Classic Beef Tartare

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make beef tartare? Prepare all the ingredients. The beef is used raw, so buy your meat only from a trusted shop. You can use a cut other than tenderloin; the key is for the meat to be ultra-fresh - red (not gray or burgundy) in color, with no off smell. The meat should be cold, so keep it in the fridge or on a bed of ice before and during preparation.

2. Step 2:

   

   Interestingly, some cooks insist tartare must be made from fresh meat, while others say the flavor is more interesting from meat that's been frozen. Rinse the beef under running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any sinew and membrane. Cut the meat by hand into small pieces, 1/8-1/4 inch (0.3-0.5 cm). For a neat-looking tartare, try to keep the pieces uniform in shape and size.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel, rinse, and very finely chop the onion - you shouldn't notice it. Mince the capers, green onion, and cornichon with a knife as well, and add them to the meat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and mix everything thoroughly. The lemon juice disinfects the meat and makes it more tender.

4. Step 4:

   

   Next, add the mustard and sauces. When adding the Tabasco, keep in mind that it comes in varying heat levels. Mix well.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the eggs with soap and dry them with a towel or napkin. Separate the whites from the yolks: over a plate, tap the shell across the middle of the egg with a knife and crack it into two halves. Pour the egg back and forth between the shell halves until all the white drains out and the yolk stays behind. You can use the whites in other dishes. Set one yolk aside for garnish. Add the second to the meat and mix everything until uniform.

6. Step 6:

   

   You can serve the tartare mounded up, but it's better to use a round or rectangular plating ring. Press the meat in lightly so there are no gaps, then lift off the ring and garnish with the yolk and herbs.