How to Make Steak Tartare at Home

Total Time:

1 hr 25 mins

Yield:

6 servings

Few dishes are as primal as tartare. It's beloved from the mezze tables of Beirut where kibbeh nayyeh combines lamb, bulgur, herbs, and olive oil, to the French bistros in every major city where countless yolk-anointed mounds of beef and finely diced pickles are churned out every day. Between shopping and chopping à la minute, this no-cook recipe may be tedious but is totally doable at home (and worth it!).

Frequently asked questions

How do you safely make great tartare at home?

"Typically, this is a dish that people enjoy when dining out, but are afraid to prepare at home," says butcher Jason Yang. If you didn't grow up with tartare at home then you might approach the process with some trepidation, but starting with high-quality meat is the first thing you can do to ensure success. It's best to get meat directly from a specialized butcher, not a supermarket where the risk of contamination is higher.

It's important to start with a whole piece of meat rather than something ground, since "properly handled whole muscles have a much lower risk of pathogens," Yang says, and running the meat through a grinder is a potential source of contamination from other cuts.

How do you cut the meat for steak tartare?

Keep the meat cold in the fridge until you are ready to prepare it. You want about four ounces of beef per person for an appetizer and eight ounces for a meal. Starting with a sharp knife and an impeccably clean cutting board, your goal is to cut the meat into fine, even cubes. Working with about half a pound at a time, start by making long slices against the grain, then cut into strips and then cubes, Take care not to over-process the meat, especially when working with filet.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Dark green leek tops, often discarded, become the base of this punchy gremolata. The smoked oyster aïoli adds muscle and brightness, and it’s easy to make (it takes about a minute in a blender). Tartare calls for the best-quality meat; you’ll eat it raw, so go for the good stuff — rib eye or flatiron is a nice way to go. To get a perfectly diced steak for tartare, freeze the beef until it is just firm, about 15 minutes, before slicing.

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Ingredients

Oyster Aïoli

3 large pasteurized egg yolks
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3/4 cup canned large smoked oysters (such as Reese), drained
7 1/2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and dried
Kosher salt

Charred Leek Gremolata

1 (1-pound) leek
1 (1/2-inch-thick) large yellow onion slice
2 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt

Rye Toasts

12 (1/4-inch-thick) seedless rye bread slices (from 1 [20-ounce] loaf)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Additional ingredients

6 ounce flatiron steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 ounce boneless rib eye steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Make the aïoli

Combine egg yolks, vinegar, and Dijon in a blender and process on high until frothy, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in grapeseed oil until smooth and thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and clean the blender.
Add oysters and anchovies to blender; process until smooth, about 15 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Stir anchovy mixture into egg yolk mixture until blended and smooth. Season to taste with salt. Chill until ready to use.

Make the gremolata

Preheat a gas grill to high (450°F to 550°F). Cut white part from leek and reserve for another use. Wash green leek tops thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Break spines of leek tops, opening them up so they can lie flat on grill grate. Place onion slice on oiled grate; grill, uncovered, until softened and charred, about 6 minutes per side. Let cool slightly. Arrange leek tops in a single layer on oiled grate; grill, uncovered, until slightly charred and crispy, 8 to 11 minutes, flipping often.
Finely chop charred onion to equal 1/4 cup. Thinly slice leeks crosswise and finely chop. Stir together leek, onion, parsley, grapeseed oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl until blended. Season to taste with salt.

Make the toasts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange rye bread slices in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and crisp, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Break bread slices in half.

Assemble the steak tartare

Gently toss steak with 6 tablespoons charred leek gremolata, olive oil, and salt.
Spread a scant 1/4 cup oyster aïoli on half of each of six plates; spoon tartare mixture evenly in a circle in center of each plate. Stand four rye toasts up in each tartare mound. Finish each with a drizzle of olive oil.

Originally appeared: July 2018