Steak Tartare
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Today, health concerns have made steak tartare a forbidden pleasure. Young children, the immune-compromised, and the elderly shouldn’t eat raw eggs or raw meat—but as for the rest of us, we take our chances sometimes. (It’s smart to buy beef from a reputable butcher and to chop it yourself, potentially avoiding butchers’ meat grinders that may be cross-contaminated with chicken or pork.)
The drama of mixing your own is well worth the effort
- Arrange some finely chopped raw beef on a buttered square of dense black bread
- sprinkle it with coarse salt and cracked black pepper
- then lay some rings of purple onion on top.
- Add a few plump, briny capers, an anchovy filet or two, and chopped parsley.
- Crown this jewel with a raw egg yolk nestled in half an eggshell.
Then tip the yolk out of its shell and watch it ooze, slice through the onion-topped beef, and sop up the yolk with the bread – worth the risk!
For a more elaborate version, try this one that Wickedfood Cooking School uses in one of our cooking classes.
Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
2-3T ketchup
2t dijon mustard
1t worcestershire sauce
2–3 dashes Tabasco
3T olive oil
3-4T fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g thick flank or rump steak, exterior fat removed
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
3 small cornichons (gherkins), chopped
½T capers, drained
¼ cup parsley, trimmed and chopped
Melba toast
Mayonnaise
- Whisk egg yolks, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, and Tabasco in a large bowl until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in oil, then lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice beef into thin pieces with a very sharp knife or cleaver. Gather pieces together and slice crosswise into smaller pieces, then finely chop them and add to the bowl.
- Add onions, cornichons, capers, and half the parsley, and mix gently with 2 spoons until just combined.
- Fold in just enough of the mayonnaise to make the mixture slightly moist. Adjust seasonings. Mold on one large platter and serve with Melba toast as a starter for 4, or divide between 2 plates and garnish with remaining parsley. Serve with French fries, if you like.
Serves 2 or 4 as a starter
Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252
Boksburg – (011) 823-5365
Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built
cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a
week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for
corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes,
birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.
Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in
the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not
only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests.
For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are
a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.
Today, health concerns have made steak tartare a forbidden pleasure. Young children, the immune-compromised, and the elderly shouldn’t eat raw eggs or raw meat—but as for the rest of us, we take our chances sometimes. (It’s smart to buy beef from a reputable butcher and to chop it yourself, potentially avoiding butchers’ meat grinders that may be cross-contaminated with chicken or pork.)
The drama of mixing your own is well worth the effort
- Arrange some finely chopped raw beef on a buttered square of dense black bread
- sprinkle it with coarse salt and cracked black pepper
- then lay some rings of purple onion on top.
- Add a few plump, briny capers, an anchovy filet or two, and chopped parsley.
- Crown this jewel with a raw egg yolk nestled in half an eggshell.
Then tip the yolk out of its shell and watch it ooze, slice through the onion-topped beef, and sop up the yolk with the bread – worth the risk!
For a more elaborate version, try this one that Wickedfood Cooking School uses in one of our cooking classes.
Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
2-3T ketchup
2t dijon mustard
1t worcestershire sauce
2–3 dashes Tabasco
3T olive oil
3-4T fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g thick flank or rump steak, exterior fat removed
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
3 small cornichons (gherkins), chopped
½T capers, drained
¼ cup parsley, trimmed and chopped
Melba toast
Mayonnaise
- Whisk egg yolks, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, and Tabasco in a large bowl until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in oil, then lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice beef into thin pieces with a very sharp knife or cleaver. Gather pieces together and slice crosswise into smaller pieces, then finely chop them and add to the bowl.
- Add onions, cornichons, capers, and half the parsley, and mix gently with 2 spoons until just combined.
- Fold in just enough of the mayonnaise to make the mixture slightly moist. Adjust seasonings. Mold on one large platter and serve with Melba toast as a starter for 4, or divide between 2 plates and garnish with remaining parsley. Serve with French fries, if you like.
Serves 2 or 4 as a starter
Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252
Boksburg – (011) 823-5365
Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built
cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a
week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for
corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes,
birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.
Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in
the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not
only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests.
For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are
a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.
