Probably many people don’t like the idea to eat raw meat, and to be honest, even if I have no problem to eat it, I also prefer other ways to use the meat 🙂 but in my wife’s family it’s tradition to eat it at New Year’s Eve, so once in a year I can do it 🙂

Everything is raw, it means that everything has to be fresh and absolutely of the best quality as possible, don’t joke with it, so I suggest to go to a trustworthy butcher and select a good and fresh tenderloin of a very good quality beef, and keep it always in the fridge until the last moment (I also asked the butcher to make it vacuum-sealed).

It’s a dish to prepare at the moment, and to eat all at the moment, I think it’s not the best idea to leave leftovers for the day after (did I say “at the moment” enough times? 😀 )

Of course there are various recipes, with some different ingredients, different quantities, and there are recipes suggesting different ways to cut the meat: some minced, some cut bigger with knife, some cut smaller with knife, etc. all of this depends on each person taste. In my opinion cut with the knife is the best choice.

Here of course I’m going to show you what’s a good balance of ingredients according to my personal taste.

INGREDIENTS (2 people):

• 200 g of good quality beef tenderloin 
• one tablespoon of white onion, cut very small
• one full teaspoon of mustard (I used Colman’s which is pretty strong, with milder mustards you can use a bit more, in any case it’s up to your taste)
• one tablespoon of capers
• 2 anchovy fillets
• fresh lemon juice
• 2 yolks (as fresh as possible, better from free range hens if possible)
• extra virgin olive oil, I didn’t measure but I think 4 tablespoons about
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt

For decoration and extra flavor:

• scales of Parmigiano Reggiano (I used a 30-months aged)
• a good quality balsamic vinegar
• rocket salad and rapunzel salad (valerianella locusta)
• toast bread

1. First of all remove every possible fat from the meat, then with a very sharp knife cut it in thin slices, 3 mm about, then put the slices on each other and cut them on the longest side in other smaller slices, also about 3 mm, and then turn on the shortest side and cut also in 3 mm slices. Then start hitting the meat with the knife, until you obtain a texture you like.
2. Put the meat in a glass or metallic bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil and the ground pepper and mix.
3. Then cut the onion, the capers and the anchovy fillets in very small pieces, and add them to the meat too.
4. Add the mustard, some lemon juice (I squeezed the lemon two times with my hand), and some salt. Also some parsley if you would like.
5. Mix well all together, then cover with a plastic wrap and put in the fridge to marinate for 15/20 minutes.
6. Take out the bowl from the fridge, add 2 yolks and mix well together.
7. Take the dish and create your steak tartare, giving a nice shape.
8. Add some scales of Parmigiano Reggiano and some drops of a good balsamic vinegar, then decorate with some salad (which I previously seasoned with salt, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar).
9. You can eat your tartare now 🙂 with some toast bread if you want.

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Products used:

Beef: Black Angus, dry aged