Steak Tartare is a traditional nomadic dish. It comes from a time when those savage warriors placed their meat under the saddles of their horses to tenderise it – for a whole day! But it is also associated with ritual sacrifice. Omophagy is the name given for the eating of raw meat. In the days of Dionysus his followers would tear apart an animal, or sometimes even a man, and eat them raw. But these Greeks were not alone in their need for some raw meat, witches have also been accused of murdering people to eat them raw. This dish is for the savage warrior who knows how to kill with their bare hands, so don’t hesitate to give them a good wash before you dig in. And of course we do live in a civilised society so if you are going to help yourself to some Steak Tartare you need only to go to your local butcher, he has already taken care of the rest…
Ingredients
100g organic beef fillet, finely chopped
2 gherkins, finely chopped
1tsp capers, rinsed and drained, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ tsp Dijon mustard
few drops of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp of Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 slice dark rye or pumpernickel bread
1 free-range egg yolk
Method
Place the chopped beef, gherkins, capers and shallot into a bowl and mix well.
Add the mustard, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
To serve, spoon the Steak Tartare mixture onto a slice of plain or toasted dark rye or pumpernickel bread.
Make a small dent in the top of the Tartare and top with a fresh egg yolk. Eat immediately.
