Beef Tartare Recipe

Prepare beef

Chill the trimmed beef in the freezer 15–20 minutes until very firm but not frozen solid; this makes it easier to dice. Using a sharp knife, finely dice the beef into roughly 3–4 mm cubes. Place diced beef in a chilled bowl.

Mix flavorings

Add the minced shallot, diced cornichons, chopped capers, and chopped parsley to the bowl with the beef. Add Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine and adjust

Using a fork, gently toss the mixture until evenly combined, taking care not to mash the beef. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to an additional 0.25 tsp salt or a few more drops of lemon or Worcestershire to balance.

Cook quail eggs (soft-poached option)

Bring a small pot of water to a gentle simmer and add a splash of vinegar. Crack each quail egg into a small ramekin. Create a gentle whirlpool in simmering water and slip an egg in; cook 45–60 seconds for very runny yolk (or 70–80 seconds for slightly set). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of warm water briefly. Carefully dry on paper towel and season lightly with fine sea salt.

Alternative: raw or cured

If serving raw (traditional when using very fresh eggs), simply crack and place the raw yolk whole atop the tartare at plating. For cured, cure yolks in salt/sugar for 1–2 hours ahead of time and rinse lightly before plating.

Prepare greens

Trim small gem lettuce leaves or arrange microgreens on plates as a bed for the tartare; lightly drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and very little salt to finish.

Make Melba toast

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly brush baguette slices with melted butter on both sides and arrange on a baking tray. Bake 6–8 minutes, flip, and bake another 4–6 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely.

Make Caesar crumbs

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tsp olive oil. Add the grated Parmesan, a touch of anchovy paste and the minced garlic if using; toast briefly just until the cheese starts to melt and crisp, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Transfer to a plate to cool and break into irregular crumbs. These provide a Caesar-like salty crunch to scatter over the tartare.

Using a ring mold (6–7 cm) or by freeform, portion about 3.5–4 oz (100–115 g) of the prepared beef tartare per serving onto each plate or onto the bed of gem lettuce leaves/microgreens.

Make a shallow well on top of each tartare and carefully place one soft-poached or raw quail yolk into the center. Sprinkle the Caesar crumbs and a few extra diced cornichons or parsley for color and texture.

Arrange 2 Melba toast slices per serving alongside the tartare. Finish with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over the plate and one generous grind of black pepper.

Serve immediately so the toast remains crisp and the quail yolk is at the desired temperature.