Absolutely agree with you to a point
But as you've noted - a tenderloin is a SUPER SET - a Filet is a SUB Set of a tenderloin.. Based on this, one may order a tenderloin, and get a cut other than a Filet.
Put another way? A filet is definitely a tenderloin... but not all tenderloins are filets
That's why I prefer a precise offering on the menu - I know I'm not going to get, say, Tournedos
The term 'filet' is also a misnomer. In fact the whole thing is a mess.
The roughly 2 foot long, 6lb hunk of meat that come from the lower back, is ...
In the USA a tenderloin, in France a filet, and in England a filet.
Aw, this is too much work, let me see if I can find something to poach ...
Ah, ha.
You may not believe this, but not everyone takes Auguste Escoffier's statements as gospel anymore. Let's start with a lesson in vocabulary, shall we? What we in the United States call the tenderloin — the lower portion of the sirloin — the British call the fillet, and the French call le filet. That much everyone agrees on, but now the controversy begins.
The broad end of the tenderloin yields fairly large steaks, which are generally cut thin. The French call these le bifteck, while some people in this country call them châteaubriand, and the British call them fillet steaks. Escoffier says the châteaubriand actually comes from the center of the tenderloin, is cut very thick, and weighs in at 12 ounces or so. Some people in this country call this a châteaubriand roast. Tournedos, according to Escoffier, are smaller, round steaks cut from the narrower part of the tenderloin, and are likely to weigh 2-1/2 ounces each. Those folks in Britain and the US who believe that châteaubriand is what comes from the broad end of the tenderloin, also believe that the tournedos comes from the center or "eye" of the tenderloin.
In Escoffier's world, that left the small, flat end of the tenderloin for filet mignon. In this country, that may be called the tenderloin tip or rib end tip, and in Britain it may just be called the tail end. Nowadays, there may be no clear dividing line between where the tournedos ends and the filet mignon starts, but it is clear that no one really cares that Escoffier categorized the filet mignon only as the last little bit of the tenderloin.
In the United States, filet mignon is a well-known and well-loved term, while tournedos has limited name recognition. Is it any wonder that meat packagers use the better-known name for every cut from the center of the tenderloin almost to the tip (especially when it is sure to bring a better price), even if they use it inaccurately? This just looks like another case where modern-day marketing has triumphed over old-world Escoffier.
Back to me now. So what is the point of all this meaty terminology?
the point is, there is no set term for what you are eating. You have to ask the waiter. If you are really that concerned, then ask the chef where exactly on the tenderloin the cut you will be eating comes from.
In any case, a 'filet' is not the "best" steak. It is one of the most tender (perhaps THE most tender of all the major muscle groups) but that hardly makes it the best. It is also about as flavorful as a dish of shaved ice. Both will melt in your mouth.
It is like complaining that they took the filet off the menu but added a porterhouse.
My opinion is that a filet steak has become the prime rib of the 2010 era. People used to go ga-ga over prime rib, no matter how fatty, greasy, and overcooked it was, prime rib was THE steak that had to be on every menu. Now it has become the filet steak. If it's not on the menu, the place MUST be crap. Never mind what other exciting things the chef is doing. Never mind a perfectly cooked skirt steak, or the pain in the rear to cook octopus. Restaurants love filet. People will pay out the nose for them, easy to cook, and if someone orders something more than medium, it may even go for a ride in the fryer.
It's like when places put surf and turf on the menu. Lobster and steak, two great tastes that DO NOT go great together. But hey, it must be good, because separately they are the most expensive items on the menu, but on the same plate, WOW what a meal.
I find it refreshing when a chef has the stones to take filet off the menu and excite his or her patrons with challenging dishes.
-dave
