Lanse couche couche

One of my uncles was a meat cutter years ago. He was asked to help a couple of neighbors butcher and cut up a deer they had shot. When he was done, they told him he could have some meat for his efforts. He told them that all he wanted was those two little strips of meat off the deer's lower back. Needless to say, those guys didn't know that much about deer meat.

Handles

Teedub, You were correct all along. I hope the rest of you make corrections to your terminology (as I also had to) and use the words correctly. Also, make sure to correct your hunting buddies. I'll be you a beer that you could bet them a beer on it and win.

From the Texas Barbque website:
The tenderloin or filet, as well as muscle that produces cuts of steak like the rib-eye and the t-bone or porterhouse, comes from tissue that does not get a great deal of the work load. Generally, they come from the back and rib cage area that does not get a lot of work on a regular basis.

From Wikipedia:
Beef tenderloin, or eye fillet (New Zealand and Australia), is cut from the loin of a steer or heifer. As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to the Psoas major muscle along the central spine portion, which more or less hangs between the shoulder blade and hip socket. This muscle tissue does very little work, so it is the most tender part of the cow. The tenderloin can either be cut for roasts or for steaks.
When left whole, the tenderloin is known as a fillet or a "Chateaubriand". When sliced, it forms various steaks. Those toward the loin end of the piece, when cut into slices one to two inches thick, are known as filets. Sometimes, the cuts are called filet mignon, while at other times filet mignon refers to a dish made with a beef tenderloin filet, not the cut itself. Other portions of the tenderloin, when cut into steaks, are typically called tenderloin steaks, not filets.

jayman035

mmm filet mignon... i know what im having for dinner tonight

TreeStalker

I call it good eaten......

instinct

Yummmmmmm!!!!!!!!

DannyD

Handles,
no, they are not incorrect.

Again look at a porterhouse or T-bone. There are two distinct pieces of meat on opposite sides of the bone. You will notice that one piece is larger and generally more tender than the other.

The smaller piece is the piece known as the tenderloin or in some cases filet mignon. That is the piece that is on the inside of the deer.
The larger piece is the piece that when seperated from the smaller piece is known as Ny strip, shell steak etc. This piece is found on the outside of the back of the animal. Commonly known in the deer world as the backstrap.






The meat on the left side of this picture comes from the inside of the animal. The meet on the right is from the outside (closest to the skin).

Handles

I see, so the texas barbeque website along with about 10 other butcher, or cuts of beef websites I looked at were all wrong. Ok have it your way, but when I ask for a tenderloin at the local butchers, I know it will come from the left or right side of the spine.

JagMagMan

I'm with the majority! Tenderloins are inside the ribcage, Backstraps are larger and run along the spine on the outside of the deer.
I'll never get shafted by the butcher, because the T-loins and straps never get to the butcher shop!
BTW, some people don't realize that there is another set of Tenderloins inside the deer between the front shoulders! They are not as big as the back set, but on a good size deer, they are worth the effort to get too!

DannyD

The tenderloins do come from both the left and the right side of the spine. There are two of them in the animal. They are the ones inside the deer though not on the outside. If you were to buy filet mignon and they were giving you the cuts from the outside. You are getting ripped off

DannyD

Boneless Hind ¼ Primals
1) Eye of Round
2) Bottom Round
3) Top Sirloin
4) Top Round
5) Sirloin Tip
6) Tenderloins

7) Backstraps
Boneless Front ¼ Primals
8) Neck
9) Shoulder
10) Top Blade
11) Mock Tender





Notice the difference between #6 and #7. The smaller ones are the tenderloins (found on the inside) the larger ones are the backstrap (found on the outside). see, i can find web sites too.

Seriously though, as a butcher for many years i understand where the cuts come from