What is Steak Tartare?
This classic dish that most of us know today is finely chopped raw beef seasoned with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard combined with shallots, cornichons, capers, and herbs and topped with a raw egg yolk. Most serve it with toasted baguette or crostini, crackers, or chips.
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Why I chose to create Japanese flavor profiles rather than modifying a more classic interpretation.
I have spent much time traveling throughout Japan and what I love most about the culture and food is the quality, execution, and attention to detail in every dish. There are so many versions of steak tartare that restaurants and chefs create in different countries and regions worldwide. However, I found no recipes that outline Japanese flavors.
Quality is paramount because everything is consumed raw in this recipe, and I thought the exquisiteness of Japanese flavors would pair perfectly with this dish! The rich umami of soy sauce and the nutty smoothness of toasted sesame oil works wonderfully to compliment the taste of the beef, while the scallions and heat of jalapeno add the perfect crunch. Trust me; once you make this recipe, you’ll be addicted!
What is the origin of Steak Tartare?
There is much lore centered around this dish. One famous origination story was during the 13th and 14th centuries when Mongol warriors were conquering Europe by horseback. A distinct group of warriors called ‘Taters’ (a conglomeration of different ethnic groups hailed from northern or central Asia) placed thin slices of raw horsemeat meat under their saddles. After a long day of riding, the meat was adequately tenderized and ready to eat raw.
However, this story was later questioned because the meat would have been too sweat laden and rancid to eat. Instead, it was determined the horse meat under the saddle was meant to prevent saddle sores for the horse.
The popularity of eating raw meat in Europe
Horsemeat was eaten throughout the centuries in Europe as flavorful and delicate meat. It was thought that eating raw, fresh meat was a delicacy and a way to build a good constitution. The French legalized eating horsemeat in 1866 when pork and beef were too expensive for struggling families. Eventually, it became taboo to eat this meat, as horses became loving pets and trustworthy companions to families. However, you can still find horse butcher shops throughout France.
The rise of Steak Tartare in the 20th Century
Steak instead of horse became popularized throughout Europe in the 20th Century when a recipe was published in 1921 in the famous Escoffier’s “Le Guide Culinaire Cookbook.” This recipe was for “Steak à l’Americaine,” which consisted of chopped beef blended with salt and pepper molded into a cake and served with tartare sauce on the side with no egg yolk.
During this time, ‘Tartare’ was served with tartar sauce. It was a sauce developed in Europe, South Africa, and Australia made from hard-boiled eggs, lemon, mayonnaise, capers, and herbs.
In 1938 another famous French cookbook, “Larousse Gastronomique,” published a recipe for “Steak à la tartare,” which was chopped beef blended with spices served with an egg on top and without tartare sauce. So eventually, these two dishes merged to create what we know today as Steak Tartare.
A version of this dish also surfaced in America in the 1950s when it appeared on menus in NYC called “Hamburg Steak,” a filet of beef minced and lightly smoked and served with onions and breadcrumbs. Now tartare can also refer to any meat or seafood dishes that are served raw.
Here’s how to make this Homemade Japanese Steak Tartare
Homemade Japanese Steak Tartare Ingredients
Beef: I buy the most organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed, high-quality beef tenderloin. A portion of the tenderloin is the best cut of meat for tartare because it is the highest quality and most succulent for consuming raw. Tenderloin is very tender, lean, and does not contain much fat. As a result, here are the reasons why buying tenderloin is so expensive:
1) It only makes up around 2-3 % of the cow.
2) It is in a prime location where it is considered a non-weight-bearing muscle.
3) The meat always remains tender because it is a muscle that is not used or overworked by the cow.
Scallions: I love using green onion for its color and delicacy. The green parts get silky and smooth and fold right into the meat when coated with the soy sauce and the sesame oil. They also add a lovely “bite” and texture.
Jalapeño: When mincing the jalapeño, remove all the seeds and the inner pith. The seeds are actually the hottest part of the pepper. If you enjoy the heat, you can add more if so desired.
Cilantro: The minced cilantro adds a lovely freshness and herbaceous quality to the tartare that lifts through the meat’s heaviness.
Sesame Seeds: The toasted sesame seeds add a superb texture to the mixture and a nutty crunch that offsets the other elements.
Soy Sauce: I always use low-sodium soy sauce to be healthier. However, any soy sauce will work for this recipe. Tamari is also fantastic!
Sesame Oil: Always buy a toasted sesame oil with a dark brown color for a richer, nuttier flavor. This oil beautifully coats the meat and the vegetables and makes the dish silky and smooth.
Kosher Salt: Using high-quality Kosher salt is an absolute MUST for cooking! It will provide a better final product!
Egg Yolk: The egg yolk is perched so beautifully on top of the meat mixture and, when broken, adds a velvety richness to the tartare. Again, because the yolk is consumed raw, buying the best and freshest farm eggs is essential.
Chili Oil: I like to finish this dish with a bit of chili oil because it adds a beautiful color and a different heat note than the jalapeño, which adds to the silky texture because it is an oil. This is entirely optional.
Needed Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife or Santoku knife
- Stainless steel bowl set or glass mixing bowl set
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Large metal mixing spoon
Process:
- Place the filet mignon on a cutting board and cut thin planks across the natural grain of the meat. It is important not to cut with the grain, as the meat will tear.
- Take each beef plank and cut across the grain into thin strips.
- Line up the beef strips and cut them into a fine dice. Place the beef in a large mixing bowl and reserve while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Line up the scallions on the cutting board at a slight angle and slice them as thin as possible from the white to the green. Place half of the chopped scallions in the same bowl as the beef and reserve the other half for garnish.
- Place the jalapeño on the cutting board and lob off both the stem and tip end.
- Make one long slice through the base of the jalapeño opening it up and creating two halves.
- Take your knife and gently carve out the core and seeds from both halves of the pepper and discard.
- Take the clean jalapeño pepper planks and make thin linear strips with the knife. Make sure the shiny side of the pepper is facing down, and the rough side is facing up. It is much easier for the blade to slice through the rough side.
- Line up the thin strips and chop with your knife into a small dice. Add the diced jalapeño to the bowl with the chopped beef and the scallions.
- Place the cilantro on your cutting board, and separate the leaves from the stems. Reserve the stems for vegetable stock or another use and place them in your freezer or fridge.
- Roll the cilantro leaves into a small ball and thinly slice them into delicate ribbons. Add the cilantro ribbons to the bowl with the beef, scallions, and jalapeños.
- Measure the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt and place beside the large bowl with all the chopped ingredients. Add the soy sauce to the bowl, then the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt, and then mix just until combined.
- Individually plate the mixture into a circular mound and make a small indent on the top of the rise for the egg yolk to sit.
- Carefully place the egg yolk on top of the mound and sprinkle with the remaining scallions and chili oil.
- Serve with your favorite toast, cracker, or chip.
Tips and tricks for success:
- When mixing, it is important to be delicate and use a folding technique where you scoop under the meat and lift it over while turning the bowl a quarter rotation.
- This will ensure that your meat does not get tough from over-mixing. If you overmix the beef, it will become tough and weighted. The mixture should be light and somewhat airy. The tartare is a delicate dish that needs care and attention when combined.
- Thus, it is best to gently FOLD all the elements together three to four times just until combined.
- I like to use a small amount of jalapeño to round out the favors in the tartare and give it a bit of a bite. When slicing the jalapeño, you should do so skin-side down, so your knife can easily cut through. The shiny outer skin is much harder to pierce through.
FAQS
We often feed raw beef to our beloved dogs or other pets as a high source of protein food that mimics what they would eat in the wild. But is it safe for humans to consume? The answer is yes, but to proceed with caution and care.
Sometimes illness-causing bacteria can live in raw meats, such as Salmonella, Escherichia Coli (E. Coli), and Staphylococcus aureus, leading to foodborne illness/ aka food poisoning. For example, food poisoning can happen with many beloved raw dishes like sushi.
Does it mean we should never eat these delicacies? The answer is no. Raw meat is nutrient-dense and can be absolutely exquisitely decadent if prepared the right way. Thus, following my trustworthy guidelines below is very important for safe raw beef consumption!
Note: Because there is not a 100% guarantee that all bacteria will be eliminated when following the steps below, it is recommended that pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system refrain from eating raw beef.
Here’s how to safely eat raw beef at home
Buy your beef from a reputable butcher. - It is imperative to buy the freshest and highest quality organic and grass-fed beef when eating it raw. The butcher will be able to tell you when the meat was processed and ensure that you are getting the properly selected cut for your tartare (a portion of the tenderloin, which we will discuss below). This is why this dish tends to be so expensive and decadent. It is paramount ONLY to use the best cut of meat from a reputable source as you will be consuming it raw.
- Never buy pre-ground beef from the grocery store.
- You always want to start with a whole piece of beef and chop it yourself.
- Again, you ALWAYS want to buy from a reputable source or butcher.
- You cannot judge what meat was used to create a pre-ground selection, and bacteria can grow in the meat production process. Thus, it’s better to take the whole cut home and chop it yourself. Properly handled whole muscles have a lower risk of developing bacteria.
- Refrigerate the meat as soon as possible after purchase.
- You want to keep your meat below 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) to keep the bacteria growth to a minimum. Bacteria like to grow and spread in moist, room temperature areas.
- Note: If you want to be EXTRA cautious, you can freeze your beef for 15-20 minutes. This will kill off any unwarranted bacteria and make it easier to cut your beef. However, this does slightly mute the taste of the meat.
- Make sure you are cutting your beef on a clean surface with clean hands.
- When you follow basic hygiene, the risk of bacteria development is relatively low.
- Eat as soon as you can.
- It is best to make this dish and then eat it shortly afterward. Again, bacteria need time to grow, and we don’t want to give our steak tartare this chance.
Can I make steak tartare ahead of time, and how long will it keep in my refrigerator?
- The answer to this is no. As stated above, it is best to eat this dish right away to eliminate the possibility of any bacteria growth. You should not make this dish ahead of time or allow it to sit in the refrigerator.
What cut of beef is best for steak tartare?
- You want to use a portion of the tenderloin for this dish. The tenderloin is an oblong piece of meat. It runs along both sides of the spine and sits beneath the ribs, next to the backbone. It has two ends: the butt, the thicker end, and the tail, which is the pointy end closer to the cow’s behind.
- The central, more significant portion of the tenderloin in the US is sold as filet mignon. This is the narrow part of the tenderloin near the short loin.
- The French call the smaller central portion of the tenderloin tournedos, and the larger, more central cut the châteaubriand.
- Châteaubriand was originally a dish in France of a large center-cut of beef tenderloin grilled between two lesser cuts of meat that were then thrown away after cooking. This dish was served with a reduced sauce of white wine, shallots, herbs, lemon, and demi-glace. Now, the term châteaubriand is known to be a cut of the meat that is relatively synonymous with the American filet mignon. This dish was served with a reduced sauce of white wine, shallots, herbs, lemon, and demi-glace.
- The tail-end of the tenderloin should not be used, as it is the cow’s shock absorber at the back of the cow’s behind and is not as tender or flavorful.
- I recommend using the filet mignon or the châteaubriand, as they are the most tender and flavorful with the least amount of connective tissue and sinew.
- This dish is expensive because there is only a tiny portion of the tenderloin and, subsequently, a fraction of the cow that is used to make this dish.
Is it safe to consume raw eggs?
- Like the bacteria that can be found in eating raw steak, eating raw eggs has its risks.
- The most preeminent foodborne illness that comes from eating raw eggs is Salmonella.
- This bacteria can develop in two ways:
- Directly when the egg is formed inside the hen.
- When the bacteria contaminate the outside of the shell. Sometimes it can seep through the shell’s membrane.
- With that being said, the US now uses the process of pasteurization (the heated and holding treatment for eggs that significantly reduces and kills off most bacteria and microorganisms) to treat all eggs.
- In 1970, the US Department of Agriculture passed the Egg Inspection Act that requires all eggs sold in the US for consumption to be pasteurized.
- Pasteurization does not provide a 100% guarantee that all bacteria will be eliminated, so it is very important that you follow my safety raw eating egg guidelines below.
- Note: Because there is not a 100% guarantee that all bacteria will be eliminated when following the steps below, it is recommended that pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system refrain from eating raw eggs.
How to safely consume raw eggs at home
- When buying eggs, make sure they are high quality, pasteurized, and have not passed their noted expiration date.
- Discard any cracked or dirty eggs when you open your carton at home.
- Eggs that have a crack are being exposed to oxygen and the outside world that can breed bacteria and microorganisms.
- Refrigerate your eggs immediately after purchase.
- Bacteria grow in room temperature areas, and you want to eliminate the chance for this to happen.
- Make sure you have clean hands and a clean work surface when handling.
- When separating the yolk from the white, use clean hands instead of passing the egg back and forth from shell to shell.
- Because Salmonella is found on the shell in most cases, we don’t want to risk the chance of bacteria getting into the egg.
- Consume your eggs right after cracking.
- It’s not a good idea to keep cracked eggs left out or in the refrigerator for an extended time. You are leaving them open to possibly developing harmful bacteria by doing this.
Is steak tartare healthy for you?
- Both beef and eggs are nutrient-dense foods that are loaded with vitamins and minerals.
- They are both a great source of protein.
- When any cooking process occurs, you essentially decrease the raw food’s number of nutrients.
- So, many believe that eating raw is extremely healthy for you, as you are consuming the original and thus most beneficial amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Replace firm tofu for the beef.
- Vegan: Use tofu for the beef and instead of egg yolk, drizzle sesame paste over the final product to create creaminess.
- Herbs: Replace flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro
- Soy, Gluten, or Seed Allergy:
- Use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce
- Nutritional yeast in place of the sesame seeds.
- Avocado oil in place of the sesame oil.
- Extra Spicy: Add a teaspoon of chili oil or chili crisp.
Suggested Meal Pairings
Homemade Japanese Steak Tartare
Equipment
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Medium-sized mixing bowl
- 1 Liquid measuring cup
- 1 Set Dry measuring spoons
- 1 Large mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 7 oz filet mignon
- 2 scallions minced
- 2 teaspoons about ¼ jalapeño, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon white or black sesame seeds toasted
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 egg yolk
- Chili oil for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the tenderloin into thin planks. Mince it as finely as possible and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Reserve.
- Add half of the scallions (reserve the other half for garnish), jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt, and gently fold with a large spoon to mix evenly.
- Individually plate the mixture into a circular mound and make a small indent on the top of the rise for the egg yolk to sit.
- Carefully place the egg yolk on top of the mound and sprinkle with the remaining scallions and chili oil.
- Serve with your favorite toast, cracker, or chip.
Notes
- When mixing, it is important to be delicate and use a folding technique where you scoop under the meat and lift it over while turning the bowl a quarter rotation.
- This will ensure that your meat does not get tough from over mixing. If you overmix the beef, it will become tough and weighted. The mixture should be light and somewhat airy. The tartare is a delicate dish that needs care and attention when combined.
- Thus, it is best to gently FOLD all the elements together three to four times just until combined.
- When slicing the jalapeño, you should do so skin-side down, so your knife can easily cut through. The shiny outer skin is much harder to pierce through. I like to use a small amount of jalapeño to round out the flavors in the tartare and give it a bit of a bite.
