The best beef for tartare is high quality, grain-fed, and at room temperature. Tartare rules require that the beef be raw and the only preparation should be a quick seasoning and an even distribution of finely chopped herbs. We recommend brisket for tartare or carpaccio. It is a lean cut, with a delicate tenderness and deep beef flavour that is perfect for the dish.
How to Make Restaurant-Quality Beef Tartare at Home
I can sum up why people are intimated by making beef tartare at home in two words: Raw beef.
Of course, raw is the whole point of tartare—without the rawness, you’ve got loose, cooked meat. Trust me, that’s not as good as raw.
The truth about beef tartare is that it’s totally safe to make at home. And when you follow the five steps below, you’re at-home tartare can be as good as those you get at restaurants. Only better, because you cooked—or, rather, didn’t cook—this tartare yourself.
- BUY THE HIGHEST-QUALITY BEEF POSSIBLE
When you’re not cooking the stuff, the quality of the beef you buy matters more than ever. If you’ve got a local butcher or specialty meat shop, this is the time to pay a visit. While flank and skirt steak are great for grilling, you want beef tenderloin—home to prized cuts like filet mignon and chateaubriand—for tartare. Why? Because the tenderloin is home to the most tender meat on the animal (it’s built right into the name, after all). And the more tender the meat, the less chance you’ll encounter chewy bites of gristle.
- FREEZE YOUR BEEF
I know, I know—that tenderloin is expensive, and you probably don’t want to throw it in the freezer. But hear me out: A quick, 15-minute stint in the freezer ensures that the meat firms up. And that will make it a heck of a lot easier to handle than if it was at room or even fridge temperature.
While you’re at it, throw everything you’re working with—mixing bowls and whatever plates you’re planning to serve on—into the freezer for a bit. Nobody likes a warm tartare.
- CHOP IT BY HAND
No need to mess with fancy meat grinders when making tartare at home. Instead, grab the sharpest chef’s knife you have, cut the tenderloin into very thin slices (about 1/8″ thick). Then, stacking a few slices at a time, cut the meat crosswise, again forming very thin strips (about 1/8″ thick). Finally, gather a few strips together and dice crosswise, cutting the beef into 1/8″ cubes.
- DON’T FORGET THE MIX-INS!
So you’ve got a pile of raw beef on your cutting board. Now, the mix-ins. Because the best tartares are defined by their mix-ins, obvs. My standard roster includes chopped flat-leaf parsley, salty capers, and finely chopped shallot.
But that’s just the beginning. Want to add a crunch to your tartare? Fry up those chopped shallots in a bit of olive oil. Cherry peppers and jalapeño make a nice sweet-spicy pair. And for a creamy, fatty element, shower the whole thing with grated cheese.
- REMEMBER THE GARNISHES!
Any tartare worth its weight should be accompanied by a few things. Like lightly toasted slices of baguette to pile tartare on, (bread beats forks any day). And a pickled element to cut through the rich beef—cornichons or pickled onions. An egg yolk thrown into the bowl binds everything together and adds richness (I like to serve it on the plate and mix it in later, if only for the fact that it looks cooler on Instagram). Last but non-negotiable: a swipe of Dijon mustard.
4 Best Beef Cuts For Tartare: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Beef To Make Tartare At Home
Tartare is a delicious dish that you may not have heard of.
It is commonly made of raw ingredients, including raw ground beef.
Therefore, knowing how to choose the best beef for tartare is crucial to make sure that your dish is delicious and safe to eat.
Read on to know more about this special dish and find out the best beef for tartare.
How to choose beef for tartare?
Although beef tartare is not something you eat on a daily basis, it is worth a try.
If you cannot afford this dish served in a restaurant, try to make it at home from a high-quality cut of beef.
So how to choose beef for this unique dish?
Let’s refer to our tips below:
1. A cut of beef must be fresh, grass-fed, and high-quality
Since a tartare calls for raw beef, the quality of the meat is the most important factor in this recipe.
You need to find a fresh cut of beef instead of a frozen or stale one because it is not only about the taste but also about the safety of the dish.
Consuming raw meat has never been considered a good way, so choosing a fresh cut of beef is a must-do.
Eating contaminated beef can pose a risk to your health, therefore, you should have a good relationship with the butcher and ask them which cut is best for you to make tartare.
It is even better if you can buy a cut of beef from a high-quality breed like Wagyu or Angus.
2. Select a tender and lean cut of beef for tartare
The second thing to keep in mind is that your beef cut for tartare should have a tender and lean texture.
Eating raw a tough cut of beef might be a challenge.
Therefore, you should look for the cut with a tender texture so that you can enjoy a tender and succulent dish without needing to cook it over a source of heat.
In addition, a lean cut or well-marbled cut works better in this case because you won’t want to eat a lot of raw fat.
3. Beef should be ground at home instead of buying the pre-ground version
There are a lot of pre-ground beef packages on the market that provide consumers with a lot of choices that are much more convenient.
However, it is better to buy fresh pre-ground beef in case you want to make burgers, meatballs, or tacos.
To make tartare, you should buy a whole cut of high-quality beef and grind it at home so that you can control food safety.
4 best beef for tartare
Now you know how important it is to opt for a premium cut of beef for tartare.
So here are the four best cuts of beef that should be used in a tartare recipe:
1. Beef tenderloin
Beef tenderloin is prized for its tenderness due to its low-fat content.
This is the leanest cut of beef that is taken from the center of the loin.
Beef tenderloin is pretty expensive, making it a favorite cut that is often served in high-end restaurants instead of at home.
2. Filet mignon
Filet mignon is a smaller cut from the tenderloin.
Therefore, it shares the same texture and flavor as the beef tenderloin.
Beef filet mignon is best for tartare because it has a small size that is enough for ground beef to serve in a tartare.
3. Ribeye steak
You can also try ribeye steak for tartare because this is one of the top-quality cuts of beef that is prized for its flavorful taste.
Ribeye steak is a meaty and boneless cut from the rib section.
It is a little fattier than other steak cuts, making it juicier and more succulent when eaten raw.
You can use a sharp knife to mince a ribeye steak into a smooth or coarse texture per your preference to enjoy with raw egg yolk and other veggies and seasonings.
4. Sirloin steak
Sirloin steak is another good cut that can be used for tartare.
This cut is perfect for tartare because it is lean and tender enough to be served raw in this recipe.
Sirloin steak is also more affordable than the other three aforementioned cuts of beef.
The bottom line
Tartare has been around for a while, but it is not well-known because many people are often afraid of eating raw beef.
In fact, if you have a tender and high-quality cut of beef with a proper processing method, this dish comes out as very succulent, sweet, and delicious.
Try a tartare today with either beef tenderloin, filet mignon, sirloin steak, or a ribeye steak to figure out what works best for your taste buds.
Which Cuts of Beef to Choose for a Quality Tartar at Home ?
Tartar is a delicious and different way to enjoy beef. However, given that the appeal of this particular beef dish is that it is prepared raw, it is important to prepare it correctly.
There are certain cuts of beef that are most recommended when preparing beef tartar on your own at home. In many ways, tartar is a special dish that requires just the right type of beef to ensure that you are able to create restaurant quality tartar at home.
The following are tips on choosing and selecting several cuts of beef that you may want to consider creating a quality beef tartar from home.
Purchase Quality Meat
Before even considering which cuts of beef are best for a quality tartar, it’s imperative to stress the importance of using quality meat. Because tartar is a dish that involves the consumption of raw meat, it is in your best interest to use only the highest quality meat. While you have the option of purchasing meat from a local grocery store, this is not the best option.
A dish such as a beef tartare requires the freshest meat possible preferably from your local neighborhood butcher. Getting your beef from a butcher ensures that your beef is fresh, and you can even see your meat before purchasing so that you can confirm the freshness.
When choosing to prepare beef tartar from home, skimping on quality is not something that you want to do. Getting quality cuts of beef from your local butcher ensures that you will enjoy your beef tartare free from many of the less than favorable conditions that you encounter from consuming raw meat that have been sitting around at your local grocery store.
Remember, for the best beef tartare, the freshest meat is the best meat.
Choosing Your Cuts of Beef
When selecting cuts of beef to make your tartar from home, you want the cuts that are the most tender and flavorful. This is especially true because you will not have the benefit of using various cooking methods such as braising to make the meat tender. Thus, selecting the most tender, flavorful cuts of beef is recommended.
Generally, you should avoid cuts of meat that contain a lot of connective tissue and sinews. You don’t want to get a mouthful of the connective tissue and sinews as it can be unpleasantly chewy. If you are unsure which cuts of beef contain the least amounts of connective tissues and sinew, talk to your local butcher and let them know that you are interested in making beef tartar from home and you want the most tender cuts of beef available. They should be able to present cuts of beef that are most ideal.
Best Cuts of Beef for Tartar
Knowing that tender, flavorful beef is a prerequisite for preparing tartar, selecting the best cuts of beef is important. While there are a wide variety of cuts of beef, some are more preferable because of their tender texture and exceptional flavor that comes from high fat content. The high fat content is seen by the white marbling on high quality cuts of beef.
Some of the best cuts of beef for tartar include:
- – Tenderloin-This is by far your best cut of beef for tartar as it the most tender cut of beef and contains just the right amount of fat for flavor. This is the cut of beef that is used for filet mignon.
If you are unable to obtain tenderloin, other good options include:
- – Top-round
- – Top-sirloin
- – Eye-of-round
The cut of beef that you choose can literally make or break your homemade tartar. Make sure to choose high quality, grass-fed beef from your local butcher to ensure that you are getting the most tender, freshest beef available.