Tenderloin Steak Tartare
Tartare de Bœuf
Chapter 1: Starters & Salads
Steak tartare does not hide behind a hard sear. It demands you source USDA Prime tenderloin, freeze it just enough to yield to a razor-sharp blade, and respect the flesh enough to never, ever let it near a grinder. Mix the hand-chopped meat quickly with briny capers in a chilled stainless steel bowl, then serve it alongside blistering, roasted bone marrow to be smeared on charred crostini before piling the cold, acidic beef high.
Before you start
Firm the meat in the freezer.
Wrap the trimmed tenderloin in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. You are not freezing it solid; you are firming the exterior so your knife glides through without crushing the delicate muscle fibers.
Ingredients
- USDA Prime beef tenderloin1 lb
- egg yolks2 large
- Dijon mustard1 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- Tabasco sauce1/4 tsp
- extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tsp
- shallot2 tbsp
- cornichons2 tbsp
- non-pareil capers2 tbsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp
- fresh chives1 tbsp
- beef marrow bones4 large
- baguette1 med
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- flaky sea salt1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to a roaring 450°F and prepare the bones.
Place the canoe-cut marrow bones on a heavy, foil-lined baking sheet, marrow-side up, and season aggressively with kosher salt and black pepper.
- 02
Roast the marrow and toast the bread.
Roast the bones for 15 to 20 minutes until the marrow is blistering and yields zero resistance to a knife. Meanwhile, brush the bias-cut baguette slices with melted butter and toast them in a hot cast-iron skillet until the edges are charred and crispy.
- 03
Build the emulsion.
In a medium stainless-steel bowl nested inside a larger bowl of ice water, whisk together the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and lemon juice. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly to create a glossy, fractured mayonnaise.
- 04
Fold the alliums and pickles into the binder.
Gently stir the shallots, cornichons, capers, parsley, and chives into the egg yolk emulsion.
- 05
Execute the au couteau knife-cut on the chilled beef.
Remove the firm beef from the freezer. Using your sharpest knife, slice the beef against the grain into 1/4-inch planks, stack them into strips, and dice them into perfect 1/4-inch cubes. Never put this meat through a grinder; the blade respects the flesh.
- 06
Combine and season the tartare.
Fold the diced beef into the cold emulsion bowl. Do not overwork it. Adjust the flavor with a final pinch of kosher salt and heavy cranks of black pepper right before serving, as salting too early will draw moisture out of the meat.
- 07
Serve immediately with the blistering marrow.
Place a hot bone marrow canoe on a warm plate alongside the butter-charred crostini. Plate a tight puck of the cold steak tartare right next to it. Instruct guests to spread the liquid marrow onto the toast like butter before piling the chilled tartare on top.
Notes
The Steakhouse Martini.
Serve this starter alongside an oversized martini. Mix 3 ounces of dry London gin to 1 ounce of dry vermouth with two dashes of orange bitters. Stir in a mixing glass filled with hard ice for exactly 30 seconds. Garnish with a skewer of exactly three blue-cheese stuffed olives. A wrong olive count is grounds for sending it back.
Sourcing the beef.
Raw preparations demand USDA Prime. The tenderloin lacks heavy marbling, making it ideal for tartare where raw fat would leave a waxy mouthfeel. Ask your butcher for the 'tails' or 'tips' to save money without sacrificing the unparalleled tenderness.