85%
Beef tenderloin yields 85%
You buy beef tenderloin by its whole weight, but you only plate 85% of it. That 15% loss is real cost the invoice never shows — here's the math.
Yield is the fraction of an ingredient that actually reaches the plate after you clean, peel, and trim it. What you pay is the AP (as-purchased) price; what it costs on the plate is the EP (edible-portion) price.
Bone, fat cap, and silverskin are the loss — and they vary by cut and butcher. Bone-in costs less per pound but yields less plate.
Say your invoice shows $20.00 per lb of beef tenderloin (an example AP price).
At 85% yield, your real cost is $23.53 per lb EP — because $20.00 ÷ 0.85 = $23.53.
AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.Market readconfidence medium · as of 2026-06-05
About $15.27/lb (wholesale reference, single source), up +2.8% over the recent window.
Sources · 2
Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion