Save Money with Steaks at Home
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You’ve been there before: Seated in a dimly lit restaurant, satisfied but not delighted by a 6-ounce filet mignon. Then the bill comes. Was it worth it?
Instead of swiping the credit card for an underwhelming three-digit dinner for two, take matters into your own hands by becoming a master of the homecooked – and home-cut – steak. It starts with a whole beef tenderloin from your local grocery store, which typically costs around the same amount as a night out but provides a week’s worth of dinners instead of one subpar supper.
Gather a sharp knife, cutting board, paper towels, bowls for waste (edible and non), a plate or tray for your finished cuts and freezer paper for steaks you won’t cook right away.
1. Trim Silver Skin and Fat
Start by trimming silver skin from the tenderloin. (It’s the shiny, thick connective tissue that won’t break down when cooking if it’s not removed.) Discard.
Next, trim away white fatty areas but save some or all for future cooking use, like making ground beef.
Next, trim away white fatty areas but save some or all for future cooking use, like making ground beef.
2. Separate the Chain
You’ll notice on one side there’s a natural gap in the tenderloin that you can often separate by hand. The smaller piece is what’s known as the “chain,” a tougher cut of meat that works best for ground beef (especially burgers), stir-fries and stews. Don’t throw it away!
3. Cut Steaks
Prefer a thick, hearty steak? Are thinner, 6-ounce cuts more your speed? Along with saving money from avoiding a restaurant tab, cutting steaks to your preferred thickness is the biggest advantage of buying a whole tenderloin.
If you’re not sure how thick to cut them, start with the three-finger method – the width of your first three fingers – for filets that are about 1 1/2 inches thick or 6-8 ounces.
Filets can go beyond steaks on the grill! Take an 8-ounce cut and cube it to make this Mini Beef Wellingtons recipe from “Cookin’ Savvy.” It’s perfect for a family meal served with potatoes and green beans or you can share them as appetizers at your next event.
4. Use Scraps for Ground Beef
The tender, delicious steaks may be the main attraction, but a whole beef tenderloin goes beyond just the filets. Trim the chain along with the head and tail from the main cut then cube into small pieces that are ready for the meat grinder to make ground beef for burgers, tacos, stews and stir-fries.
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