Petite Tender substitute

Best substitute

Beef tenderloin or filet mignon

Use the same amount by weight as the petite tender you are replacing

Best for roasting whole then slicing into medallions

Close match

The tenderness match, soft and fine-grained in the same way, but noticeably milder and less mineral in flavour, so the meat tastes elegant rather than beefy.

Other petite tender substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Flat iron steak (top blade)
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
Cut from the shoulder just above the teres major, so it shares the beefy shoulder flavour but carries more marbling, making it juicier and richer with a slightly firmer, more open grain.
What changes
Best for
grilling, cast-iron searing, steak salad, steak tacos, sliced steak platters
The best value substitute and widely available. Because it is flat and thin it cooks faster: 3 to 4 minutes a side over high heat to 130F. Slice thinly across the grain, which is essential, and trim out the thin line of gristle running down the middle of some flat irons.
3Top sirloin steak
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Similar leanness and a clean beef flavour, but a distinctly chewier bite, so an eight-ounce portion that would have been buttery becomes something you notice yourself working through.
What changes
Best for
grilling, steak bowls, steak salad, budget steak dinner
Salt at least 40 minutes ahead, cook to 125F to 130F and no further, rest 8 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain rather than serving it whole. A compound butter or a pan sauce replaces some of the richness. Past medium it firms up fast, faster than a petite tender does.
4Chuck eye steak
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Fattier and much more openly beefy, sometimes called the poor man's ribeye, so the dish becomes richer and looser textured rather than neat and tender.
What changes
Best for
grilling, pan-searing, steak sandwiches, weeknight steak
Chuck eye contains more internal seams and sinew than a petite tender, so cook no further than medium and slice across the grain in thin strips. It will not give you clean medallions the way a petite tender does, but it costs very little and tastes excellent.
5Tri-tip, grill-roasted and sliced
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
A different shape solving the same problem of one tender roast that slices into portions, with a firmer bite and a stronger beef flavour than a petite tender, plus a fat cap that bastes it.
What changes
Best for
grilling for a group, reverse sear, sliced steak platters, steak sandwiches
Season heavily, sear, then finish over indirect heat to 130F and rest 10 minutes. Tri-tip has two grain directions meeting near the middle, so find the seam and slice each half across its own grain. It is not as tender as a petite tender, but it feeds more people from one piece.
6Pork tenderloin
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
Almost the same size, shape and cooking time, and similarly lean and tender, but obviously not beef, so the flavour is mild and faintly sweet rather than mineral and savoury.
What changes
Best for
roasting whole then slicing into medallions, pan-searing, weeknight dinner, recipes with a pan sauce
Cook to 145F with a three-minute rest rather than 130F, and remove the silverskin first. It takes marinades and rubs much better than beef does, so if you are switching, lean into a mustard, garlic and herb crust or a fruit-based pan sauce rather than trying to make it taste like steak.

What is Petite Tender?

Petite Tender is Petite tender is a small tapered muscle from the beef shoulder, properly called the teres major and also sold as shoulder tender or bistro filet, and it is unusual because it is nearly as tender as a beef tenderloin while costing a fraction as much and tasting distinctly beefier.

Cooking tips

Do not confuse petite tender with chuck tender, also sold as mock tender or Scotch tender. They both come from the shoulder and the names are almost identical, but the mock tender is a tough, sinewy muscle that only works braised. The teres major, the real petite tender, is a smooth tapered cylinder about the size and shape of a small pork tenderloin, weighing 8 to 16 ounces, with almost no visible seams.
Cook it whole rather than cutting steaks from it raw. Sear the whole piece hard on all sides in a heavy pan, then finish in a 400F oven for 8 to 12 minutes to an internal 130F, rest 8 minutes, and slice into inch-thick medallions. This gives you an even pink centre that portioning first cannot match on a piece this small and tapered.
Its one weakness is leanness. There is very little intramuscular fat, so it goes from perfect to dry across a narrow window. Use a thermometer, pull at 128F to 130F for medium-rare, and serve it with something fatty such as a herb butter, a red wine pan sauce or a chimichurri.
Because it comes from the shoulder rather than the loin, a petite tender tastes noticeably beefier than a filet, which means bold treatments work. Coarse black pepper, a garlic and rosemary crust, or a soy and garlic marinade all suit it in a way they would overwhelm a tenderloin.
The tapered thin end will always cook faster than the thick end. Either tuck it under and tie it with butcher's twine to even out the thickness, or accept it and give the end pieces to whoever likes their steak more done.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave the petite tender out?

Not if it is the protein in the meal, but you can swap the format easily. A whole tri-tip, top sirloin roast or pork tenderloin all cook the same way and slice into the same medallions for the same sauce and sides. What you cannot do is replace it with a braising cut and cook it fast.

Is petite tender the same as teres major?

Yes. Teres major is the anatomical name for the muscle, and petite tender, shoulder tender and bistro filet are all retail names for it. Meat subscription boxes and modern butchers use those names because the anatomical one means nothing to shoppers. If you see any of them, you are looking at the same cut.

Is petite tender a tender cut?

Yes, and that is the whole point of it. Tenderness testing consistently ranks the teres major second only to the tenderloin among beef muscles, which is remarkable given that it sits in the shoulder next to cuts that need hours of braising. It costs far less than tenderloin because it is small, awkward to remove and unfamiliar to shoppers.

Can I braise or slow-cook a petite tender?

You can, but you should not. It has almost no connective tissue to break down and almost no fat, so a long cook just squeezes the moisture out and leaves you with dry, grainy meat. If you want a braise, buy chuck roast, which costs less and is far better suited to it.

How many people does one petite tender feed?

One petite tender usually weighs 8 to 16 ounces, so it serves one to two people. Recipes and meat boxes often sell them in pairs for that reason. If you are cooking for four, buy two and sear them in the same pan, or switch to a single tri-tip or top sirloin roast instead.

Related substitutes

More meat & protein substitutes

Petite Tender substitute

Other petite tender substitutes

2Flat iron steak (top blade)

3Top sirloin steak

4Chuck eye steak

5Tri-tip, grill-roasted and sliced

6Pork tenderloin