meat without a lot of marbling and sinew so it has a nicer texture when raw.

It comes from a back muscle that doesn t get much exercise. The sirloin is one of the most famous cuts of beef but it s actually generally divided up into three smaller cuts. Beef tenderloin costs more than other cuts because its marbled fat makes it extra tender. The top sirloin the bottom sirloin and the rear part of the tenderloin.

By and large the bottom sirloin is the inferior cut of the three. Hence the practice of wrapping tenderloin steaks with strips of bacon without it the steak would lack flavor and moisture. Filet mignon also comes from the muscle we know as tenderloin. 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.

How to choose steak from the loin. The american heart association recommends limiting lean meat poultry and seafood consumption to six ounces per day. 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. 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.

The tenderloin does not have a lot of marbling but it is flavorful and is considered to be a prize cut of meat. These different parts vary wildly in general quality tenderness and flavor. When butchers cut the tenderloin into two inch steaks it becomes filet mignon. Marbling is what gives beef its flavor juiciness and tenderness.

Whether you choose top loin tenderloin or porterhouse steaks look for well marbled meat with vibrant color and a moist but not wet surface.