Tender Forever

I was certain that Melanie Valera was Tender Forever.

I was not certain of how steaks compared in terms of tenderness...

So I looked into it and found a research study on Beef muscle tenderness. It offered a ranking of the 40 most tender anatomical muscles on a quadruped animal (in this case cattle). I then arranged those 40 muscles in an image gallery that you can see HERE.

These are the first three...

1. Tenderloin (psoas major)

2. Flat Iron (infraspinatus)

3. Ribeye Cap (spinalis dorsi)

Below is the ribeye cap situated within a chuck or chuckeye.

When a customer leads with a request for Filet Mignon (tenderloin), who am i to blow against the wind? Truth be told, tenderloin is a great option for the novice cook. It is incredibly forgiving. You can undercook, overcook, or otherwise screw it up, and it will still eat just fine.

The key wording is "just fine." I didn't say "mindblowing" or "beyond belief." That language is reserved for cuts with other attributes such as flavor, fat, and texture.

I fault no one for preferring tender muscles. Let us acknowledge and understand tenderness, but not let it cloud our appreciation for the many other attributes that contribute to a profound meat-eating experience.

#tenderloinbeefflatironbutchertenderforever