Chateaubriand is a thick, center-cut piece of beef tenderloin, roughly 2 to 3 inches thick and large enough to serve two, named for the 19th-century French writer and statesman François-René de Chateaubriand. It is traditionally seasoned, seared on all sides, then roasted to about medium-rare and carved at the table, usually with a rich sauce such as béarnaise or bordelaise. It is distinguished from an ordinary tenderloin steak mainly by its size and the classic roast-and-carve presentation rather than by a different cut of meat.