steak tartare

The Tartars are the Turkic-speaking people of Europe and Asia, who mostly live in the central and southern parts of Russia, Ukraine, Poland and in Bulgaria, China, Kazakhstan, Romania, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Most are direct descendants from the Volga Bulgars, who were conquered by the Mongol invasion of the 13th century. What the Tartars are most famous for, however, is their steak.

Being a hard-working, somewhat sturdy race, with little time to spare after a hard morning’s cattle ranching, the Tartars of old liked to eat on the move. In preparation for this mobile munching, they’d tenderise chunks of beef by placing them for several hours beneath their horse’s saddles, then eat the meat raw, adding a few spicy elements to brighten the flavour and (presumably) disguise the malodorous scent of nag sweat.

This culinary innovation became known over time as Steak Tartare, a meal loved and loathed in equal measure for its joyous disregard for health and safety – consumption of tartare made with contaminated ingredients can cause serious illness or death, while cooking will rid flesh of such harmful bacteria. It’s a lottery, and I’m about to buy a ticket. Once again I’m using Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall’s exemplary bible of meat for guidance, so I’m in good hands.

First up, the steak. It’s important to buy the highest quality beef, so I settle for a piece of organically-reared sirloin from my supermarket of choice, the excellent branch of Waitrose on Finchley Road, North London. Look: here it is.

sirloin

First job is to trim the steak of fat and sinew, until I’m left with a piquant slab of splendidly lean cow.

trimmed

In the absence of steed or saddle, I opt for my trusty Molineux, and a couple of seconds processing provide me with precisely the kind of texture required by the recipe.

mince

Next up, I add the seasoning; salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, chopped parsley and shallot. I shape the results into a patty, make a dip in the middle, slip a raw egg yolk into it, and serve with home-made chips.

tartare

If I’m allowed to be self-congratulatory here, then I will – it’s my website, after all. The results are quite magnificent, a luscious fusion of flesh and fragrance, culinary black art on a cheap porcelain plate. What’s more, I’m writing this piece more than 24 hours after devouring every last morsel, and have experienced no ill-effects. If I’m to suffer permanent damage, it’ll be the long, agonising slide into insanity via Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease rather than the rapid contamination of the intestinal tract caused by the E. coli bacteria. Personally, however, I think I’ll be OK.

Ooh, and for desert I created my new culinary masterpiece: the hexagonal Eccles Cake.

eccles cake

Yummy.

138 Comments

  1. Go on, call me the Cuisine Ignoramus…

    its RAW MINCE WITH RAW EGG!!!!!

    And more than slightly nauseating…

    *shudder* just imagine the texture…

  2. While traveling ukraine, a friend ordered steak tartare as it was the only engish words he recognised on the foreign menu. He thought “well steak and tartare sauce sounds unusual, but at least I know what I’m getting”….ho ho!

    I’ve always wanted to try it but did wonder what you serve with it, so chips it is. Finchley road Waitrose is my supermarket of choice also.

  3. Cor, lovely! Will definitely try that one day. Not sure when though. It’s guaranteed to gross out the Mrs.

  4. hi fraser,
    how can you still be slim and trim with all that culinary delights? do you plan a big meal for your readers????

  5. Nothing too extraordinary about this if you’re from mainland europe rather than UK. I used to eat raw mince regularly, either as is or prepared more elaborately as the mood suits when I was living in Belgium. The problem here is that pretty much all the mince available at the supermarkets is substandard stuff, it’s just barely passable when cooked, but tastes awful raw, so your options are limited to either going down the route you just did and grinding something up yourself, too much work for my time, or paying a somewhat unreasonable amount to that lovely butcher in St. John’s Wood for the Good Stuff.

  6. Are you dead yet Fraser?

  7. Though the raw mince wouldn’t be my thing (though it would please my dad and horrify my mom, so I might just have to make some next time I’m there for a visit…), the hexagonal cake is just beautiful. Satisfy my curiousity, Fraser… what’s it made of?

    And pardon if it’s already been published before. I must have somehow missed it.

  8. You forgot to mention that you also had to deal with possible salmonella from the raw egg. You are a true corner sewer Fraser.

  9. I’m a big fan of this dish Fraser, but I’ve never cooked, or should that be prepared, it before. IMO it is perfect to follow raw oysters and accompanied by a pissenlit (dandelion leaf) salad. Not sure of the season for those leaves, can be very bitter if out of season, but you normally pick dandelion leaves along river banks and the like. Perhaps a ‘wild’ food dish, or at least a suburban foraged food dish, could be the next culinary stop on your tradition-busting cook’s tour.

  10. Aaah, yes, dandelion leaves plucked from a riverbank could also bring the gamble of weil’s disease. This dish should be renamed Tartare Roulette.
    I’m very impressed, Mr. Fraser sir, but only by your bravery.
    I love Eccles cakes….mmmm…

  11. did you have the Lanky cheese with the Eccy cake?

  12. WITH CHIPS? You heathen!

  13. hahahahahha Fraser you one crazy muther, miss yor weirdness!!

  14. My mom used to let each of us kids have about a teaspoon of raw ground beef, lightly salted, after she made the dinner hamburgers – we considered it a delicacy and fought to get the most. The first thing I did upon getting my own place was to go out and purchase a pound of ground sirloin. Ate the whole thing in one sitting, and had the trots for a week. Well worth it though, delicious!

  15. Big whoop. They serve it all over France, everyone slightly adventurous has had it. Yeah, it’s minging.

  16. Hi there, I don’t have a problem with you eating raw beef, but as a meat inspector, I should probably mention that the cyst of the tapeworm of man Taenia saginata is only killed by cooking (found in the nice juicy beef muscle). Wait about 8 weeks and see if your appetite increases!!!!

    • Are you kidding me? Mr. Inspector.
      The spices will prevent any tapeworm or other illnesses. I am from Europe, eating this delicious meal since I was little girl and never had any problems. Cholesterol is normal and I weight 115 lb. The whole Europe knows about this recipe. So for you American ignorants, give it try before you send your stupid, uneducated comments. GO FRASER!!!

  17. man that looks super sweet. One thing though, I had one of these at Le Caprice near the Ritz a while ago and it’s not wise to ask the Maitre d’ to “whack it under the grill for a couple of minutes” even if you do refer to him as ‘chief’.

  18. I love this stuff, but it’s hard to find in the U.S. now what with all the cook your meat well weenies.

    • You can find steak tartare made at Middleton Tavern, on Dock Street in Annapolis Maryland. The Tavern is a beautiful 260 year old place and all the menu is excellent. The recipe is comprised of : shredded kobe beef, a raw egg, minced fresh vidalia onion, grey poupon mustard, two crushed anchovies and their oils, sea salt, ground fresh black pepper, freshly chopped parsley, and several dashes of Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce. Mixed well. Mounded carefully, decorated with capers, and freshly hardboiled chopped eggs. We used to serve it with rye bread triangles. I made many a tip off that stuff! Enjoy!

  19. steak tartare is gorgeous. one of my very favourite treats.
    your home-made chips also look delicious.
    nice one fraser!

  20. Tasty but tried and tested before. If you really want to push the boundries – a mix on the classic ham and eggs – posk tartare. Although it would probably make you very ill.

  21. Another ‘innocent abroad’ story. i went to Frnace with my mate Stuart who’d never even beeen out of Stoke on Trent before. We ended up at a lovely little restaurant in the south of France where he only recognised one thing on the menu. Yes, steak tartare. The waiter mixed it up at the table and put it on Stuart’s plate. 30 minutes later, Stu was still waiting for the waiter to bring over one of those little burners and cook his burger at the table …

  22. I have been much entertained by your culinary exploits, and am a keen raw muncher myself (if you are unfortunate enough to be in Paris, L’incroyable near the Louvre serves the best tartare I’ve yet tasted) – however, I am very curious to understand how you were able to finely chop your sirloin using the stadium of Wolverhampton Wanderers. You may find a food processor a little easier to handle.

    On a serious note, may I suggest that next time, you season the meat, and garnish with the egg yolk, and serve with the garnishes on the side (also include some fresh tarragon and chopped cornichons) separately – this allows for a variety of taste combinations, which I feel enhances the experience a little.

    Yours pedantically,

    godstar

  23. I had steak tartare in “Julien”, a rather nice brasserie in Paris. No, I didn’t know what it was when I ordered it. Yes, it did give me colossal bloating and wind for 3 hours. No, there were no lasting ill-effects.

    The French eat it with chips too, and sauce bearnaise.

  24. Hi Fraser,

    Well done that man. Steak tartar is delicious, don’t listen to all those bacteria/worn fearing ignorant (you obviously didn’t). You may indeed get smithen by such small things as much as they could by a mother driving her kid to school in a 4×4 while talking on her mobile phone.

    Just make sure you have premium meat.

  25. uugh, you sicko!! frser, you are disgusting!! I mean what if that egg had salmonilla and that meat had mad cow?!? ugh you make me sick. >:(

    P.S. cook your meat next time!!

  26. We have that here all the time in my end of the USA
    When u go to the store it will be on the top shelf of the meat cooler and labeled “Tiger Meat” its basically just well seasoned ground high quality beef.
    Very nice served very cold with a high end type of cracker or toasted peasant bread.
    Its usually served with sides of sharp cheddar cheese as well.

  27. hey hosers…
    here on the west coast of canada, good ole’ british columbia, (ex pat… lest UK in ’82… miss the fish and chips and curry sauce soooo bad … but I digress)….
    anyhow… we got our own version of taretar… made with salmon and garnished with a quails egg… sushi I hear you say… maybe?… but after a few pints down the pub (well bastardized version of a pub…. not even a pub really…and all beer is lager …damn… now I’m really home sick)… it’s damn fine and easy on the gut… gonna go drown myself in this pool of nostalgia now…
    l8rs
    NN

  28. When visiting my wife’s family in Slovakia, this is a favourite and is served with toast on which you rub a garlic clove before spreading on the steak tartare – delicious!

  29. Mmmmmmmmmmm, raw cow… I can’t resist a slice off the edge of a bit of steak before I cook it, I think I prefer it like that.

  30. I really like the look of the hexagonal Eccles Cake. Is there any change you could send me recipe? Or give me a link for it? I’ve serached and I couldn’t find it. Mighty kind.

  31. Steak Tartare mmm lovely (just as long as the tapeworm are absent!!).

    Raw lamb is equally delicious – the arabs have a great dish called Kibbeh Nyeh. It is lean and very fresh lamb pounded with cracked wheat and served with an olive oil dressing.

    I have many happy memories of eating this in Syria.

  32. Something I have personaly never been brave enough to try. You will be pleased to know that eating this meal has not increased the risk of CJD, as the prions that result in the disease survive the cooking process.

  33. That has to be the most unappealing pice of food I have ever seen. How on earth did you stomach it, you must have an iorn intestinal tract. Just looking at it makes me feel queezy.

  34. I have a recipe for raw eccles cake if you are interested.

  35. What’s wrong with you people? Steak tartare rocks!! It’s making my mouth water right now.

  36. Nice one Frazer, don’t listen to the silly fools who are bemoaning CJD and the like, for a start cooking meat won’t destroy the prion and as for e. coli anyone who has their steak well done is a wrong’un

  37. have you tried kibbeh yet? lebanese–raw lamb (also often served with raw egg in the dimple). sheep…yummy!

  38. Hay Frazer,
    I used to work in a 5 star hotel in the 80’s where we used to sell Steak Tartar. (£20 even then!) From what I can remember you need to use FILLET steak. You then have a selection of garnishers on the side from which you choose and the waiter then used to mix them in at your table. Salt, pepper, egg yolk (which we used to serve in the shell!ekk!) chopped capers, gerhkins, parsley, anchovies and………. some other stuff.

  39. Steak Tartare is like any other recipe – there are hundreds of different ways to do it. Some cooks will process the meat until it’s almost a paste, most provide the garnishes on the side because the people they’re serving to have different tastes to their own. I know what my preferences are, so I added these ingrediants into the mix directly. As for the choice of meat, fillet steaks are generally cut from the sirloin, which is what I used. Rump steak will do just as well – the quality of the meat is more important than the cut used.

  40. Hi, I am from Turkey and I absolutely adore this recipe. we have a lot more of thsikind of recipes, I recomend you to try. byee

  41. I dont get it? There are much more disgusting things to eat. Raw sheep testicles anyone? Anyone for a live giant slug? Steak tatare is yum!! I eat this on occasion. Carpaccio is also a fave of mine although its not completely raw. And nothing beats sushi!! Love it. Love it. Love it. I eat sushi at least once a week. Come on eat something really disgusting like suasage rolls from ‘certain supermarkets’ where they are over processed and made from really nastly off cuts of meat who know nothing about hygeine.

  42. YOU GO TO MY WAITROSE! Rock on.

  43. None taken. I’m not trying to impress – I just try and occasionally write about food I like, and I like steak tartare. Steve Don’t Eat It is a great read, but there’s nothing featured I’d really want to touch.

  44. Steak Tartare is deelish.

  45. …but did ya like it ?

  46. What next? Ortolan?

  47. I’m from Bulgaria, and I have also heard in history classes about the recipe of such ‘steak’ used from the creator of Bulgaria khan Asparuh’s troops (who have came from Volga as you said, back in the year 681).
    But I would challenge you for a better recipe- try Shkembe Chorba. This is boiled soup from milk, red pepper, and… Shkembe (tripe, belly- usually from sheep). This is really cool soup… But you have to eat it really hot& chilly (add a lot of peppery. Try it both ways- with or without it… there are different opinnions about the peppery).

  48. Lovely.

    By the way, you’re very unlikely to get CJD from eating recent beef.

    You may, of course develop it later (it can lie dormant for years and years), after eating BSE-infected meat consumed long before the link between CJD and BSE was even thought about.

    So tuck in to your tartare while you can still eat.

  49. is this supposed to be adventurous? Can you catching and eating blowfish or something mildly entertaining?

  50. No, it’s not supposed to be adventurous. It’s supposed to be tasty.

  51. I used to work in the states for 2 summers at the end of the 90s – typical Irish college summers really. Both times i waited in family restaurants, you get mostly nice customers, tips were great, happy days.

    One of the few things I could never fully acclimatise to was the inability of staff or customers in New England to accept that cooking beef to medium-well as default did not rule out CJD.

    It was bizarre.

    If anyone with taste ordered meat medium rare, or god forbid rare, people woul look at them like they were asking for a shotgun cartridge to smoke. the offical line was the meat was to be cooked Medium well, for “health reasons”.

    I guess it made people feel safe, and stopped them looking into poor meat treatment in the US to begin with! :)

  52. On holiday in France once I ordered a dozen Oysters for a starter. Then for the main course I ordered Steak Tartare. Polished off the lot and washed it all down with a few beers. I was absolutely fine, no side-effects whatsoever (yet!!). I’d say that was the most risky meal I’ve ever had.

    My report on the Steak Tartare was that it was truly disgusting. The very texture of the meat made me want to wretch several times. The french fries were an absolute neccesity.

    I don’t think I’d ever do that again.

  53. Hello Fraser,

    I must admit, despite having quite a strong tummy myself, I felt somewhat queasy at the thought of this. however, like one of the chaps above I have always been slightly intrigued by Tripe.

    Does it taste as bad as it looks? Can you dress it up? Perhaps this could be a future project.

    Incidentally, did you try the cheese experiement?

    Yours

    Nana.

  54. I work in PR

    A few years ago I had a client/journalist lunch in posh London restaurant Chez Gerard in Covent Garden.

    Unfortunately I was running late and the client and journalist had already arrived and ordered.

    Feeling a complete plum I quickly glanced at the menu and the first thing that sprang out at me was ‘Steak Tartare’.

    Now I am a steak fan and I mistakenly assumed the Tartare was was just a little sauce on the side.

    Anyway, 15 minutes later this lump of mince with a raw egg turns up.

    My first expresssion was one of horror, followed by the exclamation, ‘That wasn’t what I was expecting!’

    My client looked at me quizzically and asked me what I had been expecting.

    Realising I would look a complete twonk in front of my client and the journalist I mumbled some comment about it being larger than I expected, before tucking in.

    Yummy :(

  55. Raw pork (“mett”) with a little raw onion and salt & pepper is a common German morning sandwich, available in most bakeries.

    Its a very “meaty” taste and I eat them regularily.

    I know in the butchers here that you can buy this mett seperately (i.e., there’s a different tub for mince) so I presume its fresher or better quality than normal mince.

    Not sure if you can make this in the UK as am not sure what standard the pork is there, but if you’re ever in Germany, try a “mettbrotchen” (raw pork on a roll).

    Also had raw horse meat in Japan where its a delicacy but not hard to fine. Also tasted great.

  56. I’d rather eat a raw slice of my own arse.

  57. hey guy , I seen you on b3ta…how did you get to me ? (Only askin)

  58. “I\’d rather eat a raw slice of my own arse.”

    Suggest you slice thinly and season well.

  59. Ah, France….

    In a “local” restaurant in Paris we frequent, a group of English students turned up, and one of the lads made the same mistake many people on here have made – “steak tartare” isn’t steak with tartare sauce.

    When it arrived, the girl sat next to him looked very puzzled and asked “Is that how you normally have your steak?”. He’d gone very white and mumbled, “Yeah, it’s great”. And then forced the whole lot down.

    And I made the andouilette mistake myself somewhere in the middle of France. In another “local” restaurant, my limited French recognised an andouilette as being a form of sausage. The waitress looked rather bemused, and explained that the few English people they had in often tried it, but only ever took one bite. How we laughed!

    Hmmm. When it arrived, it looked a bit overdone, but otherwise OK. When I cut into it…the smell! “Poo pipe” pretty much sums it up. But there was no way I was only going to take one bite. I managed two thirds of it without throwing up…..

  60. I agree with Zeuss – all those people worried about salmonella, the eggs in the UK have been _safe for years_. I was allowed steak tartare as a treat when a kid – I love it. Mett is also good, but you need high quality regulation on the meat, which is why I would happily eat it in Germany, but not in the UK. Meat quality (for what is affordable here) is pretty poor.

    The use of capers and other pickels, as well as onions has the effect to slightly “chemically cook” the meat because of the acid – this is why, for example, pickled herrings are perfectly fine to eat.

    On CJD, any prions present (unlikely now because mad cows have been eradicated due to the scares of possible links) are actually likely to require ingestion as an aerosol, rather than through consumption. Apparently experiments have shown that covering the nose of cows eating Scrapie infested meat prevents them from developing BSE . This could explain how some vegetarians (for the appropriate time period) have contracted the disease (allegedly working within kitchens). There are other factors linked as well.

    Those who are complaining about the looks of the meat: 1. you are missing out on some great stuff, 2. don’t worry, its probably cultural – if you’d been brought up with it you wouldn’t object so much and 3. YUM, all the more for me.

  61. I agree with above, it is all cultural. I was raised in a japanese family, a raw steak is considered a delicacy. until I was about 16 I couldn’t stand eating it. Now, ra is the best way to eat steak.

  62. Who ate the saddle?

  63. The problem here is that none of you are describing a STEAK TARTARE.A Steak tartare is not served with a raw egg in the middle.What you are describing and what you show in your photographs at the beginning of this blog are in fact a STEAK AMERICAINE.
    Check it out.I’ve won a few bets on this one!

  64. Then you ought to refund the money. Steak Americaine is what us French sometimes call Steak Tartare, but it’s precisely the same dish.

    As for the raw egg, that’s not added to steak tartare in all cases – it depends on the chef – in the same way that different cooks will use different seasonings and gardnishes, depending on regional traditions and their own tastes. Some will serve these on the side and some will mix them in…

    Whichever way you choose to make your tartare, and there are plenty, and whatever you decide to call it, the basic premise is the same: it’s seasoned raw mince.

    What do you think a steak tartare is if not the above?

  65. I tried it tonight, though mine was more basic: cow, egg, and minced garlic. It was so good! I’m not kidding…I can’t wait to have it again. No, I’m not at all fat, by the way.
    I like eating raw food as opposed to cooked. I feel much better, but can’t last long on just fruit, nuts, and veggies.

  66. Mr Bean @ the restaurant springs to mind!!!

    I think us Kiwis have more sense than to eat raw meat…..

  67. A kiwi with no sense??? C’mon, its never happened!

  68. oh, man, andouilettes – FFS! my (french) GF and myself were dining with friends in montpellier, the chums all ordered andouilettes so we thought we would too – couldn’t suss out where the smell was coming from before the food(!?) arrived, thought (a) sewers were down, or (b) someone had shat themselves…. of course, all speculation was unneccessary when they arrived. Amazing – sausages made of shit. I changed my mind and ordered a tartare, figuring that i’d rather eat raw meat than cooked ordure.
    mmmmm, raw meat… not as good as sushi but pretty damned fine.

  69. I had Steak Tartare last night at a local French (Quebecois) restaurant. It reminded me of those tastes I would steal as a child while my mother made home made hamburgers.

    Salmonella has to be the larger of the risks that one assumes in eating this dish. But I placed my health into the hands of a very capable chef and I loved the result. It is a delicious carnivore’s feast and I recommend it highly if you can find a reputable restaurant serving it. Make a night of it, drink a bit too much, have a good cigar (especially you non-smokers) and think up a few more dangerous acts for the evening!

  70. Outstanding! As an old soldier still serving since 1970 (last year I picked out raw shashlik for grilling at a restaurant in Samarkand, Uzbekistan) I remember ordering steak tartare at the Chao Phiya Hotel for U.S. forces in Bangkok in 1972. The mound of `mince’, with the raw egg yolk, spiced, brought to and mixed at table. Delicious! It’s thirty-three years later and I’m still here. The French are right: what does not kill you strengthens your immune system.

  71. mickey2shoes……andouilettes are the same thing as chitterlings, or “chitlins”, in the Southern United States. They’re just pig intestines. I have not eaten any, though I hear they taste like fried rubber bands…….

  72. Not exactly. Chitlins are made from the small intestines, while andouilles generally contain tripe as well.

  73. What is all the fuss about. Filet Américain, as it is called, cannot be absent on the fare card of any self respecting pub or café in Holland or Belgium, nor does any of the millions of aficionados in those countries suffer any ill effect due to its consummation. In those countries is served already mixed and usually served spread on a baguette, with sliced boiled eggs, capers, sliced pickles and mayonaise. Fries, however superbly crafted and popular there, would detract from the delicate taste. But then again, would it not be too much to expect the presense of a somewhat delicate palate across the ocean? There such fine dishes as crude kibbe or kafta would be anathema too, wouldn’t they?

  74. I regularly eat steak tartare, carpaccio, carne albese (similar to tartare, but more coarsyly cut (I use a knife) and usually made from veal. Lots of people I know eat raw pork sausage, though I’ve never tried pork tartare.

  75. I was in Paris on the weekend and took the opportunity to have Steak Tartare (I must say I always thought it was a French dish until I read this blog). I was in a normal French restaurant, by which I mean it was nothing fancy and was full of Frenchies. When I ordered the waiter made sure I knew what I had asked for and I was a little apprehensive. As the first person to reply, Cazz, said “its RAW MINCE WITH RAW EGG!!!!!” and of course she’s quite right. It came unmixed, a pile of raw mince with an egg yolk on top and little piles of onions, capers, parlsey and pepper. I added tabasco to it and mixed away. Under the watchful eyes of my friends who all had regular steaks I tucked in more than a little nervous that I would just spit it out. Nothing to worry about though, it was fantastic. So smooth and tasty, it literally melted in my mouth. My friends all tried it and said the same. I’ll definately eat it again, but I will be careful where I purchase my ‘lottery ticket’ and I’m not sure I’d make it myself. If you ever have the opportunity to try it then I can certainly recommend it.

  76. As the son of a (german) butcher I am not getting it. “Tartar” is perfectly fine with fond childhood memories attached to it. Still like to eat it today. I do agree, it is a trust thing: I only eat it, if my father or mother approve it (they sold their butcher shop a couple of years ago). I only ate raw stuff in the US once (can’t remember the name of this mexican fish dish [cervice???], but it was great). Generally there seems to be a correlation between the role of the state and the tendency to eat raw meat: Strong regulatory governments equals people surviving tartar etc (and no, I would not do that in the UK, sorry my brave man Fraser).If you want to venture beyond tartar, try some of my Silesian’s grandmas dishes, i.e. brain with scrambled eggs, plenty of tripe, black pudding etc pp. The only think I found a little disturbing are prairie oysters …

  77. I find it fascinating for people to find this fascinating…

    Ok, I think everyone knows about oysters and champagne, right? There is only a slight step from them and you venture into Japanese sushi, Italian carpacci etc… Steak Tatere is a child’s game compared to proper Italian beef carpaccio, where lean beef is cooled down on ice, cut in see-through slices and seasoned with extravergine olive oil and coarsly ground sea salt…

    How do you (exceedingly civilised folks) think human kind survived the first 5000 years of their existence? By eating raw food, including meat…

    I agree… this is a food of trust. And I only trust myself. But beef is rather safe as far as bacteria goes. Egg yolk is the one to be affraid of… up 1/3 of ALL eggs sold contain salmonela. Be sure to use eggs from under the chicken and not store-bought ones.

    Anyone venturing into beef extensively should try to age it for 2-3 weeks dipped in vegetable oil in his/her fridge. Say… a beef wellington gets it’s pink color and tenderness from – aging and nothing else. Proper beef is at least 5 days old. Preferably 2 weeks.

    Fraser, you are commended for having this dish made and eat it in UK. But, man… fries? WOOt? There should be rye sourdough with unsalted butter on the side… Perhaps a toast if you are more civilised… but fries? No justice done to this cullinary masterpiece.

    Take care!

  78. My mother is from Belgium and I have ben eating steak tartar since I was six. My best friend from high school is an RN and said if I hadn’t started eating it so young, I would probably have a tapeworm. Don’t those make you skinny? So apparently I don’t. Going to try your recipe.

    My father and my ex wouldn’t touch the stuff. Americans have this thing ABOUT COOKED MEAT. When my Belgian grandmother was alive she would serve the steak tartar with fresh made french fires with homemade mayonnaise, and salad with oil & vinegar dressing.

    Can tou take a shortcut and use ground beef?

  79. Becky- Don’t use ground beef! Use good steak to be sure of it’s provenance!

    Whittingstall Triumphs again, and once more you beat me to using the recipe, great job. Anyone for bunny burgers?

  80. Hi, having dutch parents my mother used to give us “raw mince” as a special treat, she served it with garlic bread (no raw egg though, thats a new one to me) and we put the mince on top. its still a favourite meal of mine, unfortunately living in Australia I rarely am able to have it as until now i was unsure of how to prepare it myself and i am sure that like with many other european foods i would gross my partner out. love Australia but they sure dont like trying new foods! geuss they get their preference for basic food from their english forefathers!

  81. Bunny Burgers! never tried that, but my Belgian grandmother used to make a great rabbit with a sauce from the pan dripping. It was the greatest.

  82. This sounds a lot like the Ethiopian dish Kitfo which is served with Ethiopian cottage cheese. It is yummy! I had a huge portion of it yesterday with no ill effects.

    Someone told me it’s like steak tartar, and I was like, “What’s that?” as I was chowing down. So this google search brought me here.

  83. just back from France, i had steak tartare in a cafe in Dinard, like most people, in ignorance of what i was getting. It was served with chips and i commented when it arrived that it looked just like a giant raw burger.

    it tasted good and i will probably try it again, though not with raw egg.
    I keep my own free range hens and know that they are just as prone to salmonella as any others, probably more so as they have contact with wild birds

  84. raw meat is most definately the shit.

  85. Having been raised in Boston, Mass, USA, I was taught that raw meat was a definite no-no. However, 5 years ago, while vacationing in Canada, I was exposed to Steak tartar and completly enjoyed it.
    I have found that it is not a dish that can be ordered in the US, so I make my own. I have served home-made Steak tartar in various sizes and shapes for numerous dinner parties or cocktail parties, over the past 5 years. Many more Bostonians have enjoyed Steak tartar, then I anticipated. In fact, it has been requested I share the recipe or at the least bring a platter when I attend others parties.

  86. The dish you describe,with a raw egg yolk on the top is in fact a STEAK AMERICAINE,not steak tartare.Steak tartare doesn’t have a raw egg yolk placed in the centre on presentation.I have won quite a few bucks on this popular misconception.

  87. Listen, all you connoisseurs: This is the problem: CONTAMINATION!!!!
    Yes, four exclamations, and for good reason.
    Look, if you want to eat raw meat, (as I do incidentally), it’s better to be safe than sorry.
    This is my method for steak tartare…
    Take your steak, (for this, fillet has to be the best choice), By the way we need a big chunk of steak not a slice. Get me? OK!
    Here we go…
    Dunk the big steak into boiling water and leave for 3 minutes. Boyaka!
    Now what we do is this.. …easy. Slice away the outside of the steak and what you’re left with is pure, unadulterated, raw, beef, uncontaminated, steak, chow! and 100% safe. (As far as microbes are concerned).
    Next step…
    Get on with your life… …No offence!

  88. FRASER-it seems that both the dish you describe and the one I describe have morphed into obscurity..Firstly some schools of thought state that the steak used should be SIRLOIN..so filet as the French describe is ergo a different dish. Some say that the meat should be minced,some say scraped from a larger piece with a SPOON!(sic),some say finely chopped.Why must we always refer to the French for a definitive answer on food,especially in this case where the dish is not even a classical French one? I have even been served this dish in France mixed with KETCHUP(the head waiter said he thought I was American..I am not.. and that was how he presumed I would like it!!).Essentially the dish should be prepared tableside by the waiter,and one’s own preference(capers or no) can be added or left out.That is the safest bet and avoids any confusion.

  89. I live in theUSA and have had this dish in both French and German restaurants-both did a good job with it. The key obviously is the frehest beef available,ground to order immediately before serving. I’ve always had it served with the egg on top- it wouldn’t be the same without it. It also wouldn’t be the same if it was partially cooked as someone mentioned. Extra items to add such as capers,worcestershire, hot sauce, and paprika make it more interesting in my opinion. Those wimps who whine about the raw beef and raw egg don’t know what they are missing. Then again,some people don’t like fois gras either.

  90. No sweat with microbial worries if you make sure you know where the beef comes from and you mix the tartare and let it “maranade” in the fridge for a few hrs letting the salts and spices do their job on any bacteria.

    I make beef tartare routinely when I have availability to either fresh cut Alberta range fed beef or certified organic angus from the Bruce pennisula from a butcher I know with inpecable judgement of the quality of a side of beef….Tartare is something not seen that often at western Canadian bar-BQ parties but your guests get over it once they taste it..served up with a spiced fiddle head fern salad and a garlic buttered, grill-toasted rye baggette with fresh garden picked tomato-basil bruschetta and an ice tub full of cold Waterloo dark lager beer…even the apprehensive guests will dive for it…for the desparately timid I have discovered that you can put a hot plate grill over the Bar-B…get it really hot and quickly sear both sides of the “steak” once formed with a strip of thick bacon…..This way you keep all the flavors and juices and it heats the hamburg just enough to take the risk out of it… the center is still relatively pink like a med-rare steak.

    I also make a “tartare” with fresh cold smoked BC salmon or cols conditioned Great lakes Coho fillets which I grind course or mix with some ground prosciutto and the same spices as beef tatare.

    Bit of a hint to enhance the flavor of the steak/beef in the raw….try adding a couple Tbsps of chopped capers, some coarse ground mustard and minced red French shallots, pepper as desired and some quality coarse ground hot hungarian paprika (it’s actually just warm and spicey)…on more infomal dinners with my buds, I will add a couple Oz of a strong malty beer like Oktoberfest.

  91. Just back from a two day trip to France, and for a ‘light lunch’……the Steak Tartre did it for me!!….Agree with nearly all before…but if you make it at home..treat it like Raw Fish (Sashimi) and that is ALWAYS serve it cold!! With some leaves, and a Walnut Oil dressing….you can face the afternoon without that heavy, big luch scenario!!

    Its great!!

  92. Mmmmm, I grew up on raw kibbe. To be Lebonese and not eat it is almost a sin. In 20+ years of eating it, I have never once had any health issues with it….other than eating too much and feeling too full. I like it, I love it, and I want some more of it! The same with sushi. Though, I doubt I would be the first in line to eat raw eggs….. not so much for the fear of getting sick, I just don’t like eggs. Viva la Legion!

  93. Was browsing through the ‘net looking for info on steak tartare and ran across your blog. I must say there’s certainly a lot of varied opinion on the subject – most of it mis-informed. I have been partaking for years and have never had any problems – gastro-intestinal or otherwise but then we never have raw egg in our recipes. Indeed, occasionally we have even had leftovers the next day without any adverse effects. A nice change of pace for me, in addition to the various seasonings mentioned in your logs, is to add a small amount of cognac or brandy to the recipe. Let it sit in the ‘fridge for about half an hour to let the seasonings do thier work.

    A question to the person about parboiling the steak first and then trimming it – why not just trim the same amount from the raw meat?
    Secondly – never ever use previously minced meat or “hamburger” as we call it here (Canada). Always start with a solid piece of meat and trim the exterior. The interior will be completely bacteria free if prepared and stored properly because it is sterile to start with. Any bacteria on the surface are trimmed off in this process. If it’s minced the bacteria simply get distributed throughout the meat during the mincing process.

  94. I have been enjoying steak tartar since I was a kid and no one was any the wiser about e-coli or other critters. My Mom actually called the yummy sandwiches (on rye with thick slices of red onion) “Cannibal Sandwiches”. Pretty gruesome for a 7 year old, but I loved them and NEVER have had any type of reaction. However, they were prepared sans raw egg.

    Just enjoyed a fabulous steak tartar in Boca Raton, Florida at the 5th Avenue Grill. If you are in the area, go, enjoy, you won’t croak!

  95. Being a romanian girl ‘n stuff, I suggested on a dutch forum, that worcestershire would be nice.
    I thought, even pickles and onions would be nice.
    But guess what? I was told it would be a disaster and I would die instantly.

    Well, guess what? I survived and I’m fucking doing it again tomorrow!
    And the day after tomorrow and I’ll eat steak tartare every freakin’day from now on!

  96. I’m not sure whether that would be delicious or disgusting. I mean, it’s steak!

    But it’s raw steak.

  97. Genius….

    Steak tartare is one of the finest dishes around!

    Providing you source you meat and eggs from a reputable supplier – ideally a butcher who keeps his own stock you should be fine…

    The only question is – there are two styles – combining all teh extras (capers, etc) into the mix, or serving them seperately. Both are good.

    And then there is the agony of which wine to have with it? And fries, or toast? :-)

    To all those skeptics, try it. Life is too short not to….

    Paul

  98. I grew up being educated on food and trying different things, steak tartar was part of my late teenage years!
    As a family we were just talking about steak tartar and how much we missed it! We also had anchovies & cognac in ours and served it with french toast. (plus we also mixed in the egg yolk)
    As a student (thats what I spent my grant on)- I often shared steak tartar with college friends and they are all still living- so now on the hunt for a recipe I stumbled on this site looking for a good recipe.

    Life is for living, not worrying about the what if’s

  99. I was watching Jeopardy with my fiance last night. There was a question about steak tartare, and neither of us got it, even though I do a lot of gourmet cooking. It bothered me that I didn’t know what it was, so when I got up I googled it. I sat here reading the wikipedia description with disgust, then was led to your blog. Although I admired your careful adherence to detail in the preparation, it is the single most disgusting concept I have ever found in a recipe. To eat raw beef with raw egg just sounds gross. And I admit to being a sushi lover, but ew. Your dessert looked yummy though…well, at least I learned something new today…

  100. Susan,
    don’t knock it until you try it..Really!

  101. As for RedEarths comment on Bourdain’s recipe,I find the inclusion of Ketchup to be sacreligous!

  102. Fantastic dish. I look forward to my holiday in France more for this than anything else. Only problem with this is French waiters assuming that the ‘idiot Anglais’ don’t know what they’re ordering and questioning whether you really do want it!

    Beautiful!

  103. Creutzfeldt-Jakob variant — IF acquired from the prion causing BSE, puts eating cooked meat at risk as much as raw. So that’s not a concern either way.

  104. Excellent!

    My wife refused to be in the house when I whipped up a serving last weekend. She claims the very idea of raw egg and meat makes her gag, poor thing has no idea what was in the carbonara she had.

  105. Steak tartare is a joy to behold and eat. I have been eating it most of my life and have never been ill from it. I like to add chopped salt cured capers to the mix. The taste and texture is remarkable. Sometimes I spread it on warm crustini.

  106. Well, if you’re interested…..

    Any fresh meat can be eaten raw (with the exception of chicken*) In fact we ate like that for 1000’s of years of our evolution. After all, how many people eat blue, rare or even a medium steak? The meat is not cooked in the middle.

    The only problem is this – bacteria develops on the outside of meat – so the simple secret of a good (safe) raw steak is to trim the meat fully – taking of at least 5-10mm of meat before processing it. Obviously always use prime fresh cuts of meat.

    For this reason eating a burger that is rare in the middle is not a good idea – if the whole (untrimmed) cut of meat goes into the mincer, the bacteria gets all through the meat, the middle of which isn’t cooked.

    Now, finally – to the subject in question – the real reason a steak tatare (which in minced) is ok, is because the traditional recipe also includes mustard, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce and salt (amongst other ingredients). This is a cure, and the acids plus the salt will kill any bacteria still left over even after the meat has been trimmed.

    And why is it considered a delicacy? People have an affinity with high prices, they think it equals quality, it makes them feel posh and refined. Oh la la. Well, it IS the quality of meat, but it’s also the waste of meat that helps contribute to the inflated price of steak tatare (even though it goes in the stock pot).

    *The problem with chicken (and only chicken) is we (humans) have overbred and used so many antibiotics and other intensive farming techniques we have actually bred salmonella into the meat.

  107. My husbands family are french and i was introduced to Steak Tartare by them.
    They serve it with fries and toast, the steak tartare is spread on toast the same as you would spread jam etc but thicker.
    Our children have had it many times and we are all still fine. We always use a good cut of meat – scotch fillet., and slice it finely ourselves, and all ingredients are mixed together – no raw egg on top.
    yummmmmmm

    you only live once try it.

  108. For those Americans who think that Steak Tartare (Filet Americaine) is disgusting, I have four words: Keep an open mind!

    This delicious dish is PERFECTLY safe to eat, provided that two steps are rigidly followed in the preparation.

    First, as other posters have advised, it is advisable to trim away the surface of the steak before mincing, as any pathogenic bacteria are found only on the surface of the meat, not in the interior.

    Second, for those who are concerned about Taenia saginata, (Beef tapeworms), there is a way to absolutely ensure that no viable (i.e. living, and thus dangerous) worms or larvae are ingested: Freeze the steak for at least five days at a temperature lower than 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 C for metric readers). The freezing process will kill any parasites.

    As far as the raw egg yolk, yes, that’s still a crapshoot, but at odds of one contaminated egg in every 30000 (in the U.S. at least), I’d take my chances. Personally, I don’t care for the yolk in my Steak Tartare. Hell, I don’t even like fried eggs with a runny yolk. Personal preference, I suppose. I find that the dish is equally delicious with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the necessary fat content.

    Fraser, it’s nice to see that our friends “across the pond” enjoy this fabulous dish. Or at least one of them, anyway. :)

    How it became known as “Filet Americaine” when it seems that the vast majority of my countrymen are revolted by the idea of raw meat is indeed a mystery. Oh well, all the more for me!

    P.S. For an interesting twist on the traditional Steak Tartare, try mixing fresh hand-minced good quality beef (about 500 g), a touch of salt, garlic powder, a little black pepper, and an envelope of dry onion soup together. Blend that mixture with a bit of shortening (Crisco), about a tablespoon and a half per pound of meat, until it’s thoroughly incorporated, place into a Ziplock bag, and flatten in the bag until the meat mixture is pressed very thin. Freeze for one week, and then slice into thin strips, and eat while frozen, or partially defrosted. DEEE-LICIOUS!

    I swear, if you like steak tartare, you’ll absolutely LOVE this. It’s like a beef popsicle (ice lolly) with oniony, garlicky, salty goodness. Oh, and when you eat it, it has a texture that is firm and slightly chewy at first, and as you chew, the beef melts, and becomes wonderfully smooth just as is fresh steak tartare. Yeah, many who read this will think I’m bonkers, but if you like steak tartare, try it and see if you don’t get hooked!

    “Now I will eat a piece of my tasty frozen beef, and I hope that you will eat a piece too!”

    For any questions on the preparation of this delectable delight, contact MojoXN@gmail.com. Enjoy!

  109. Marcela..
    Typical EUROPEAN CYNIC!!
    I have eaten tartare and self made variations with great gusto for many years…and regarding andouille, you should be so lucky as to sample that fine sausage made by the “Cajuns” of Louisiana.

    My favorite is a mixture of fresh ground tenderloin of beef with salt and pepper and cubed aged cheddar cheese, minced jalapenos (Mexican hot pepers) and onion with a dash of lemon juice, garlic powder, cumin and hot paprika. Accompanied, of course, with saltine crackers and good dark beer.

    Come to Texas and LIVE!!

    Warren

  110. New French restaurant in Bath (UK) opened this week; lunched there today. Experimented with steak tartare – seems it followed the basics given above – egg yolk, sauces besides to add as required. Quite a surprise to be delighted with what had appeared to be a raw burger!
    (Restaurant de l’Arche, Queen Street)
    Oh, and with fries!

  111. Being German I have eaten Steak Tartare all of my life. This is the recipe I use:

    Steak Tartare
    Serves: 2

    This dish is eaten like a pate, spread on a piece of mini toast. It is very important though to make sure that both the meat and the egg are very fresh because they are eaten raw.

    Ingredients:

    • ½ pound beef tenderloin, ground for steak tartare (ask your butcher)
    • ¼ cup red onion, minced
    • ¼ cup parsley leaves, minced
    • 1 green onion, finely chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon small capers, drained, chopped
    • 1 egg yolk (let yolk sit about 5 minutes before mixing)
    • 2 anchovy fillets, mashed
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground

    Directions:

    1. Combine the onions with half the parsley and green onions.
    2. Mix together the chopped capers, egg yolk, anchovies and salt and toss with the parsley and onions.
    3. Lightly fold this mixture into the steak to avoid packing the meat too much.
    4. Mound steak tartare on chilled plates and shape into a ball and roll in the remaining parsley and green onion.
    5. Serve immediately with mini toasts or toasted French bread.

  112. Hi Fraser. I’m pretty late on your blog, but just searched the web for a steak tartare recipe and stumpled onto your page. Good stuff, though I just did not have the time to go through all the responding comments. Hope I’m not repeating someone else’s thoughts.
    I’ve had raw meats quite often since childhood, especially “biltong” which is a delicacy in my part of the world (South Africa / Namibia). Really tasty raw, dried meat. Grew up with the stuff and never had a problem. Also, we have a favourite traditional sausage called “boerewors” (Afrikaans for farmer’s sausage. We also dry it dried like biltong and its great!). Really tasty if made with the traditional spices. The spices might just work very well with steak tartare – can’t see why not, as the flavours are perfect for meat, raw or otherwise.

    For steak tartare with an African twist, try mixing your raw mince with finely ground corriander seeds, salt, finely ground black pepper, finely ground cloves and wine vinegar – the truely South African meat spice blend. These spices are great as an all-round ground beef or lamb spice mix and I make my hamburgers with it as well – best ever! Do try it sometime.

    I visited Poland in March 2008 and had Steak Tartare for the first time. The raw egg freaked me out a bit, but the flavours worked well together. My saving grace was that the Polish traditional drink with steak tartare, is straight Vodka. Try it next time you have your favourite raw meat dish. It works very well, and I’d venture to say that the alcohol content of the neat Vodka will kill any bugs that might be lurking in the raw meat.

    The reason for my search for a recipe, is that I was thinking of doing sushi rolls with steak tartare in stead of salmon, and horse raddish or hot mustard in place of the wasabi. I see though that someone above already mentioned eating sushi, but not quite mixing the two concepts. What do you think?
    Anyway, enjoyed your blog. Keep up the raw meat tradition. People these days are just too fussy! Would never make it in Africa!

  113. Raw beef is awsome! I lived in South Korea for Two years , and was introduced to the uncooked stuff. First bit “Loved it.”
    I got to be good friends with a restaurant owner who specialized in raw beef and I ate it at least once a week “Yummy.” But I have to admit, a fresh cut of a certain piece of the cow was purchased everyday and if it was not eaten that night it was cook and put into soup. The key is freshnessn and fat free as posable. Try thinly sliced beef on a bed if graded radish topped with a raw egg, and some soy sauce with chopped green onions for dipping.

  114. Speaking of raw meat, have you tried Carpaccio?

    Carpaccio was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1950 at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy where it was first served to the countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo when she informed the bar’s owner that her doctor had recommended she eat only raw meat.
    It was named for the Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio who was noted for his use of red in his paintings.

    Ingredients:
    • 8-10 ounces beef tenderloin from the tip end of the roast
    • – Carpaccio Sauce
    • – Kosher salt
    • – black pepper
    • – shaved Parmesan (garnish)
    Method:

    1. Trim every bit of fat, sinew, or gristle from the tenderloin, leaving a small cylinder of tender meat.
    2. Wrap the tenderloin in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours.
    3. After 2 hours, unwrap the tenderloin and thinly slice the beef into approximately into ? to ¼ -inch pieces.
    4. Lay out sheets of plastic wrap and place each slice onto the plastic.
    5. Top with another piece of plastic and gently pound the meat with a meat mallet until paper thin.
    6. Repeat until all of the meat is sliced and pounded.
    7. Arrange the slices of meat on 4 salad plates to cover the surface completely.
    8. Season with salt and pepper and/or drizzle the sauce decoratively over the meat in ribbons.
    9. Garnish with shaved Parmesan
    10. Serve immediately
    Serves: 4

    Salsa Carpaccioe

    Ingredients:
    • ¾ cup homemade mayonnaise
    • 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • 2-3 Tablespoons milk
    • – salt
    • – freshly ground white pepper
    Method:

    1. Put the mayonnaise in a bowl and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
    2. Whisk in enough milk to make a thin sauce that just coats the back of a wooden spoon.
    3. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with some salt and pepper and more Worcestershire sauce and/or lemon juice to taste.
    Makes about 2 cups

    Note: This sauce is drizzled over the meat in a crosshatch pattern. This Carpaccio sauce is also used for hamburgers.

  115. Glad to see a good recipe. Going to make it this evening.
    Jon in Geneva

  116. When I was younger, I used to eat raw bacon and raw ground beef all the time. I don’t believe I’ve ever been ill from it nor do I think I’ve ever had worms of any sort. I still eat raw steak but only after marinating a bit. My mouth waters for it.

  117. I am with you with the steak t. But how do you eat itin a restaurant? You get the meat with raw yolk on top and often onions, capers etc at the side. Do you just put them all together and mash it all up; or is there a more sophisticated way? Don’t want to emabarrass my self.

    Anthony

  118. As I understand it, the ingredients are there so your can mix the tartare to your own taste.

  119. Perfumes are the only commodity that requires complete hard work and patience. Every perfume is made having its own uniqueness. I own a blog and write posts on the history and the making of perfumes

  120. I LOVE all these comments that bring up rare diseases like CJD and MAD COW and a tape worm from Africa. You might as well say, “Never go out of the house because you might catch AIDS.”

    I have been eating raw meats for more than 30 years and have never had so much as the trots. If you have never eaten meat that way, yes, it can make you bloated or give you the winds or even the trots. SO those are the people who should watch out!

    RAW MEAT IS AWESOME!!!! Cooked meat has lots of carcinogens, which cause cancer! How ’bout that!!

  121. cooked meats may cause cancer – only if you don’t cook them properly. it takes all types!!

  122. Fraser…you left out the best bit….CAPERS!! Must have capers to add that something extra!

  123. Do people not know that almost all eggs you can buy in a commercial market these days are pasteurized? You’ll be fine. YUM

  124. My brother ate this yesterday and fell ill immidiately and was rushed to the ER. This is a highly dangerous meal. And for the record my brother is very healthy and fit and works out 4 times a week.

  125. Have tried this in the past and if memory served I definatly liked it. I’m from the US and like a previous poster said, Tiger Meat is common in the northern midwest where there is a concentration of german ancestory. I grew up with tiger meat and enoy it on soda crackers with some creamy horseraddish sauce. As for uncooked meat, people have been eating it for ages, as long as it is processed in a sanitary way and the beef is raised in a good environment your chances of caching a parasite or disease is low, but it is a chance. Then again everything we do has risks, this is a minor one.

  126. I ate this at a restaurant for the first time a few days ago and now have food poisoning. It was a well respected restaurant in London. I did actually think it tasted much nicer than I’d expected and if I was not feeling so terrible now I think I’d probably eat it again.

  127. I’d just like to say that I had tartare for the first time in Poland a few months ago and loved it. I’ve been trying to get up the courage to make it myself here in the States, as practically no one makes it. So cheers to everyone in the comments for great advice, and much thanks to you, Fraser!

  128. One of my favorite starters, but the beef needs to be chopped by hand into small dice, not whizzed in a food processor or put through a grinder (which ruins the nice texture, in my opinion). In addition to the ingredients in the recipe above, I like horseradish and capers in mine.

    I’m a little surprised at the controversy here. A number of my favorite pubs here in Chicago have it on the menu (the Paramount Room’s is a particularly fantastic rendition), and I’ve had it countless times, without any problem. And the Belgian who says Americans like their meat cooked through–to that I say, huh? In my experience, it’s the Old World types, especially Eastern European (where my folks come from), that insist on meat being cooked beyond recognition. The classic way to enjoy a steak here is, at most, medium rare.

  129. They say when I was a MERE 6 months old, I begged for bits of my Dad’s raw beef, he was fond of snacking on. I am soon to be 67. I eat a lot of raw beef, and rarely grind it myself. Right from the grocery store – ground round or sirloin. I have never been sick from this and I feel it has been beneficial. The American diet is so bland, boring and blah! I wish I lived someplace where people know how to eat.

  130. re: the Worm Within Spammer

    If the worms are that large, that is an incredibly sick person. And if they are showing up in the stools, they have been killed or expelled by an herbal pesticide or an anti-worm medication. Why else would they leave their perfect Garden of Eden environment?

    I love raw beef, although I’ve never had steak tartare. But every time I eat it, I go through about half a bottle of parasite cleanse that you can get at any health food store. There are several different kinds, made with well-known parasite repelling herbs – and yes, you will feel your anus itching as they escape. What I’ve experienced seems to be microscopic… After about a week it stops.

    It’s Mad Cow I’m worried about…

  131. I am laughing outloud. I am here researching tartare recipes because my Doctor ordered it, if you can imagine. So when I read this comment about Adouille sausages being “steaming poo-pipes” I nearlyfell off my chair with laughter. That is exactly what they are, I have never tasted anything so vile in my entire life. I just pray that I will be able to learn to like tartare. According to the Doc, raw beef is more easily digested and the enzymes are more benificial and there is not the cholesterol that happens during the digestion of cooked beef. We’ll see.
    Steaming poo-pipes….can’t wait to tell my french friends that one!

  132. @geekraver: I’m amazed people overlook this possibility, even after this infamous story. I would not want to spend an evening pulling a fifty-foot long worm out of my ass.

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