Chateaubriand

The thick centre cut of the beef tenderloin, traditionally cut from a section large enough to serve two. Pan-seared then finished in the oven, served sliced with sauce béarnaise or sauce chateaubriand (a reduction of white wine, shallots, herbs, and demi-glace). Named for François-René de Chateaubriand, the 19th-century French statesman and writer whose chef Montmireil reportedly created the preparation. The cut sits between filet mignon (the smaller tail-end medallions) and the tournedos cuts.