Steak Tartare
Raw beef fillet hand-chopped fine, mixed with capers, gherkins, shallot, parsley, mustard and Worcestershire, topped with a raw egg yolk, served with toast and a green salad. The most adult dinner-party starter; not for the squeamish but the most luxurious thing you can eat at room temperature.
Overview
Centre-cut beef fillet is hand-chopped (don't blitz; the texture matters) and mixed with the seasonings just before serving. Plated in a neat ring, topped with a yolk in a half-shell or directly on top, served with hot toast and a small dressed salad.
Ingredients
Tartare
- 500 g beef fillet (centre-cut, very fresh; tell the butcher it's for tartare)
- 2 banana shallots (very finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons capers in brine (rinsed, finely chopped)
- 4 cornichons (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- A few drops Tabasco
- 1 tablespoon ketchup (optional, for tartare classique)
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 4 anchovy fillets (mashed; optional)
- 4 egg yolks (large, in their half-shells or at the centre of the plate)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
To serve
- Toasted sourdough (or brioche)
- A dressed salad (small, lemon-dressed lamb's lettuce or rocket)
Method
Stage 1 - Prep the beef
- With a very sharp knife, slice the beef into 5 mm strips, then into 5 mm cubes, then chop finely (don't pulverise; aim for a coarse mince texture).
- Refrigerate while you prep the rest.
Stage 2 - Mix
- In a chilled bowl, combine the chopped beef with the shallot, capers, cornichons, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, ketchup if using, parsley and anchovies (if using).
- Drizzle in the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Mix gently with a fork; don't overwork or the texture compacts.
- Taste; adjust mustard, Worcestershire or Tabasco to your liking.
Stage 3 - Plate
- Use a metal ring (or a clean tin can with both ends removed) to form a neat puck on each plate.
- Make a shallow well in the centre.
- Slide an egg yolk into each well (or rest it in a half-shell propped on top).
Stage 4 - Serve
- Set toast and a small salad on the side.
- Diners mix the yolk through the beef before eating.
Notes
- Freshness is essential: Tell the butcher you're making tartare. Use the same day. If you're nervous, freeze the fillet for 24 hours at -20°C first (kills any parasites; texture barely changes).
- Hand-chop, don't blitz: A food processor turns it into mince paste. The texture should be fine but distinguishable.
- Egg yolk freshness: Use the freshest pasteurised eggs you can. The yolk must be unbroken until the diner mixes it through.
Storage
- Doesn't keep. Eat within an hour of mixing; raw beef oxidises and loses its bright colour.
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