Fillet (cut)

Fillet of dory

A fillet (or filet) (UK  /ˈfɪlɪt/, US /fɨˈleɪ/; from the French word filet /filɛ/) is a cut or slice of boneless meat or fish.

Meat

In the case of beef, in the USA, the term most often refers to beef tenderloin, especially filet mignon.

Chicken

Chicken fillets are cut from chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless chicken fillets are very popular in supermarkets in many countries.

Fish

Automatic knives for filleting fish

Fish fillets are generally obtained by slicing parallel to the spine, rather than perpendicular to the spine as is the case with steaks. The remaining bones with the attached flesh is called the "frame", and is often used to make fish stock. As opposed to whole fish or fish steaks, fillets do not contain the fish's backbone; they yield less flesh, but are easier to eat.

Special cut fillets are taken from solid large blocks; these include a "natural" cut fillet, wedge, rhombus or tail shape. Fillets may be skinless or have skin on; pinbones may or may not be removed.

A fletch is a large boneless fillet of halibut, swordfish or tuna.

There are several ways to cut a fish fillet:

• Cutlet
  • This fillet is obtained by slicing from behind the head of the fish, round the belly and tapering towards the tail. The fish is then turned and the process repeated on the other side to produce a double fillet
• Single
  • This fillet is more complex than the cutlet and produces two separate fillets, one from each side of the fish.
• "J" Cut
  • This fillet is produced in the same way as a single fillet but the pin bones are removed by cutting a "J" shape from the fillet
• "Back strap"
  • After filleting both sides of the fish you will have almost all the meat, but there is a little known cut called the back strap. To get to the back strap you must cut on the gill line and run the knife right above the back bone. Run the knife all the way done the back bone and finish at the base of the tail.

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  Fillet of pork

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  Raw chicken fillets

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  Filleting hake

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  Japanese utensils used to fillet large tuna

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  Two men filleting and salting fish, 1878

See also

• Fish fillet processor
• Hake fillet