Steak tartare is a dish served in many different countries and in many different ways. I'll admit I was never a fan of raw meat, but Toby grew up with it when he would visit Czech Republic to see his grandparents. It became a nostalgic dish and watching him enjoy this dish with such excitement of course tempted me to give it another try. We spent 3 weeks in Czech a couple months ago and during that time the dish really grew on me. A Czech steak tartare is traditionally served with slices of crispy rye bread that is panfried in lard and a garlic clove. You're meant to rub the garlic on the crispy rye bread for that extra garlicky flavour and spoon the steak tartare over the bread and eat it together. Yum! The basic ingredients are usually steak, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion, but you'll find many different variations. This dish can be found everywhere in Czech Republic, from basic rural pubs to fancy high-end Michelin-guided restaurants. You can request to have it served with the ingredients all mixed together, or unmixed and you can mix it yourself to adjust the flavours to your liking (see photo). However you have it, it's always best served with a cold Pilsen beer!
What's the best cut of beef to use?
Since you'll be eating the beef raw, it's very important to choose the best and freshest cut, and of course you also want to get it from a reputable clean butcher that knows their stuff. Usually when I buy my meats I get it either from the regular supermarket or a nearby butcher, however we went specifically to a higher end fancy butcher shop specifically for a steak tartare. It might be a bit more expensive, but it'll be worth it.
You want a lean piece with little to no fat and connective tissue. The most popular choice is usually a tenderloin (or eye fillet/fillet steak) which is the most tender cut of meat available, but you can also use sirloin/porterhouse as well. If you're not sure which cut to use, ask the butcher and let them know you're intending on eating the steak raw for a tartare and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
How to prepare the beef?
Once you've selected your perfect cut of beef for the tartare, it's time to prepare it to your desired consistency. If you like the texture chunkier with more bite, you can finely dice it into cubes. Put your steak in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up prior to dicing - this will make it much easier to cut. For a softer texture, you can put your steak through a meat grinder or ask your butcher to grind it for you. I get a little weary of getting someone else to grind it for me since I'm not sure how well the grinders are cleaned between each order. I like my texture somewhere inbetween so I prefer to chop it up finely with a knife. The texture isn't quite as mushy as a ground beef and has a little more bite to it.
This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly!
Anyways, without further ado, here's the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!
Happy cooking!
Ingredients you'll need:
200g high quality lean steak (ie.tenderloin/eye fillet), trim off any fat and connective tissue
If you're unsure which cut to get, ask your butcher for the freshest cut and let them know you're intending on eating it raw for a tartare. Buy one a little heavier to equate 200g after trimming
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1/4 of a large) yellow onion, finely minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground paprika
2 Tbsps Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
To serve:
2 slices of rye bread, either panfried in lard or toasted and buttered
1 garlic clove, cut in half
Directions:
Finely chop the beef until desired consistency. You can also put it through a grinder if you've got one.
Add in the rest of the ingredients (egg yolk, onion, garlic, paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce) to the chopped steak and mix. Taste and adjust flavours to personal taste. You can also serve it pre-mixed and lay out the ingredients separately on a plate (see photo).
Toast the slices of rye bread and spread on butter, or alternatively you can pan-fry it with some oil or lard.
Serve the steak tartare with toasted bread and a garlic clove sliced in half. When eating, rub the garlic over the toasted bread and spoon the steak tartare over the bread. Enjoy!
Summarized Recipe:
Czech Steak Tartare (Tatarský Biftek/Tatarák)
Date Published: Sept 13, 2022 | Last Updated: Sept 13, 2022 Author: Abby |Category: <15 mins, appetizers, mains, easy, quick, low cal, snacks Serves: 2 (as an appetizer/snack) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 0! No cooking required.
Ingredients:
200g high quality lean steak (ie.tenderloin/eye fillet), trim off any fat and connective tissue
If you're unsure which cut to get, ask your butcher for the freshest cut and let them know you're intending on eating it raw for a tartare. Buy one a little heavier to equate 200g after trimming
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1/4 of a large) yellow onion, finely minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground paprika
2 Tbsps Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
To serve:
2 slices of rye bread, either panfried in lard or toasted and buttered
1 garlic clove, cut in half
Directions:
Finely chop the beef until desired consistency. You can also put it through a grinder if you've got one.
Add in the rest of the ingredients (egg yolk, onion, garlic, paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce) to the chopped steak and mix. Taste and adjust flavours to personal taste. You can also serve it pre-mixed and lay out the ingredients separately on a plate (see photo).
Toast the slices of rye bread and spread on butter, or alternatively you can pan-fry it with some oil or lard.
Serve the steak tartare with toasted bread and a garlic clove sliced in half. When eating, rub the garlic over the toasted bread and spoon the steak tartare over the bread. Enjoy!
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