Everything about Steak Tartare totally explained
Steak tartare is a meat dish made from finely chopped or ground
raw beef or
horse meat. Tartare can also be made by thinly slicing a high grade of meat such as
strip steak, marinating it in wine or other spirits and spicing it to taste, and then chilling it. It is often served with
onions,
capers and
seasonings (the latter typically incorporating fresh ground
pepper and
Worcestershire sauce), and sometimes with a raw
egg, and usually served on rye bread. In the past, many restaurants that served
hamburgers would prepare steak tartare even if they didn't specifically mention it on the menu.
Health concerns have reduced the popularity of this meat dish because of the danger of contamination by
bacteria and parasites. The Mexican version of steak tartare typically marinates the meat in
lime juice, in the manner of
ceviche, which has the effect of disinfecting the meat to a certain extent. It is also often consumed, especially in Russia, with vodka, which may have a similar effect.
The basis of the name is the legend that nomadic
Tatar people of the
Central Asian steppes didn't have time to cook and thus placed meat underneath their horses' saddles. The meat would be tenderised by the end of the journey.
Steak tartare is now regarded as a gourmet dish. It is especially popular in
Belgium,
the Netherlands,
France,
Poland,
Hungary, the
Czech Republic (Tatarák) and
Switzerland. In Belgium, it's known as
filet américain or
American
fillet. It is eaten as a
main course, typically accompanied with
toast or
french fries. The preparation of the meat is either done by the waiter, table-side, or by the customers themselves. A fresh green salad may also be served in the summer months to add a further freshness to the dish.
Filet américain is also sold by
butchers as a
sandwich dressing; it comes either
unprepared (raw ground lean beef) or
prepared (with eggs, seasonings, etc.). The latter is also popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.
A variant of steak tartare (called tartarmad) is also present in the
Danish lunch where it's served on rye bread with assorted toppings. In Germany there's a very popular variant using raw minced pork called
Mett or Hackepeter, which is typically served on rye bread or rolls, with the onions and pepper, but without capers or egg.
Issue of Islamic dietary law
Most
Tatars are Muslims, and some argue that
Islamic dietary laws make raw meat
haraam (forbidden). However, consensus holds that raw meat isn't haraam if properly drained of blood. Raw-meat dishes are popular across the
Muslim world; for instance,
kibbeh nayyeh (كبة نية, ) which incorporates raw lamb or beef with bulgar wheat, olive oil and spices, is often considered to be the
national dish of
Lebanon and is also popular in
Syria.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Steak Tartare'.
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