Trimming and Slicing a Fillet of Beef

The fillet is the finest cut of beef - lean and meltingly tender. It is a classic joint for roasting, either plain or stuffed, with or without a pastry casing. Sliced, it can produce tournedos or fillet steaks, chateaubriand, very thick steak from the centre of the fillet, or strips for stir-frying.

1. Remove the chain muscle from the side of the main fillet. Cut away the sinewy membrane, sliding the blade of the knife underneath and holding the membrane away with the other hand.

   

2. Slice the fillet crosswise into slices about 2 cm thick. Cut them thicker at the narrow end, then pound them with the flat side of a cleaver or meat mallet.