Don’t make this misteak.
NYC chefs have beef with this popular cut of meat, insisting it’s the last one you should be ordering at a steakhouse — or any restaurant.
Don’t have a cow, but these experts are going after a classic favorite, pulled from the narrow point of a tenderloin.
Filet mignon? More like filet mignot, the pros pooh-pooh.
Diana Manalang, the chef and owner of Little Chef Little Cafe in Long Island City, made minced meat of the menu favorite in a recent interview with Eat This, Not That!
“Yes, it is tender and juicy, but because it’s so lean, it has no real flavor,” she fumed.
Turns out, Manalang’s sizzling steak take isn’t all that rare.
“I don’t dislike filet. But it’s certainly not the best cut of meat,” home-grown celeb chef David Burke told NJ.com in an article that called the sacred cow part “the most overrated food of all time.”
Both cooks agree that the only way to eat the stuff is by adding in some sort of external flavor — as opposed to other cuts, which can go down the hatch on their own.
“Sauces are vital for this cut because its flavor is lacking in comparison to my favorite, the rib-eye. Give me all the fat; even better when it’s bone-in,” Manalang said.
Burke, who calls filet mignon a “safe” dish, likes to serve his with a fragrant au poivre sauce.
At other creative locales — like the Meatpacking District’s Old Homestead Steakhouse — diners can choose a 10 ounce filet wrapped in smoky applewood bacon, served with seasoned potatoes and a bearnaise sauce. At the upscale Prime on Long Island, a crispy parmesan crust topper is offered as a flavor enhancer.
According to Burke, even chefs who prefer to go against the grain are obliged to simply sell the commodity as a well-done business decision.
The Post previously reported the $24 “petit filet mignon” steak frites are a top seller at Burke’s own Park Ave. Kitchen in Manhattan.
“People recognize it, it’s consistent,” he said.