The Chateaubriand steak is a thick cut from the tenderloin, which, according to Larousse Gastronomique, was created by his personal chef, Montmireil, for vicomte François-René de Châteaubriand, (1768–1848), the author and diplomat who served Napoleon as an ambassador and Louis XVIII as Secretary of State for two years. This cut is usually only offered as a serving for two, as there is only enough meat in the center of the average fillet for two portions. A Chateaubriand is grilled "barded", which means that it is cooked with a strip of bacon or lard around it to keep it moist. It is served medium-rare, never well done, with a sauce.
At the time of the Vicomte the steak was cut from the more flavorful, but less tender sirloin and served with a reduced sauce made from white wine and shallots moistened with demi-glace and mixed with butter, tarragon, and lemon juice. An alternative spelling of the statesman-author's name is 'Châteaubriant' and some maintain that the term refers to the quality of the cattle bred around the town of Châteaubriant in the Loire-Atlantique, France.
In a famous scene of the popular spelling bee documentary Spellbound, one little girl is transfixed with horror on hearing that she is to spell "chateaubriand."
