Grass Fed Steak Tartare

This is not everyone on the ranch’s favourite, but there is nearly nothing I like more! And grass fed sirloin is the perfect piece of clean lean meat to use in tartare.

Don’t be intimidated by the thought of making this.  Really is there anywhere safer to consume raw beef than when you prepared it and know exactly where the protein came from? Serves 4-6 as a starter.

Ingredients

1 8-12 oz Grass Fed Sirloin Steak

1 Tbsp high quality olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped capers

1 ½ Tbsp fresh fine chopped shallot

½ Tsp kosher salt (plus more to garnish)

½ tsp fresh cracked pepper

Few dashes of tabasco (optional)

1 Farm Fresh egg yolk

Thin toasted baguette or thick cut potato chips to serve

Directions

Remove wrap and defrost steak fully.  Trim fat cap and any excess fat or tendon.  Wash the steak under cold water, dry well then liberally salt both sides.  Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  Salt flavours but also is a natural anti-bacterial.

Wash the salt from the steak, and dry again.  Now with a sharp knife fine dice the steak.  It might look like ground beef, but it certainly isn’t.

Next season the beef.  You can either serve the capers and shallots on the side, for your guests to prep their own, or add with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Mix through gently and thoroughly. If using tabasco add at this stage. Then taste, it should be absolutely delicious.  If not add what is missing!

The lean beef needs the fat of the egg yolk, plus that is the integral part of classic steak tartare.  You can serve it completely raw, or I like to poach the yolk so it has just that little bit more form when you place it on the beef.  Poach for 20 seconds or so in boiling water, you want it to stay nice and runny.

Serve in a bowl or set in a ring to form a flat cylinder.  Garnish with more fresh cracked pepper, pinch of salt and fresh chopped parsley.  Place the egg yolk on top.  Drizzle with little more olive oil.  Place capers and shallots along side (if not previously stirred through).  Serve with thin diagonally sliced baguette or we love to eat on thick gourmet style salt and pepper potato chips.  Decadent!