Spicy Beef Tartare ►
Steak tartare may seem like déjà vu, along with other food fads like Swedish meatballs and lobster Thermidor, but Mark Miller has found a way to make it fresh. With his spices and condiments, it becomes a ground version of the now-popular carpaccio, classic but updated. While this presentation works well at the table, to serve this as an hors d’oeuvre, do all the mixing in the kitchen, using 3 egg yolks and the juice from the lime. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately on a bed of crushed ice. It is very important to keep all ingredients, especially the meat and eggs, chilled during preparation and for presentation. Care should be taken to ensure the eggs are not contaminated; if you cannot be certain of your egg supply, substitute a tablespoon of crème fraiche for each egg yolk.
Ingredients
- Top Sirloin - 1 pound
- Shallots - 2 to 4 large, finely minced
- Serrano Chilies - 2 to 4, seeded, deribbed, and finely diced
- Cilantro Leaves - 1 cup
- Tomatillos - 2, finely diced
- Fresh Lime - 1, cut into slices
- Egg Yolks - 4
- Sea Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Warm Tortilla Chips - freshly fried in oil
Instructions
Trim the meat of all fat and silver skin and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place the meat in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the machine so the meat remains finely chopped with visible pieces rather than ground to a paste. Remove the meat, look it over and remove any large pieces of fat. Divide the meat into small ovals on four chilled plates. This should be done just prior to serving so the meat will not begin to oxidize and will keep its bright red color.
Around the meat place piles of the shallots, serrano chilies, cilantro leaves, tomatillos, and lime slices. Place an egg yolk in the center of each tartare and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Serve immediately with warm tortilla chips; let each person mix the tartare individually at the table.
