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Beef tenderloin is cut from the middle of a cow. As with all quadrupeds, the areas along the central spine portion - which more or less hangs between the shoulder blade and hip socket - are the tenderest. This muscle tissue does very little work, so is the most tender part of the cow.
When left whole, the tenderloin is known as a filet or a Chateaubriand. When sliced, it forms various steaks. Those towards the loin end of the piece, when cut into slices two to three inches thick, are known as filet mignon.
Since it is the least stringy part of the animal, most beef dishes requiring high quality meat are ideally made from the tenderloin. These include filet mignon, steak tartare and many similar dishes.
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