Steak Tartare/Carpaccio/ Ceviche

[Zagut]

Steak Tartare.
I want to attempt this dish.
I've gotten some beef from a local source that's really good.
http://www.southernmarylandmeats.com/

I like my steaks rare and when I cooked up this beef I was surprised at how good the flavor was.

A search here only turned up this as a recipe.
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f48/steak-tartare-73468.html
　
Looks good.

I'll go on the web to seek more recipes but was wondering if anyone here had ideas or suggestions.

I can get fresh eggs from my neighbor (Laid the day I attempt this) but are using supermarket eggs less desirable?

I'm not worried from a food safety standpoint. And if I should be worried then all I can say is. "You only live once."

Is Capriccio or Ceviche or something where the beef is "cooked" in a high acid marinade a better idea?

Just looking to expand my horizons and as stated before any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Andy M.]

There are plenty of tartare recipes online. I'm sure you can find one you like.

Don't be fooled. Making a ceviche type dish where citrus juices "cook" the protein DOES NOT KILL BACTERIA as real cooking with heat does.

Carpaccio is a raw beef dish.

 

[Zagut]

There are plenty of tartare recipes online. I'm sure you can find one you like.

Don't be fooled. Making a ceviche type dish where citrus juices "cook" the protein DOES NOT KILL BACTERIA as real cooking with heat does.

Carpaccio is a raw beef dish.

Thanks Andy. Online is where I'm headed but just wanted to see what the good folks here had to say.

I realize that Carpaccio is a raw dish as is Ceviche.

I'm not really worried about the food safety aspect but I do see where it is a concern to many.

I'm seeking recipes & techniques I might enjoy. If I find them here or elsewhere so be it.

If you don't hear from me then don't attempt this at home.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

LOL!

If I trusted the beef I would try it, but I don't have a TNT recipe. I've had Tartare once in a "fancy" restaurant when I was about 22. I liked it.

 

[CraigC]

I have eaten these dishes many times, but we have Carpaccio much more often than the others. We really like the bed of arugula and the shaved parmesan that complements the beef.

 

[JMediger]

All are wonderful dishes but all are definitely still raw. Tartare is small/cubed steak with an egg presented on top. I've typically had it with a quail egg, not a chicken egg simply because of size. The portion sizes I've had haven't lent themselves to a full yolk. I've also not had anything mixed with the beef. Salt and pepper are presented with the dish.

On the other hand, when I've had Carpaccio, it's been nicely presented as nice, thin slices with olive oil and vinegar with sliced onion or capers.

I've never had beef ceviche, only shrimp.

Wildcat is a popular dish around me. It's raw hamburger mixed with diced onion, salt, and pepper and served with crackers. Yum!

 

[GotGarlic]

Ceviche is some sort of seafood sliced thin and marinated in citrus juice(s) and seasonings like minced scallion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and bit of sugar, salt and pepper. My favorite recipe, from Cooks Illustrated, includes both lemon and lime juices and lime zest. I like how the combination tastes.

I've made it with shrimp, scallops, cobia and wahoo. It's a wonderfully refreshing dish. I like to get those tortilla chip dippers with the ruffled edges and serve ceviche in those.

I've never had beef prepared this way.

 

[taxlady]

I often have beef Tartar at Danish Club luncheons. It is freshly ground. There are no gherkins. It is seasoned. There is an egg yoke on top. It's yummy.

Fresh eggs are easier to separate than older eggs.

 

[CWS4322]

When I lived in Germany, we ate steak tartar all the time (I mean once every 2 weeks or so). If I remember correctly, we combined the beef with capers, onions, and chopped parsley, S&P. I loved it.

 

[taxlady]

When I lived in Germany, we ate steak tartar all the time (I mean once every 2 weeks or so). If I remember correctly, we combined the beef with capers, onions, and chopped parsley, S&P. I loved it.

I've always had the capers, chopped onion, and parsley as garnish.

 

[Mad Cook]

"I'm not really worried about the food safety aspect"

Well, you should be!!

The meat for steak tartar MUST be spanking fresh and mustn't have been sitting in the butcher's or your 'fridge for any length of time. I certainly wouldn't make it using supermarket pre-packaged meat.

Your preparation area, equipment and person MUST be spotlessly clean.

Badly prepared ST can make you very ill indeed.

And remember that raw eggs and raw meat shouldn't be served to the elderly, small children or the immune suppressed.

 

[taxlady]

"I'm not really worried about the food safety aspect"

Well, you should be!!

The meat for steak tartar MUST be spanking fresh and mustn't have been sitting in the butcher's or your 'fridge for any length of time. I certainly wouldn't make it using supermarket pre-packaged meat.

Your preparation area, equipment and person MUST be spotlessly clean.

Badly prepared ST can make you very ill indeed.

And remember that raw eggs and raw meat shouldn't be served to the elderly, small children or the immune suppressed.

Excellent points.

But, I believe Z meant she wasn't concerned about eating raw egg. Sort of to prevent a bunch of posts warning her about salmonella.

 

[Zagut]

Mad Cook, I'm not worried about the food safety aspect because I'll know what is going into the dish. I'd much rather prepare it myself then have it served from a kitchen (Pro or not) where I don't see what's involved. Food safety is important but it's also not something to lose sleep over.

Taxlady, (I'm a He BTW) Eggs aren't really a concern for me. I just wondered if a fresh egg was much better then one from the supermarket. I can get the fresh eggs from my neighbor but chicken poop is a concern. She seems to have an abundance of it.

I've always liked the taste of beef. I remember my mother telling me not to eat all the hamburger when she was fixing dinner for the family. I don't think sanitary practices have lessened since the 60's. I'm sure they have improved but I also think peoples worries about them have grown exponentially.

Found quite a few recipe's on the net so far so I'll pick and chose what fits me and go from there.

I'm going to give this a try so if you never hear from me again you'll know not to try this.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I'm forever nipping off a small bite of beef, haven't gotten sick...yet.

Makes the cows mad, though.

 

[taxlady]

Sorry about the gender mix up Zagut.

 

[CWS4322]

I would much rather eat an egg from my own hens or my neighbour's hens than a supermarket egg. Why? I know the conditions in which my hens are kept, when the eggs are collected, how they are stored, how long they are stored, what my birds were fed, how clean the environment is (salmonella that is passed to the laying hen and then to the egg is done so by rodents--when was the last time you were inside a battery farm???) Store-bought eggs come from battery farms, for the most part. The eggs recalled in the US last summer were from one battery farm in Iowa. This farm has had eggs recalled in the past. Chicken keepers of small flocks are more likely to keep their laying hens in a cleaner environment, vaccinate them against diseases, and keep the feed where rodents cannot access it. I haven't seen any evidence of rodents in my chicken coop. If worried about salmonella from eating eggs, I'd suggest staying away from unpasteurized eggs from battery farms.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Since the OP has already stated he is not concerned with the food safety issues and no one has answered his question, I guess I will try.

I like both steak tartare and carpaccio, and have made both at home. Ceviche, which is only made from seafood (as far as I know), I've had in restaurants, but never made at home.

Here is an Emeril Lagasse recipe for tartare I've tried. It's a pretty classic recipe and very good.

Steak Tartare Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network

I will only add that this recipe should be made with fresh filet/tenderloin. Chop it yourself in a food processor. Just cut the meat into 2 inch chunks, then put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. This will help keep it from turning to mush. Put the beef chunks in the FP (if you are making more than about a half pound, do this in batches) and pulse several times, or until it's the consistency you want. I like it about pea-sized myself. You don't want to puree it.

 

[Mad Cook]

Mad Cook, I'm not worried about the food safety aspect because I'll know what is going into the dish. I'd much rather prepare it myself then have it served from a kitchen (Pro or not) where I don't see what's involved. Food safety is important but it's also not something to lose sleep over.

Taxlady, (I'm a He BTW) Eggs aren't really a concern for me. I just wondered if a fresh egg was much better then one from the supermarket. I can get the fresh eggs from my neighbor but chicken poop is a concern. She seems to have an abundance of it.

I've always liked the taste of beef. I remember my mother telling me not to eat all the hamburger when she was fixing dinner for the family. I don't think sanitary practices have lessened since the 60's. I'm sure they have improved but I also think peoples worries about them have grown exponentially.

Found quite a few recipe's on the net so far so I'll pick and chose what fits me and go from there.

I'm going to give this a try so if you never hear from me again you'll know not to try this.

I'm biased as my family have been involved in the butchery trade, abattoirs, local authority environmental heath departments and lecturing on butchery and general food safety in college since 1938 and up to and including the present day. I've been brought up to treat meat, especially raw meat, and food hygiene generally with a lot of respect.

 

[Mad Cook]

I would much rather eat an egg from my own hens or my neighbour's hens than a supermarket egg. Why? I know the conditions in which my hens are kept, when the eggs are collected, how they are stored, how long they are stored, what my birds were fed, how clean the environment is (salmonella that is passed to the laying hen and then to the egg is done so by rodents--when was the last time you were inside a battery farm???) Store-bought eggs come from battery farms, for the most part. The eggs recalled in the US last summer were from one battery farm in Iowa. This farm has had eggs recalled in the past. Chicken keepers of small flocks are more likely to keep their laying hens in a cleaner environment, vaccinate them against diseases, and keep the feed where rodents cannot access it. I haven't seen any evidence of rodents in my chicken coop. If worried about salmonella from eating eggs, I'd suggest staying away from unpasteurized eggs from battery farms.

Here, here!

And I read recently that "fresh" eggs on display in the supermarkets can be up to 3 weeks old before they even get on to the shelf!

I'm lucky. I have a friend who keeps very happy hens so I swop cake for eggs. She's not actually allowed to sell them due to the 'elf 'n safety rules pertaining to the sale of eggs, despite her stringent adherence to the rules.

 

[CWS4322]

Here, here!

And I read recently that "fresh" eggs on display in the supermarkets can be up to 3 weeks old before they even get on to the shelf!

I'm lucky. I have a friend who keeps very happy hens so I swop cake for eggs. She's not actually allowed to sell them due to the 'elf 'n safety rules pertaining to the sale of eggs, despite her stringent adherence to the rules.

Supermarket eggs can be MUCH older than that. Eggs are stored in climate controlled warehouses. According to s/one I know who works in one such warehouse, eggs can be on the shelves there for up to 12 MONTHS before they leave. Mind you, most of those year-old eggs are used for dried egg products. However, eggs that are on special (those 99 cents/dozen eggs) are often older eggs (~6 mo. old).

All egg products sold in the U.S. must be pasteurization. The process to process in-shell eggs (not classified as egg products because the shell is not broken) is patented. The patent is held by a company in Lansing, Illinois, so all eggs that are pasteurized (marked with a pink "P" on the shell) are shipped there from the battery farm for pasteurization before they are shipped to supermarkets in the US. National Pasteurized Eggs Inc. is the exclusive provider of pasteurized shell eggs in the U.S. Eggs can be pasteurized in-shell using a sous-vide method holding the temperature at 135 for 75 minutes, fwiw.