It should come as no surprise that filet mignon is one of the most popular steaks in restaurants. Its flavor and tenderness are difficult to surpass.

Filet mignon is a choice cut taken from the tenderloin of the cow, the area on the back ribcage. When the short end of the tenderloin is cut into portions, those slices are called filet mignon. Because this part of the animal does not bear weight the muscles in this area receive little exercise, resulting in filet mignon meat that is melt in your mouth tender. This also gives the filet mignon a subtler flavor than other steaks, since stronger muscles result in a stronger beef flavor.

A porterhouse steak is a larger cut that includes a filet mignon. The longer portion of meat on one side of the bone is the strip steak, and the portion on the other side of the bone is the filet mignon. Many steak lovers will purchase the porterhouse, separate the strip steak and filet mignon from the bone, then prepare one steak and save the other to be enjoyed at a later date.

When shopping for filet mignon, look for a steak with a nice red color. Filet mignon is usually cut into 1 or 2 inch thick steaks. High heat methods are most often used for cooking filet mignon. Because the filet mignon does not have a fat layer around it, it is common to see it wrapped in bacon, which adds fat and flavor.

It doesn't take much work to cook a great tasting filet mignon. A simple method of preparing filet mignon is to brush oil or butter on the steak, then broil, grill or pan fry it. Use a meat thermometer to test the filet mignon for doneness.

Cook the filet mignon to an internal temperature of 145ºF for medium rare. Cooking beyond medium rare results in a less tender, dryer filet mignon, and many steak lovers consider the filet mignon to be ruined when it is cooked in this way.

Other names for filet mignon include tenderloin steak, tournedos, medallions, fillet steak, fillet de boeuf and chateaubriand.