When is National Filet Mignon Day? August 13th!
How is this holiday celebrated?
This holiday is celebrated by eating and serving filet mignon in it's honor. Learn how to cook it if you don't already know how. This holiday is also celebrated by hosting a dinner party where you serve filet mignon to your guests. Filet Mignon is not just for National Filet Mignon Day but great for other celebrations as well! (like someones birthday party), or for a romantic meal. If you need some help with ideas, we have some great party planning tips and Party Game ideas to help you celebrate this holiday.
Origin of this Holiday?
Our research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. We did however find that this holiday has been celebrated for years. There is plenty of documentation to support that this holiday does indeed exist. - Was this this holiday created by a food organization? Our research couldn't find the answer to that question - This holiday is referred to as a "National" day. However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day. Even though we didn't, this is still a holiday that is publicized to celebrate. So have fun with it and celebrate it!
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What is a Filet Mignon?
"Filet mignon (French for "exquisite or dainty fillet") is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin, or psoas major of the steer or heifer.
"The tenderloin runs along both sides of the spine, and is usually harvested as two long snake-shaped cuts of beef. The tenderloin (not to be confused with the short loin) is sometimes sold whole. If the short end of the tenderloin is cut into portions before cooking, that portion is known as filet mignon, or the fillet, from the French boneless meat (mignon meaning "small" as true mignons are cut from the smaller tail end of the tenderloin)."
"The fillet is considered to be the most tender cut of beef, and the most expensive. The average steer or heifer provides no more than 4-6 pounds of filet. Because the muscle is non-weight bearing, it receives very little exercise, which makes it tender."
The same cut of beef can also be called:
- French: tournedos, filet de bœuf. (In France, though beef "filet mignon" exists, the term doesn't usually refer to beef, but instead to a tender and expensive cut of pork.)
- English (US): medallions, tenderloin steak
- English (UK & Ireland): fillet steak
- Puerto Rico : Filete Miñón
- Dutch: Ossehaas, Haasbiefstuk
"Porterhouse steaks and T-bone steaks are large cuts which include the filet. The small medallion on one side of the bone is the filet, and the long strip of meat on the other side of the bone is the strip steak—in British Commonwealth usage, only the strip steak is called the porterhouse."
"The fillet can be cut into 1-2 inch thick portions, then grilled and served as-is. One can also find the fillet in stores already cut into portions and wrapped with bacon. High heat is the usual method for cooking the fillet. Either grilling, pan frying, broiling, or roasting is preferred."
"Bacon is often used in cooking the filet because of the low levels of fat found in the filet (see barding and larding). Filets also have low levels of marbling, or internal fat. Bacon is wrapped around the filet and pinned closed with a wooden toothpick. This adds flavor and keeps the filet from drying out during the cooking process. Traditionally, filet mignon is seared on each side using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to cook the meat all the way through. Filet mignon is often served rarer than other meats. Those who prefer a more well-done steak can request a "butterflied" filet, meaning that meat is cut down the middle, and opened up to expose more of the meat to heat during the cooking process."
History
"The filet mignon steak cut has appeared on US restaurant menus since 1898, if not earlier.
Kosher Status
"It is possible to have kosher beef filet mignon, but it is rare and expensive. This is due to the fact that there are non-kosher fats (cheilev) and the sciatic nerve (gid hanosheh) in the hindquarters of domestic cattle which must be carefully removed (nikkur). This is generally uneconomical and as a result the entire hindquarters are usually sold to the non-kosher market.
Looking for more meat or bacon?
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