From whole PSMO’s to portioned filet mignons, there are many ways to buy beef tenderloins.
While a filet mignon is many beef consumers steak of choice, how often do we consider where this cut comes from or what other similar options are available?
Finished product application, available labor resources, and final product cost all play a large role in determining the best option for each person. This article will provide a deep dive into all things ‘tenderloin’ to explain which specific product is the best fit for various scenarios.
You don’t need an education in meat science to know that tenderloins are regarded as a tender cut of beef. Their popularity stems from this trait along with being extremely lean, but there is much more to know about this cut than meets the eye. Let’s dig in.
Where is the Tenderloin Cut of Beef?
The main muscle that comprises the tenderloin is scientifically proven to be the most tender muscle you can find on a side of beef. The scientific name for this muscle is Psoas Major which translates to “muscle of the loin” in Latin. It perfectly describes the location of this revered muscle and gives us a hint to its extreme tenderness.
As you can see, when you buy beef tenderloins, this muscle is in an area known for being particularly tender. It does not get a lot of “action” and it not heavily used by the animal.
The tenderloin sits along the spine, two tenderloins are present on each animal, one to each side of the spinal column. As would be expected, this muscle is not heavily used in cattle, or any other four-legged animals for this matter, as its main function is giving stability to the animal.
In the meat science world, we would call this a muscle of “posture” which is directly the opposite of a muscle of locomotion (think: muscles in the leg that would do much more work for a grazing animal).
Muscles of posture are much more tender than muscles of locomotion simply because they were used less and don’t need rigid structure to perform their functions.
In addition to the Psoas Major, a whole tenderloin contains two other accessory muscles. The Psoas Minor, more commonly referred to as the tenderloin “chain,” and the Illiacus, known as the tenderloin “ear” or “wing,” serve a similar purpose and are also extremely tender muscles.
A whole tenderloin, combining all three muscles discussed above, is most often sold as a “PSMO” which is short for “peeled side muscle on” tenderloin.
A whole tenderloin, combining all three muscles discussed, is most often sold as a “PSMO” which is short for “peeled side muscle on” tenderloin. Note that the silver skin and fat are still present.
The PSMO cut will be ‘peeled’ away from the other muscles surrounding it and will contain the side muscles (chain and ear) as well as some fat and silver skin connective tissue.
In some scenarios, the side muscles, fat, and silver skin are unwanted, and a ‘steak ready’ or ‘denuded’ tenderloin is desired. This cut is the main tenderloin muscle plus the ear muscle, while the side muscle, fat, and silver skin has been removed for ease of preparation.
A “denuded” PSMO is the main tenderloin muscle, plus the ear muscle, while the side muscle, fat, and silver skin has been removed for ease of preparation. You can then trim these into steak cuts of your size preference, or use whole, as in Beef Wellington.
Where Filet Mignon Comes From
Our next option for buying tenderloin moves into portioned cuts which we refer to as filet mignon steaks.
When we think about filet mignon steaks there is typically a portioned size associated with the steak (think 6oz or 8oz at your favorite steakhouse) but the other option that the consumer doesn’t see is how the steak was cut.
To simplify it, filet mignon steaks can be cut in a few ways:
- End to end where the entire tenderloin is utilized, (numbers 1-8)
- Center cut is where the tapering tail of the tenderloin is cut off, (or numbers 2, 3, 4, and can also include 4 & 5 as well. Barrels are sometimes included.)
- Barrel cut where the diameter on the top and bottom of each steak is the exact same and only the very center portion of the tenderloin is utilized (number 4-5)
You often hear of a “center cut,” but did you know that when you buy beef tenderloins, the barrel cut is actually considered a superior cut?
Costs to Know When Buying Beef Tenderloins
When beef prices are discussed, tenderloin and tenderloin products are the most expensive cut you can buy, and as with any other beef product, the simple rule of thumb is:
The more times a knife makes a cut, the higher the price the end product will be.
If we think of a PSMO tenderloin, the product has 100% yield, meaning the way the tenderloin comes from the packer is the way it is sold to the customer. If we consider a center cut filet mignon steak on the other hand, someone had to remove the accessory muscles, fat, and silver skin from the PSMO then cut portioned steaks that exclude the tail.
All the items that are not used in the final center cut portions (accessory muscles, fat, silver skin, tenderloin tail) are considered by products and lower the sellable yield which in turn increases the price.
So, barrel cut filet mignons have the lowest yield and therefore the highest price to the customer.
As we discuss price, the value of these byproduct items would be added as a credit to offset the price of the final product when you buy beef tenderloins.
It is important to also note that byproduct items can have value—and tenderloin chain muscle, and especially tenderloin tails, have considerable value to customers. As we discuss price, the value of these byproduct items would be added as a credit to offset the price of the final product.
To Sum It All Up
Now that we have covered the basics of how to buy beef tenderloins, which scenarios do each of these applications fit your menu?
For a seasoned chef, whether in a restaurant setting or at home, a PSMO tenderloin can be a fantastic cost saving option. It requires basic knife skills and some time to make this item ready to cook, but in general isn’t difficult to work with.
If knife skills are lacking, or even more importantly, if time and labor resources make it challenging to prep PSMO tenderloins, a steak-ready option might be the best fit.
The steak ready tenderloin is purchased ready to cook whole (think roasted tenderloin of beef wellington) or cut into portioned filet mignon steaks with virtually no preparation.
Portioned filet mignon steaks come with an added expense but require the absolute least labor and preparation. In most cases these steaks can come individually vacuum packaged and ready to cook by your preferred method.
When deciding on end-to-end, center cut, or barrel portions, your desired appearance and personal preference will determine the right option–but there is no wrong decision as they will all be incredibly tender!
Contact your sales consultant to discuss your specific menu needs today.
Article written by Kylie Philipps, the Business Development Manager at Buckhead Central Florida. She has been in the foodservice industry since 2017 and holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Animal Science, with a research focus in Meat Science. After talking to her, you will definitely walk away with more interesting meat knowledge than you started with!
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