Filet - Signature Steaks - Ruth's Chris Steak House

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The Filet Mignon. Favored by many for its melt-in-your-mouth texture, mild beef flavor and ability to pair beautifully with delicate seafood and sauces, a filet is one of the most popular cuts of beef you can find.

WHAT IS A FILET MIGNON?

The term Filet Mignon has been found as far back as the early 1800s – a period in culinary history when a number of French butchers were apparently rather obsessed with finding the perfect cut of beef (and we thank them for it).

While “mignon” is a French word that literally means cute or sweet, it’s much more than a term of endearment for steaks lovers. Filets are steaks cut from the tenderloin, a little-worked interior muscle that runs from the ribcage toward the butt. Since the filet was traditionally cut from the smaller portion of the tenderloin, French butchers called these cuts “filet mignon.” Today it is most commonly referred to simply as a filet.

WHY IS A FILET SO TENDER?

Since there’s very little marbling and not a lot of fat or connective tissue inside the filet, it’s arguably the most tender of all high-end cuts of beef. We add our special 28-day aging process to further its flavor and tenderness.

Many people prefer a filet’s delicate mouthfeel and mild flavor over meatier, more marbled beef steaks like ribeyes or New York strips – our founder’s favorite. That’s because texture has a lot to do with taste, especially when it comes to meat and seafood.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILET MIGNON

While a filet of beef, by definition, is typically steak cut from the bone, the trend toward bone-in filets appears to be here to stay. Steak lovers rejoice

FILET & PETITE FILET

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The more traditional way to serve a filet is, well, fileted. Our signature Filet is 11 ounces of tender, aged steak cooked to perfection. Our Petite Filet – if you can call it that – is a slightly smaller 8-ounce cut.

BONE-IN FILET

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When you hear “16-ounce” and “filet” in the same sentence, you can bet you’ve got a specialty bone-in cut. Special indeed. Enhanced by a blend of marbling and mellow flavor near the bone, this exceptional cut has quickly become a steak house favorite.

FILET OSCAR STYLE

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The Filet Oscar is a steak house classic. Oscar style is a savory topping of jumbo lump crab, seared asparagus and house-made béarnaise sauce.

OTHER NAMES FOR A FILET

While the formal name “filet mignon” is less commonly used these days, there are a few other names for this same prized cut still favored by certain chefs.

FILET DE BOEUF

If you’re in a French restaurant, or better yet in France, it’s more common to hear a filet of beef called just that, Filet de Boeuf, in order to distinguish it from other meats.

FILLET STEAK

Fillet and filet are variations of the same word. When talking about beef, you’ll typically see it as “filet,” shortened still from “filet mignon.” Alternatively, fillet has become more commonly associated with fish.

FILETTO

Not to be outdone by its French neighbors, a filetto is the Italian term for the Filet de Boeuf or filet. Similar to “mignon,” “-etto” affectionately implies small or cute, as in from the small end of the tenderloin.

EYE FILLET

A beef “eye fillet” is another name for a filet. Because the tenderloin is a long, tubular muscle, filet cuts of beef tend to have a round to oval-shaped “eye” shape. You’re most likely to hear this term down under in Australia or New Zealand.

BEST WINE PAIRING FOR FILET

If you’re looking for a wine that goes well with
a filet, chances are you can look to your
favorite red wine. For this lean, delicate cut
of meat, look to the dryer reds with softer tannins.

Wines like a Merlot, an aged Cabernet
or French Bordeaux, a Pinot Noir or even
a red blend make popular choices, as
might a Syrah/Shiraz or Sangiovese. If you
prefer a sweeter wine, a blush wine is
also a suitable pairing option.

*Items are served raw, or undercooked, or may contain raw or undercooked ingredients. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness.

Filet*