The final reward. Spread thick onto warm, crispy slices of toasted baguette. Simple, honest, and absolutely gourmet comfort food.

The final reward. Spread thick onto warm, crispy slices of toasted baguette. Simple, honest, and absolutely gourmet comfort food.

This hand-chopped beef steak tartare is a testament to the beauty of simple, high-quality ingredients. By avoiding the grinder, we preserve the integrity of the meat's fibers, resulting in a superior mouthfeel and look.

Preparation time 30 minutes
Making time 0 minutes
Course Appetizer, Starter
Country / Region International

Ingredients

  • 500 g High-quality lean beef (Beef tenderloin/fillet or top round), completely trimmed of fat and silver skin
  • 2 pickled gherkins
  • 2 small shallots
  • A few cloves of garlic
  • 2 chili peppers
  • Capers
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • Anchovy fillets
  • 1 pinch each of salt, pepper, and marjoram
  • Paprika (for color)
  • Lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cognac

Instructions Link to heading

  1. Prepare the meat: Pull the meat apart along the grain, slice it, and then finely chop it by hand. Avoid using a grinder to keep the fibers intact for the best appearance and flavor.
  2. Chop aromatics: Finely chop the gherkins, shallots, garlic, chili peppers, and capers.
  3. Drain the onions: Drain the chopped shallots (or onions) well before adding them to the meat. This prevents the meat from discoloring.
  4. Mix the base: Add the egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, oil, chopped anchovy fillets, salt, pepper, and marjoram to the meat.
  5. Stir gently: Stir the mixture gently and slowly. Be careful not to overwork it, as you want to avoid turning it into a paste.
  6. Final seasoning: For extra flavor and color, add a little paprika, a squeeze of lemon juice, and two tablespoons of cognac.
  7. Rest: Refrigerate the tartare for a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Notes Link to heading

Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
The foundation of a great tartare. A beautiful, lean cut of fresh beef, fully trimmed and chilled before slicing.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
Taking the time to do it right. Slicing and mincing the beef completely by hand to achieve that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
No shortcuts, no meat grinders. Just a super-sharp knife and a little patience on the cutting board.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
The hand-chopped beef is ready and waiting in a cold mixing bowl. Look at that gorgeous, vibrant color.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
The aromatic line-up: capers, shallots, crunchy gherkins, garlic, and a fresh red chili to bring some warmth to the dish.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
Finely dicing the pickles. Precision is key here, you want a bit of crunch in every bite without overpowering the meat.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
A small hill of finely minced garlic to add that essential sharp kick.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
De-seeded and minced fine. A little red chili adds a beautiful pop of color and a gentle touch of heat.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
The base layers are set. The meat is officially crowned with our fresh shallots, capers, pickles, garlic, and chili.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
Setting up the liquid gold. Egg yolks, olive oil, mustard, a few dry spices, and a generous splash of Cognac to bind it all together.
Hand-Chopped Beef Steak Tartare
Bringing in the heavy hitters. Fresh egg yolks, rich mustard, paprika, and a generous pour of Camus Cognac to elevate the flavor profiles.

The meat is best cut by hand. Grinding it can crush the fibers too much, which affects both the appearance and the flavor.

If you like, you can also top the beef tartare with a whole egg yolk just before serving.

The tip of the beef tenderloin is especially well suited as the main ingredient. In Italy, Albese veal tartare (carne cruda all’albese) is highly regarded, often made from the lean meat of the Fassona calf.

Safety Note: Consume shortly after preparation and keep refrigerated until serving. Use only the freshest, highest-quality beef.

Vesela kuharija 😋👌

Fully bound and beautifully cohesive. The hand-chopped texture holds its structure perfectly while soaking up all of that rich, creamy dressing.

Fully bound and beautifully cohesive. The hand-chopped texture holds its structure perfectly while soaking up all of that rich, creamy dressing.