Beef tartare, also known as steak tartare, is a traditional French appetizer made from finely diced and seasoned raw beef. It is often served with a raw or cured egg yolk that is mixed into the beef, creating an incredibly rich combination that is spread on fresh baguette or warm crostini. Serve it with room temperature brie cheese and a bottle of red wine, and you have a simple but insanely delicious appetizer platter to kick off your next dinner party.
Traditionally tartare is made from tenderloin however there are many other cuts you can use to get tender, flavorful beef for tartare like hanging tender, eye of ribeye or rib eye cap, just to name a few.
Just like when preparing sushi or sashimi, the most important factor is that you procure fresh, high quality meat like Certified Angus Beef. You may, however, add a bit of dry aged beef to your tartare if you are looking for that punch of aged flavor, provided it has been properly aged, trimmed, and of course is of the highest quality. I tend to mix one part aged beef to three parts fresh, depending on the length of the dry age, otherwise the flavor overpowers the fresh beef.
Classic Beef Tartare
4 oz fresh Certified Angus Beef tenderloin or eye of ribeye, cut into small dice
1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp gherkins, chopped
1 tsp shallots, chopped
1 tsp parsley, chopped
½ tsp capers, chopped
½ tsp worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
pinch salt
pinch fresh black pepper
1 egg yolk
freshly baked baguette or crostini for serving
-Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and check for seasoning
-Adjust with salt and pepper
-You should get a slight zing from the mustard, but it should not be the dominant flavor
-If you like, add a bit of extra Tabasco to make it spicier
-Use a ring or other similar mold to plate the tartare with the egg yolk on top and crostini all around
-Serve with brie or other French cheese, and a nice bottle of red wine!
Serves 2-4
If you want to really elevate your tartare, try getting your hands on some fresh black Perigord winter truffles from France like the ones I used in this Buddha's Hand & Black Truffle Risotto recipe. If you can't get fresh truffles, invest in some good quality truffle oil and add a few drops on top of your tartare... the flavor will blow your mind!
Below is a picture of a 30 Euro ($35 USD) beef tartare I had outside St. Tropez on a recent trip to France and trust me, it was worth it! 110% would order it again. You can also check out my Taste of France video to see that dish and all the other delicious dishes that crossed my path in France.
-Dylan
