Beef tartare recipe with herbs and nuoc cham by Thi Le (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of beef for tartare? ›

– Tenderloin-This is by far your best cut of beef for tartar as it the most tender cut of beef and contains just the right amount of fat for flavor. This is the cut of beef that is used for filet mignon.

If prepared properly, steak tartare is generally safe to eat. There is always a risk when eating raw meat and eggs, but you can reduce the risk by following these tips: Wear gloves. Wear gloves when handling the raw beef.

Steak tartare or tartar steak is a French dish of raw ground (minced) beef. It is usually served with onions, capers, mushrooms, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings, often presented separately, to be added to taste. It is often served topped with a raw egg yolk.

If you didn't grow up with tartare at home then you might approach the process with some trepidation, but starting with high-quality meat is the first thing you can do to ensure success. It's best to get meat directly from a specialized butcher, not a supermarket where the risk of contamination is higher.

Beef tartare ingredients

Lean steak – Start with a very good lean steak, like sirloin, beef tenderloin, or top round beef. Ask your butcher for a fresh steak and tell them you'll be eating it raw. Capers – These add a nice acidity to help balance out the flavors. Cornichons – Or small dill pickles.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by a cellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The cat is the primary host in the parasitic life cycle, and the illness is spread by contact with infected cat feces or ingestion of raw infected meat (such as 'steak tartare') or water.

For those worried about bacteria, chefs know how to kill them off, typically in a process that includes submerging the beef in boiling salt water for ten seconds, then dropping it into a bucket of ice water for 10 more.

Food Safety Concerns

In order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that all beef be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that raw beef dishes like beef tartare are not considered safe to eat in the United States.

Chefs often use a quick and simple disinfecting method for steak tartare, which involves dropping your beef into a pot of boiling salted water for about 10 seconds, and then dipping it into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.

Wondering what's in tartar sauce? It's typically made with mayonnaise, chopped pickles or relish, lemon juice, and herbs (like tarragon and dill). There are also a handful of optional ingredients you can add that take the tartar sauce's flavor to the next level. For example, this recipe includes yellow mustard.

Can you use frozen beef for tartare? ›

The reason why this step is a must, is simple. Placing a filet somewhere cold like the freezer helps the meat become firmer, making it significantly easier to work with. Whether the filet is hand-minced or placed through a grinder, a colder and stiffer cut will maintain its shape better.

I prefer to start with frozen tenderloin, placing it in the fridge for just a few hours before I intend to prepare tartare. Else, if you tenderloin has been in the fridge, I recommend placing it in the freezer for about 15 minutes (set a timer so you don't forget!) before you start working with.

Choose a cut that has a little fat for flavor but is still lean. Fresher meat will also be a good choice, as aged meat tends to become more tough. And never use ground beef for this dish, as ground beef has a higher chance of contamination if not cooked.

Filet mignon is renowned for its tenderness and subtly rich flavor, making it a prime choice for beef tartare.

The natural grain of a flank or skirt lends itself perfectly to the meat being chopped into tartare. With a very sharp chopping knife, slice the meat into very thin strips along the grain of the meat, and then chop it again as finely as possible. Mix all of the ingredients together and season to taste.

As you start to digest that steak tartare, you won't only get a delicious snack, but you can also get a great serving of vitamin B as well. There have even been some studies that have linked the vitamin B in raw beef to better reproductive health.