Old timer at the shop taught me something about beef tenderloin I still use

Back when I was working at a small shop in Pittsburgh about 10 years ago, there was this guy named Frank who must have been 70. He showed me how to feel for the chain muscle on a tenderloin with your thumb instead of looking for it. Said he learned it in the 60s and never cut one wrong since. I still use that trick every time I break down a whole tenderloin. Any of you old timers got a simple trick like that you picked up from someone?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicaw541mo ago

Disagree a little bit actually. I've been trimming tenderloins for like 15 years and I always just find it by sight, feeling around with my thumb always throws me off and I end up leaving too much silver skin or cutting into the meat. Its way faster for me to just look for that little strip of fat and gristle along the side and follow it down. But I guess whatever works for you is what matters in the end.

robinc661mo ago

Never tried that but I actually feel around with a fork instead of my thumb.