KNIFE SKILLS:
How to Trim a Whole
Beef Tenderloin
Tenderloin steaks are expensive, but buying a whole
untrimmed tenderloin can help you save some money. Not
only that, you get some nice beef scrap to use for soups,
burgers, or dog food in the process. Here’s how to do it.- TRIM OFF THE SILVERSKIN. Use a sharp boning
knife to remove the silverskin—the tough membrane that
surrounds muscles—a small strip at a time (1). Insert the
tip of the knife under the silverskin and, using your free
hand to hold the tenderloin steady, cut away, trying to
remove as little meat as possible (2). Cut in one direction
first, then flip the knife over, grasp the end of the strip of
silverskin you just removed, and cut back in the opposite
direction to remove a full strip (3). Repeat until all the
silverskin is removed.