Man-food expert Brian Lambæk keeps an open mind and embraces the raw food trend.
Text by Brian Lambæk – Photo by Helen Graves
The raw food wave is washing over the gastronomic world and its apostles are trying to convince us, that lukewarm food is exceptionally much better and healthier than the cooked meals that the most of us consume.
Personally I believe that a meal’s most important qualities is the taste and experience, resulting in the exclusion of words as ‘nutritional balance’ and ‘low fat’ from my vocabulary. However, as a modern and proactive man, I am naturally ready to embrace the new gastronomic trends – especially if it results in a revival of old gastronomic trends.
Therefore I would like to have the honor of bringing back raw food for real men.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Steak Tartare!
The bistro classic steak tartare served with fries – also named filet américain, is nothing less than a brilliant serving which everyone owe themselves to taste. The raw, soft and creamy beef is perfectly balanced by the sharp and pungent flavors from capers, mustard and onions and by the crisp fries.
According to the myth, tartare was originally a meal of horsemeat originating from the Asian nomads the Tatars. To avoid having to stop and cook their evening meal, the Tatars placed a piece of horse meat under their saddles in the morning. During the day, the riding would tenderize the meat, which then was ready to be enjoyed in its raw state in the evening.
Even if the story is great it is unfortunately not quite true. The Tatars did place thin slices of raw horse meat under their saddles, but the reason was more of a medical than a gastronomic justification, as they were convinced that the meat had a healing effect on the horse’s wounds.
The steak tartare had its latest take at dinner tables alongside the shrimp cocktail and lemon fromage – in a rather dull version served on a piece of bad quality white bread, topped with a couple of onion rings and an egg yolk.
In an almost magical way, the shrimp cocktail and the lemon fromage survived and are still served in all “good”restaurants caught in the 80’s. The tartare was not that lucky; it got almost extinguished when words like salmonella, e.coli and mad cow disease became a part of the vocabulary, kick-starting the ‘kill by overcooking’-religion in many kitchens.
Fortunately, the sanitary conditions of food production have improved since the 80’s. So much that it is once again safe to serve the wonderful steak tartare. (That is, if you have a grip on your own kitchen hygiene!).
And remember! The most important thing when you make a tartare, is the quality and freshness of your ingredients.
Personally I would recommend a glass of Bourgogne or Beajoulais on the side, but a Californian Pinot could also be worth a try!
Bon Appétit!
PrintSteak Tartare, Raw Food For The Masculine Eater
Description
A recipe for the French bistro super classic.
Ingredients
- 0.65–0.90 lb (3-400g) beef sirloin – finely chopped by hand
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp chopped capers
- 1 tbsp finely chopped cornichons
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp of ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cognac
- Freshly chopped tarragon and/or flat parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients but the meat in a bowl.
- Add the chopped beef and mix well.
- Taste and adjust.
- Shape the tartare as a hamburger in the middle of the plate.
- Serve immediately with homemade french fries (ultimately Heston Blumenthals triple cooked chips) and salad leaves tossed in an oil-vinegar dressing.
I have no idea why it was necessary to gender steak tartare. So, so weird.
Great classic dish and delicious. I’m not quite sure what’s actually courageous about eating steak tartare !
We have a name for that….culo de fuego…
Salmonella poisoning affects thousands of individuals each year. The good news is that it can be prevented. It is only a matter of proper hygiene and the practice of food safety in the kitchen. Here is a list of ways to prevent it: Wash hands frequently Dirty hands can bring about cross contamination…’-,
Au revoir
^’`.
Pay a visit to our personal internet page as well
<http://healthwellnesslab.com/
I’d just like to add, one should not have to be ‘brave’ to eat a meal.
Honest cooking!? Some foods are not only good eaten raw, but better – like carrots for example. However, there is an element of emperor’s new clothes regarding eating raw meat and fish. Improved kitchen hygiene or food production standards is not a convincing argument for forgoing the most important stage of producing a tasty meaty meal. Skillful cooking improves the flavour of any meat as well as reducing the number of harmful bacteria. Even the best meat has a certain amount of bacteria at the surface – where it’s in contact with the air. That’s why you cannot eat minced beef (ground beef) rare – because the ‘surface’ of the meat is mixed up with the rest of it and the surface area increases the more minced up it is. The late Michael Winner was ill from eating raw oyster – he nearly lost his left leg because of it! Then, more recently, he became poisoned after eating Steak Tartare. The meat was the finest, sourced from the finest butcher. Your call.
My recipe, clean, simple,fast and delicious: hand sliced thin strips of surloin or london broil, drizzle olive oil over meat, splash or two or three of good quality soy sauce, table spoon or two of prepared horse radish. Beware preservatives in the soy sauce and the horseradish. with heavy cleaver and heavy duty cutting board, work the meat and the ingredients continually folding ingredients and meat together. Chop, chop chop. form into patty with side of cleaver and enjoy.
This one is a good one… however, I do not add cornishons. I add sweet paprika and serve it with crunchy baguette toasts, still hot. I mix it just before serving… very carefully not to mash it into a paste.
Gorgeous photo! And brave eating experience.
Steak tartare is an old-timer, a classic dish. I’ve eaten it since I was a child, everyone should embrace it, at least once in their lifetime.
Oh, dear, the thought of meat pressed between a saddle bottom and the horse’s sweaty arse (fable or not) is enough for me to throw mine on the grill! :)
Hi Joan!
I agree – the thought of eating this sweaty peace of meat, covered in a horse fur coat, does not really make my appetite grow.
However, I would still recommend to everybody with a love for a good rare steak, to take a ride on the steak tartare-wagon.
It is truly amazing :D