Beef Tartare Recipe

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Place peeled garlic cloves in a small ovenproof dish and cover with neutral oil so garlic is submerged. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake the garlic 60–75 minutes until cloves are very soft and lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool in the oil to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes). Reserve oil and set aside 6–8 softened cloves for the aioli; leave 4 extra cloves for garnish.

Mash the reserved confit garlic cloves into a smooth paste with a fork. Whisk together mayonnaise, mashed confit garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. If the reserved confit oil is flavorful, add 1–2 teaspoons to thin and flavor the aioli until it reaches a silky consistency. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.

Cover and refrigerate the aioli for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. Bring to cool serving temperature before plating (remove from fridge ~10 minutes prior).

Chill the beef in the freezer for 15–20 minutes to firm up—this makes it much easier to dice finely. Keep all utensils and cutting board cold as well.

Using a very sharp knife, trim any silver skin or fat, then dice the beef finely into small uniform 1/8–1/4 inch pieces. Transfer to a chilled bowl.

Add the minced shallot, minced cornichons, chopped capers, chopped parsley, and snipped chives to the bowl with the beef.

In a small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, olive oil, Worcestershire, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning keeping in mind the tartare should be slightly bright and savory.

Gently fold the dressing into the beef mixture until everything is evenly combined. Do not overwork or mash—the texture should remain tender but cohesive. Chill mixture 10 minutes if needed to meld flavors.

Correct final seasoning to taste. If desired, form tartare into rounds using a 3-inch ring mold: pack gently, then lift the ring to unmold.

Plate the tartare on chilled plates. Create a small well in the center of each portion and nest an egg yolk (raw or pasteurized) or place a quail egg yolk if preferred. Alternatively, serve yolk on the side.

Preheat broiler or a skillet over medium-high heat. Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil and spread a thin layer of softened butter on each.

Toast the slices under the broiler 1–2 minutes per side until golden and crisp, or toast in the skillet 1–2 minutes per side. Keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

To assemble: place 3–4 toast slices on each plate. Spoon or unmold the beef tartare beside the toasts. Dot or smear 1–2 tablespoons of confit garlic aioli next to the tartare.

Top each tartare portion with 1–2 reserved confit garlic cloves and a sprinkle of chopped chives and microgreens if using. Lightly dust with smoked paprika or cayenne for color if desired.

Serve immediately so toasts remain crisp. Recommend one portion per 2–3 people as an appetizer or 1 portion as a generous starter.