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Getting started · September 2026
About 4-8 filet steaks (or packages) from ~2-4 lb of tenderloin. One tenderloin per side. Thickness and whole vs steaks decide how many packs you stack.
People obsess over the ribeyes.
Filets are the quieter flex.
Filet mignon is the grocery steak that makes you flinch at the price tag, then buy two anyway for an anniversary. On a quarter cow, that same cut is not a mountain. It is one tenderloin, from one side, cut the way you ask.
Short answer: about 4-8 filet packages or steaks, from roughly 2-4 lb of tenderloin, if you cut them at 1 to 1.5 inches. Often 1-2 steaks per pack. Sometimes the butcher leaves it whole (Chateaubriand) and you get one roast instead of a stack of medals.
Scarce. Worth writing on the cut sheet.
A steer has one tenderloin per side. A quarter is one side. Your quarter gets that side's tenderloin. Typical yield is about 4-8 filet steaks or packages from ~2-4 lb. Two things move the package count:
On a default locker sheet at 1-1.5", most people land in the 4-8 steak / package range.
Filet mignon is sliced from the tenderloin. That muscle sits under the spine, does almost no work, and stays tender. A steer has one tenderloin on each side. A quarter is one side. You get that side's tenderloin. Not two. Not a secret extra stash.
That piece becomes filet steaks, or one whole tenderloin roast (Chateaubriand), or it gets ground if nobody writes it down. You do not get unlimited filets. You get one tenderloin. How the butcher slices it decides 8 thinner steaks vs 4 thick ones vs one roast.
Thickness and packing change how many bags you stack. The tenderloin stays in the same 2-4 lb range.
| Cut style | Packages | Individual steaks | Approx. lb | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filet @ 1" (1/pkg) | 4-8 | 4-8 | 2-4 lb | One steak per pack |
| Filet @ 1" (2/pkg) | 2-4 | 4-8 | 2-4 lb | Same steaks, fewer bags |
| Filet @ 1.25" | 3-6 | 3-6 | 2-4 lb | Common locker default |
| Filet @ 1.5" | 3-5 | 3-5 | 2-4 lb | Restaurant-style thick |
| Whole tenderloin / Chateaubriand | 1 | 1 roast (4-8 if you slice later) | 2-4 lb | Leave whole, slice at home |
Same ~2-4 lb of tenderloin either way. Thickness and 1 vs 2 steaks per pack change the bag count, not extra beef.
Our eighth cow starter share is about 50 lb, 100% grass-fed, $749 all-in with shipping. Fixed cut mix. Filets included.
Buy the eighth cow share →A tenderloin yielding about 3 lb of steak meat cuts into roughly 6 to 8 filets at 1" or about 4 at 1.5". Same beef. Different Saturday nights.
Write thickness on the cut sheet. Lockers default to 1-1.25" if you leave it blank.
Chateaubriand is the tenderloin left whole. One package. You roast it, or you slice medals at home when you want them. Filet packs are the same muscle, already cut, often 1-2 steaks per bag.
Neither is “more filet.” Whole means one roast night (or DIY steaks later). Sliced means 4-8 ready-to-sear packs. If you never write it down, some lockers grind the tenderloin into the burger pile. Do not let that happen.
Not most of the box. Not even most of the steaks.
Out of 100-125 lb take-home:
At $800-$1,200 all-in, you're paying roughly $6-$10/lb across everything, including filets that run $20-$40/lb at grocery.
Want the full steak count, not just filets? How many steaks in a quarter cow. For ribeyes specifically, see how many ribeyes in a quarter cow. For the whole-box weight split, see how much meat is in a quarter cow.
The Freezer Report is a $4.99 ranked shortlist of quarter, half, and whole cow options in your area.
Get the Freezer Report →More on filling the form in how to read a cut sheet, how many ribeyes in a quarter cow, and how many steaks in a quarter cow.
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