Trader Joe's Vs Costco: Which Chain Sells The Best Filet Mignon?

Recent culinary ventures have compelled me to dive further into the world of gourmet cooking. My go-to dinners are easy to make and undeniably delicious — favorites recently have been a twist on shakshuka, as well as Trader Joe's salmon pinwheels on a bed of massaged kale with chopped apples, almonds, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Given my penchant for simple, yummy dinners, I don't tend to go for anything high-class. Imagine my surprise when Gordon Ramsay told me that filet mignon actually isn't that hard to cook. 

It requires precision and vigilance, sure, but a good filet is not to be overcomplicated. Our brief conversation left me feeling confident that I could indeed master a filet. Of course, filet can only be as good as the cut you get, which left me with the question: Where can one buy the best filet? We love comparing Costco and Trader Joe's products here at Tasting Table, so I figured it was high time we did a gourmet taste test of sorts. As I'm not yet a filet master, I invited over a local chef friend, Angel Rivera, to help me cook and taste test the filets. We based our ultimate verdict on the flavor of each as well as how easy each was to cook; and, yes, one filet was the clear winner. 

Well, you can clearly tell a huge difference between the two filets just from the picture above. Costco's cut is much larger and darker in color, while Trader Joe's is lighter, smaller, and has a bit of a looser construct to it. I didn't really know what to expect from either, but Angel Rivera and I were both biased toward the coloring of Trader Joe's cut. And, to my surprise, the price difference between the two was very negligible. 

While you do have to buy Costco's filets in bulk, they didn't end up costing as much as I expected — I spent about $55 on a pack of four large filets, and just under $20 on two smaller filets from Trader Joe's. Breaking down the price by weight, there's about a $3 difference per pound in favor of Costco. Now, $3 isn't nothing, but unless you're buying multiple pounds of filet, you're not likely to notice a huge price advantage one way or the other. In terms of availability, while I can't speak to your local stores, I've never not seen ample filet packs at both stores. 

Well, the above is undeniably gorgeous — a nice medium-rare with a beautiful crust to it. It was also incredibly easy to cook and required no oven time. We seared it in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes on both sides before butter basting and letting it come to temperature in the pan off the heat. We could have cooked it just slightly less, but I had no complaints upon taking a bite.

Costco's filet mignon was absolutely lovely. It was juicy and full of a rich, somewhat gentle grassy taste. Because filet has very little fat, the beef itself was really able to shine, and it was tender to boot. Beyond that, the crust on the outside gave just the right amount of a lightly charred flavor to the filet. Angel Rivera and I both adored this steak for its overall flavor and melt-in-your-mouth appeal; we each had a feeling it would be hard to beat. 

Usually, I'd have recooked the above — it's clearly overdone and visually incomparable to the previous filet. However, we kept it on the heat for a shorter amount of time than Costco's filet and still didn't get a good sear on it. Its loose structure lent to an uneven cook, and one of our judging criteria was how easy each filet is to cook. With Trader Joe's, because of its varying thickness throughout and just being thinner than Costco's filet in general, we determined a redo wasn't fully warranted. 

Moreover, though Trader Joe's filet had a good flavor, I didn't think it was comparable to Costco's. The beef still shone in this filet, but it tasted of decidedly lesser quality than Costco's. Both Angel Rivera and I agreed that it wasn't a bad filet and would do in a pinch, but neither of us favored it in any aspect. Each filet was cooked with the same method — a sear, butter baste, and then resting to come up to temperature (though we let this one rest outside of the pan in an attempt not to overcook it) — but unfortunately, Trader Joe's selection came up short. 

Certainly, you've already guessed my verdict: Costco was the obvious winner. Its selection surpassed Trader Joe's filet in all categories — it was incredibly easy to sear and bring to temperature without overcooking, it was full of flavor, and though the price difference is negligible, Costco's is the cheaper option per pound (you just have to be willing to buy in bulk). 

I know some steak enthusiasts don't think filet mignon is worth the hype — I mean, it's definitely not the best-selling steak at places like LongHorn Steakhouse — but personally, I agree with what Gordon Ramsay told me in our interview. If you do filet right, it's so much more flavorful than other cuts of beef that have more fat. I'll be hard-pressed not to buy Costco's filets on future trips, and I'm sure I'll even spring for Trader Joe's selection every once in a while. The one I'll be dreaming about on a nightly basis, though, is definitely Costco's.