Beef Tartare

Marty and I fell in love with Adam Donnelley's elk version of this dish when it was on the Segovia menu and now, it there's a tartare on a menu - we order it! I am not sure why I never tried to make this before the fall of 2022... too "exotic" I suppose. Well, I gave it a go and thought - this is blog worthy! I get strange looks when I tell people that I make tartare - it's like they eat it at restaurants but somehow making it at home is risky... I'd argue that I know how I've handled my beef so it's safer to make at home than to eat raw beef that some 28 year old sous "chef" made on the line at a restaurant! Anyway, tartare is really easy and if you enjoy it I encourage you to give it a try. Although a pile of raw meat is not for everyone, I know there are enough of you out there who might want to give this a go so here it is!

INGREDIENTS

  • 350 g beef tenderloin
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parley, finely chopped

Icing

SAUCE

toppings

dressing

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp capers, chopped
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp sambal oelek

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Freeze the beef a bit to make it firm and easier to chop into fine pieces. How long? It varies so put it in the freezer and check it every 30 mins until it's nice and firm.
  2. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. With a very sharp knife, finely chop the beef.
  4. In a bowl, combine the dressing, beef, shallots, egg yolk and parsley. Taste and adjust for your person perference.
  5. Top with whole capers or a single caper berry.
  6. Serve cold with toasted baguette (or thick cut ripple chips) and arugula salad.

TIPS & HINTS

To plate this dish I set a large cookie cutter on a dinner plate, fill it with tartare and then lift the cutter off.

For the baguette, slice it on the diagonal, brush with olive oil and toast on a frying pan.

OBVIOUSLY... buy good meat from a reputable butcher (like DeLuca's or La Grotta in Winnipeg).