tournedos Definition

tournedos
noun

tournedos
1. A small round thick cut of beef fillet that is usually grilled or sautéed and served with a rich sauce, often on a crouton bed with pâté. Also called filet mignon.

Etymology: 1870s: French, from tourner to turn + dos the back, reputedly because, when it was first served in French restaurants, it was considered such an unconventional dish that it had to be brought to the table ‘behind the backs' of the customers.