Beef Tartare
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Beef tartare is a French preparation of premium tenderloin hand-chopped with a knife, never passed through a grinder, so that each small piece stays intact and delivers a clean, juicy bite rather than a pasty mouthfeel.
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The chopped meat is mixed with capers, anchovies, shallots, and cornichons, then bound with egg yolk and Dijon mustard. Capers and anchovies provide a salty, briny depth that makes raw beef compelling as a dish, while the Dijon adds a sharp, direct mustard heat that brings focus to every forkful. The egg yolk coats each morsel in a silky, rich film that holds the mixture together without masking the meat itself. Freshness is non-negotiable here - the quality of the tenderloin is the entire foundation of the dish, and there is no technique or seasoning that compensates for inferior beef.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Take 300 g beef tenderloin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before prep so it relaxes slightly, then freeze it for only 15 minutes before cutting. Firm the surface for cleaner knife work without freezing the center hard.
- 2Prep
Slice the firmed tenderloin thinly, then chop it finely with the sharpest knife available.
Use repeated clean cuts with the knife tip instead of pressing or smearing, keeping the beef pieces distinct rather than pasty.
- 3Season
Finely mince 1 teaspoon capers, 2 anchovy fillets, and 1 shallot separately.
Crush the anchovies first with the side of the knife into a paste, so their saltiness spreads evenly through the tartare.
- 4Season
In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 0.5 teaspoon Tabasco.
Stir until the sauce looks even and smooth, with no mustard lumps left to hit one bite too strongly.
- 5Season
Add the capers, anchovies, and shallot to the chopped tenderloin and fold gently for about 1 minute.
Pour in the seasoning sauce and mix only until it coats the meat evenly, avoiding heavy kneading.
- 6Finish
Set a ring mold on a chilled plate, fill it with the tartare, and press just enough to hold its shape.
Lift the mold straight up, place the 2 yolks over the portions, and serve immediately cold.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Beef Tartare uses hand-chopped tenderloin to preserve a clean, meaty texture in every raw bite.
- Finish cue
- Set a ring mold on a chilled plate, fill it with the tartare, and press just enough to hold its shape.
- Storage and reheating
- Take 300 g beef tenderloin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before prep so it relaxes slightly, then freeze it for only 15 minutes before cutting.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
20min, 8 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 168 recipes
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