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1 Comment Velvety, rich, and full of flavor, this classic French steak tartare proves that simple ingredients can be truly impressive. It’s easy to make yet elegant enough to serve as a festive appetizer, whether for Christmas dinner or another special occasion.
While I never struggle with choosing a main course for the holidays, the appetizer is always the tricky part. Steak tartare turned out to be the perfect solution: it looks impressive, can be mostly prepared in advance, and comes together quickly just before serving.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This steak tartare recipe looks absolutely restaurant worthy, but is quite easy to make. It has minimal seasoning and makes the steak itself really shine. It’s the perfect balance of flavor and chopping it by hands keeps the texture meaty instead of mushy! Looking for an equally impressive vegetarian version? Check out the tomato tartare recipe. Or for a fish version the salmon tartare is delicious too.
Recipe Ingredients
- beef tenderloin or filet mignon, very high quality
- mustard – I use a mild version so not to overpower the meat
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tabasco – or another hot sauce
- cornichons
- shallot, very finely sliced
- fresh chives, finely chopped
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- egg yolks – for serving
- Toast or croutons, for serving
- Cress or microgreens, for garnish
Equipment
- Serving ring (about 4 inches / 10 cm)
How to Make Steak Tartare
Finely chop the beef
Use a very sharp knife and cut the steak as finely as possible. A food processor can be used in a pinch, but hand-chopping gives the best texture and prevents overprocessing.
Season the meat
Place the chopped beef in a bowl and mix with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, cornichons, shallot, chives, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust – balance is key.
Plate the steak tartare
Place half of the mixture into a serving ring and press down gently but firmly. Remove the ring carefully.
Add the egg yolk
Make a small indentation on top and place the egg yolk in the center. If using the eggshell for presentation, clean it thoroughly first (briefly dipping it in boiling water works well).
Serve immediately
Garnish with cress and serve with toast or croutons.
Flavor Variations & Additional Tips
- More heat: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or extra Tabasco
- Extra freshness: Lemon zest or a few drops of lemon juice brighten the flavors beautifully
- Herb swap: Try tarragon or chervil instead of parsley
- No raw egg: Serve with a softly boiled or poached egg instead of a raw yolk
- Make-ahead tip: You can chop the meat a few hours in advance and keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Final seasoning and plating should be done just before serving.
FAQ Steak Tartare Recipe
It’s best to check with your butcher what is best to use here. A good quality beef steak, beef tenderloin or filet mignon is usually a good bet, but better to ask the butcher and explain what you will be using it for. It’s important they know you will be using the meat raw. So ask them for their best cut.
Cornichons are very small gherkins which are often used in a steak tartare. They are pickled with vinegar and not sweet. You cut them very finely and the acidity of the cornichons will work really well with the raw meat.
Use tabasco (about 6 drops or so for 200 gr of meat), worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, fresh herbs, mustard, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice and any other spices to taste. A bit of cayenne pepper will also do nicely. Most importantly; make sure you taste before serving! It will also be delicious with something like this parsley oil.
You can cut the meat a few hours before serving. Keep it in the fridge until you do. You can already season it if you want. The plating of the meat should be done as closely to serving as possible. The egg is the last thing you add.
Well you don’t have to use it but it is the traditional way of serving a steak tartare. You can use a poached or softly boiled egg instead, if you prefer.
No, it is not recommended to serve this dish to anyone being pregnant.
Classic Steak Tartare
Ingredients
- 200 gram fillet steak good quality
- 1 tbsp mustard not too sharp
- 2 tsp worcestersauce
- 6 drops tabasco or more to taste
- 4 cornichons finely cut
- ½ shallot finely sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh chives finely cut
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely cut
- 2 egg yolks
- salt and pepper
- croutons or toast to serve
- cress to serve
Equipment
- Serving ring of about 10 cm
Titel
- Cut the steak with a sharp knife as small as you can. You can do it with a food processor but it’s really best to cut by hand for the best texture. It’s easy to over process in the machine.
- Mix the steak with the mustard, worcestersauce, tabasco, cornichons, shallot, fresh herbs and add pepper and salt to taste.
- Prepare the serving by placing half of the steak tartare in a ring. Press down firmly and remove the ring. Serve the steak tartare with an egg yolk on top.
- To do this make a dent in the top of the steak tartare and add the yolk there. You can also use the shell to place it on top. Make sure you clean the shell thoroughly before placing it on the meat.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
It looks impressive, tastes great but is actually really easy to make at home!