Name: The Best Beef Tartare
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb beef tenderloin or top round; 1 large shallot, minced; 3 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped; 2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 4 fresh egg yolks; to taste kosher salt; to taste coarse black pepper; 1 baguette, sliced and toasted; to finish flaky sea salt

The Best Beef Tartare

Prep

25m

Cook

Total

30m

Bigly says

Beef tartare. Beef tartare! The dish that separates the brave from the boring. Hand-cut raw beef, mixed with shallot, caper, cornichon, egg yolk, a hit of mustard, a slap of Worcestershire, served cold with toast. Magnificent. I've eaten tartare in three countries you've never heard of and I'm telling you the best is the one you make in your own kitchen, today, in the next 30 minutes. Out of this world.

Here's the deal with tartare. The ingredient is everything. You want eye of round or tenderloin from a butcher who knows your face. Tell him what it's for. Watch him cut it. The supermarket pre-ground is a NO. Pre-ground anything is a no — they grind 47 cows into one tube and call it 'lean,' which is a euphemism for 'we have no idea what's in here.' That's a crime against the cow. Hand-cut. Sharp knife. Small dice. Period.

A guy named Ramón taught me to chop the beef cold. Cold. Cold cold. You chill the meat. You chill the knife. You chill the BOWL. The colder it stays, the cleaner the cut, the better the texture in the final dish. Most home cooks let the beef get warm and they end up with a sad little pile of beef paste, like a pet food the dog rejected. Embarrassing. The egg yolk on top is non-negotiable. The toast must be hot. The whole thing comes together in the mouth in a way that defies physics. Hand on heart.

Ingredients

1 lbbeef tenderloin or top round(from a butcher you trust, freshly cut, sushi-grade if available)
1 largeshallot, minced
3 tbspcornichons, finely chopped
2 tbspcapers, drained and chopped
2 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbspfresh chives, minced
2 tspDijon mustard
1 tspWorcestershire sauce
1/2 tspTabasco sauce(to taste — don't be a coward)
2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
4fresh egg yolks(the freshest you can find, one per serving)
to tastekosher salt
to tastecoarse black pepper
1baguette, sliced and toasted(brush with oil, toast crisp)
to finishflaky sea salt

Steps

1
Place a mixing bowl and a chef's knife in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. Place the beef in the freezer at the same time to firm it up.
2
Once the beef is firm but not frozen, remove it and trim away any silver skin or fat. Slice into thin planks, then thin strips, then dice into uniform 1/8-inch cubes. Work quickly to keep the meat cold.
3
Transfer the diced beef to the chilled bowl. Add the shallot, cornichons, capers, parsley, and chives. Toss gently with a fork.
4
In a small bowl whisk together the Dijon, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and olive oil. Pour over the beef and fold to combine. Season with kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and adjust.
5
Brush baguette slices with olive oil and toast in a 400°F oven 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden. Or pan-toast in a skillet.
6
Place a ring mold or a small ramekin in the center of each chilled plate. Pack the tartare in gently, then lift the mold to release a clean disc. Repeat for each serving.
7
Make a small indentation on top of each disc. Carefully slide an egg yolk into each well.
8
Finish with flaky sea salt, a crack of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with the hot toast on the side.

One more thing

Your guest breaks the yolk with the back of a knife, swirls it into the beef, mounds it on a hot toast, takes one bite, and stops talking mid-sentence. That's the test. That's the only test that matters. Tremendous.