STEAK TARTARE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes enough for 8-10 lettuce cups) 200g beef (ideally lean, such as fillet); 2 little gem (bibb) lettuces, leaves separated Seasoning ingredients: 1 shallot, finely diced; 1tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice; 1tbsp capers, finely chopped; 1tsp ground black pepper; ½tsp salt; ½tsp Dijon mustard; Optional extras: 1 egg yolk, a small handful of chopped parsley and a dash of

Tabasco sauce

METHOD:

1. Chop your steak at home, add all the seasoning ingredients and mix well, then store in an airtight container until you are ready to eat.

2. If you are heading out on a hot day, you might not want to carry a bag full of raw meat, gently sweating in its own juices. On such a day, it’s a good idea to mix all the seasoning ingredients at home and take them with you in a little tub. While out and about, purchase your chosen piece of steak from a butcher, ask them to finely chop (never mince) the meat for you, and then mix the seasonings into the meat just before you eat. Either way, when the time comes, simply spoon the tartare into the lettuce cups and serve with the ‘optional’ extras alongside. TIP: Why not explore the butcher’s counter a little further? Much of the cow works well in this way, be it as beef or veal. Heart is a world-beater when tartared, with some expert commentators (Ben Benton) suggesting it makes a steakier-tasting steak tartare than steak does. People are funny about heart, but it’s not a creepy secreting/filtering organ like liver or kidneys, it’s just a muscle like rump or fillet.