¿El filete mignon y el tournedos son cortes de carne diferentes?
La nomenclatura del despiece es muy detallada, lo que puede hacer que navegar por el mundo de la carne de res resulte intimidante.
Butchering nomenclature gets very detailed, which can make navigating the world of beef intimidating. After all, when you're picking between a prime rib and a ribeye or selecting the right kind of chuck for a stew, it's tricky to know what makes a difference. Such nuance gets especially confusing regarding filets mignons and tournedos. After all, both cuts hail from the tenderloin and pack in a delicious melt-in-your-mouth consistency. However, the two aren't exactly the same.
To understand their subtle difference, it's helpful to consider the tenderloin as a whole: The cut consists of an elongated, loglike shape that tapers off into a thin tip. Filets mignons are butchered into rounds right past this thin extremity, where the cut turns into a thicker shape. Meanwhile, tournedos are the tip itself; they're still round, but much smaller in diameter. Since both come from the end of the tenderloin, some consider tournedos a type of filet mignon. However, generally, the two are delineated as separate cuts.
The difference between tournedos and filets mignons
Filets mignons and tournedos both hail from a small region of beef, hence the frequent confusion. Like the difference between a filet mignon and a tenderloin steak, it's about how the primal is broken down. After all, the tip of the tenderloin that constitutes tournedos is usually only 1 inch in length and filets mignons are butchered into similar thicknesses. With only two tenderloins per cow, this results in a very small amount of filets mignons and tournedos per cow; a quality reflected in their prices.
Furthermore, the definition of filet mignon can vary. The most traditional type comes from the thinner section of the tenderloin and is only 1 inch in diameter. However, round cuts with a diameter of up to 3 inches are sold as filet mignon. Many butchers cite the center of the tenderloin as the source of the cut with the thinner tip reserved for tournedos. Nevertheless, there is some overlap; just know that tournedos are generally smaller and both come out delectably tender as grilled or pan-seared steaks.