Steak tartare
The beef cut by the knife, no hotter than a room, and mixed in a light hand — the Paris-bistro first course, with the seasoning that goes in before the plate and the ring that holds it on one. The dish is the knife work and the plate; there is no cook to hide behind.
Inspired by
The steak tartare at the Paris bistro: a neat mass of hand-cut beef tenderloin, dressed with the capers and the mustard and the shallot, and served in a ring with a slice of baguette underneath and the egg yolk on top. The dish is the test of the knife — the cut is the flavor, and the plate is the one that has to carry it, because nothing else on the plate is cooking.
Technique notes
The whole dish is knife skills (the 2–3 mm dice, the light hand) and the plate (the ring, the placed sauce, the last-second garnish). There is no heat in the recipe, and that's the point — the knife and the acid are everything, and the knife is the one that does the work.
Why the restaurant does it this way
The beef is cut by the knife, not ground, because the cut is the flavor — a grind is a mash, and a cut is a cut, and the two eat completely differently. The mix is light, because the dressing (capers, shallot, mustard, a drop of Worcestershire, the yolk) is for the flavor, and not for the texture: a heavy hand turns the cut meat into a paste, and the paste is not the dish. The ring is the plate — the ring holds the mass, the bread underneath is the base, the yolk on top is the last-second garnish, and the eye lands on it in the order the plate is built for: the mass first, the yolk second, the bread third. The beef is served cold, because the plate is the last move that holds the cut — a tartare at room temperature is already losing it, and the cold is what the knife work is for.
Equipment
- A sharp chef's knife, and a large board for the cut
- A small ring mold, about 8 cm (3 in) in diameter, for the plate
- A plate with a good, clean rim, and a piece of baguette under the ring
Ingredients
- 2 × 125 g (4½ oz) beef tenderloin, trim the silver skin and any fat, cold from the fridge — the cut is the flavor, and a clean cut is a clean flavor
- 1 shallot, finely minced, to the size of a grain of sand
- 1 tsp capers, drained and finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard, for the acid
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, for the umami and the salt
- A few grinds of coarse black pepper, and a pinch of salt, both to the taste
- 2 egg yolks, for the top — the yolk is the last-second garnish, and the eye lands on it second
- A slice of baguette, toasted and buttered, under the ring
- A handful of flat-leaf parsley or chives, chopped, for the last-second finish
Method
- Cut the beef: halve each piece, then cut lengthwise into 3 mm slices, then across into 3 mm dice. The dice is the flavor — the cut is a cut, and the cut is a clean cut, and the clean cut is the one that eats clean.
- Mix the beef with the shallot, the capers, the mustard, the Worcestershire, the pepper and the salt, in a light hand — fold, don't beat. The dressing is for the flavor, not the texture, and a heavy hand turns the cut meat into a paste, and the paste is not the dish.
- Cover the dressed beef and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes, so it's cold at the plate. The cold is the last move that holds the cut — a tartare at room temperature is a tartare that's already losing it.
- Plate: put the toasted, buttered slice of baguette on the plate, set the ring over it, and press the dressed beef into the ring, filling it to the top. Take the ring off, and put a whole yolk on top, off-center.
- Scatter the last-second garnish — the chopped parsley or chives — around the yolk, not over it. Wipe the rim of the plate, and serve the plate while the beef is cold.
Common failures
- A paste, not a cut — the beef is a soft, mushy mass with no edge. The hand was too heavy, or the beef was ground instead of cut. A grind is a mash, and a cut is a cut: the dice is clean, the edges stay sharp, and each piece keeps its flavor. Cut the beef to 3 mm, and mix it in a light hand, and the plate is the one the cut is for.
- A tartare that's warm, and the flavor is gone. The beef was at room temperature, or the plate was served after the cold window. The cold is the last move that holds the cut — a tartare at room temperature is a tartare that's already losing it. Put the dressed beef back in the fridge for 15 minutes, and plate it while it's cold.
- A plate with no structure — the beef is a puddle, the yolk is a smear, and the bread is under it. The ring didn't hold the mass, or the yolk was broken and spread instead of placed. The ring is the plate, the yolk is the last-second garnish, and the bread is the base — the three moves are the plate, and the plate is the one the eye lands on.
Variations & substitutions
- A tuna tartare. The same method, with the tuna in place of the beef tenderloin — the cut is the flavor, and the tuna cuts the same way the beef does. The yolk is the same last-second garnish, and the bread is the same base. The plate is the one the cut is for, whichever protein is on top of it.
- A salmon tartare. The same method, with the salmon in place of the beef, and a squeeze of shiso or a little wasabi for the acid instead of the Worcestershire. The salmon is the cut, and the cut is the flavor, and the plate is the one the cut is for.
- A beef carpaccio, for the table. The same beef, cut to 1 mm slices instead of a dice, laid on a plate with a little chervil-butter and a shaving of parmesan. The carpaccio is the plate, and the plate is the one the cut is for, whichever way the knife takes it.
What to serve with it
The baguette, sliced and toasted, is the base of the plate, and the one the eye lands on third. A bistro onion soup ahead of it is the Paris-bistro order — the soup is the first course, the tartare is the second, and the plate is the one the eye lands on. Or a simple green salad, after, with a lemon-oil vinaigrette, to cut the richness of the butter under the ring.