Steak Tartar - Love or loath it!

27th August 2008 • Related • Filed Under

tartar Legend has it that this dish originated from the nomadic Tartar (Turkic speaking) tribe who lived on the southern part of Russia. They were very good horseman, hardworking and always on the move. Time for cooking was very limited, so pieces of meat were placed underneath their saddles while riding, this tenderising the meat and easier to eat raw. 

 Adding a few spices to make it more palatable. Most cultures have some sort of equivalent or variation to Steak Tartar. Spanish has Crudo. Ethiopia has Kifto. Originally beef or horsemeat was used.

Steak Tartar is very easy to make. I would recommend fillet with all the fat and sinew removed. Properly matured as it has better flavour. Amount of meat depends on you. The meat is finely chopped with a knife and not with a food processor. Shape chopped meat loosely into a burger. Make indent in the burger.

Egg Yolk  
Finely diced red onions  
Finely chopped capers  
Finely chopped gherkins  

You would also need mustard, virgin olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, cayenne and regular pepper. Place egg on top of the meat in the indent. Some places the waiter will prepare the dish for you while you tell how much of each ingredient. Others will place everything neatly on a plate and you make up your own mixture. You end up mixing all the ingredients into the chopped meat and eat it with bread. You may spread whole grain mustard very thinly on the bread and place the meat on top. I know it is not much of a recipe. Last but not the least serve with chilled vodka. What else do you want to drink with this. This dish is not so popular anymore due to “mad cow” disease. So please make sure you know your butcher. I eaten it a few times and it is an acquired taste. Nowadays you can get tuna tartar. Do not worry if you went through all the trouble to make this and people hate it. Heat up a pan and make some classy burgers.

carpacio Carpaccio is thinly sliced raw beef served olive oil and capers. This dish was invented for Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo. It is very difficult these days to find authentic dishes as they are chopped and changed to the modern worlds taste buds. I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to certain things.

Next I will have a look at pressed duck. “Canard à la presse”

There Are 12 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by demoerin on 28 August 2008:

    Ek volstaan by carpaccio…..enigiets wat lyk soos ‘n rou hamburger-patty laat my GRIL!

  2. Comment by Rustig on 28 August 2008:

    Ek moet saam stem dat dit nie maklik is om ou Tartar mooi te laat lyk nie. Carpaccio is baie eenvoudig en min werk aan. Drink maar net baie vodka om die gril weg te vat.
    ;)

  3. Comment by Emil on 28 August 2008:

    OOOO! Lekker, man! Die Duitsers en Hollanders eet so ‘n rouvleis broodjie, Rohack Brotchen, met peper, ‘n ui en agurkie! Ek het dit nouo ook leer eet, sommer met gewone, rou mince! Die broodrolletjie moet lekker vars wees, natuurlik! En mens mag nie met die peper skaam wees nie :razz:

    Elke Saterdagoggend se ontbyt!

  4. Comment by demoerin on 29 August 2008:

    :lol: Rustig, jy wil ok alles regdokter met Vodka?

  5. Comment by Flippiefanus on 29 August 2008:

    Goed dit lyk my ek sal maar vir my ‘n bottel vodka moet kry. ;-)

    Ek kan onthou toe ons kinders was, as my ma iets met maalvleis gemaak het, het my broer altyd bietjie van die rou vleis gesteel en geeet.

  6. Comment by Rustig on 29 August 2008:

    Demoerin: Paar miljoen Russe kan seker nie verkeerd wees nie.
    Emil: In Oostenryk het hulle soort gelyke eet ding soos Duitsers. Hollanders het harring en Japanese Sashimi.

  7. Comment by Jasper on 29 August 2008:

    Het so rukkie terug iets soortgelyks gebyt by ‘n restaurant in Marseille. Die plekkie se naam was “Le chen ke fume - vergeef die spelling” of “smoking dog” in ingils…

    Dit was ‘n hopie rou silverside mince met ‘n stukkie groenigheid by. Het nog steeds nie ‘n clue wat hulle dit noem nie maar dit is smullend…

  8. Comment by Rustig on 29 August 2008:

    Jasper dit is nie so erg soos mense dink nie. Ek self eet dit, maar sal dit nie in groot hoeveelhede eet nie.

  9. Comment by demoerin on 29 August 2008:

    :lol: Dit is seker stupid….. aangesien ek mal is oor carpaccio. Kom seker neer op dieselle ding?

  10. Comment by Wipneus on 29 August 2008:

    Vandag gaan ek die vodka gryp! Ek beter my kulinere horisonne verbreed! :oops:

  11. Comment by Rustig on 29 August 2008:

    Is Tannie Wip alweer op ‘n missie uit dat sy nou die vodka bottel wil wurg?
    :)

  12. Comment by Krista on 1 September 2008:

    /me Wil dit ook nog probeer . . .

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