Steak Tartare

"I recall Margaret Fulton lecturing me in the 1980’s on how important it was to hand chop beef for Steak Tartare" - Damien Pignolet

The French named this dish after the tartars, a Mongol tribe known for their fierceness (Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food, 1999). I guess the ferocity relates to the raw onion and Worcestershire sauce, among other ingredients, that spike the beef. Fillet or rump are the cuts traditionally called for in this dish, however at Bistro Moncur we use the silverside or blade from prime Wagyu beef, as it is rich in flavour and highly marbled with fat. Flavourings include finely chopped raw onions, parsley, capers, cornichons and anchovies with a spicy note provided by Worcestershire sauce; a raw egg yolk adds richness and helps to bind the meat. Choose the best sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to complete the palate. The texture is contrasted by some crisp Melba toasts.

I serve steak tartare – or Biftek à l’Americaine as it’s sometimes called in France, owing to its popularity among Americans – as a mound crowned with an egg yolk and surrounded by all the flavourings; the diner uses two forks to mix the ingredients. At Brasserie La Coupole, in Paris, the beef is presented in a salad bowl and the waiter mixes everything thoroughly at the table. I suggest you experiment with the sort of flavourings you like, to develop an individual dish.