Who serves the best steak tartare?

I think Chops in Atlanta, GA serves a decent version. Anybody else have any good recommendations?

Originally posted by tigerborn

I think Chops in Atlanta, GA serves a decent version. Anybody else have any good recommendations?
[/quote

Bern Steak House............Tampa, Florida. Just wonderful!

I wonder if one could even find a steak tartar in New York state- places that used to serve it around here have long ago given it up, and I miss it.

Cheers, John

I serve the best steak tartare.

I'd vote for Zum Stammtisch in Glendale, Queens, New York. They serve it as an appetizer or entree. That's in New York John.

http://zumstammtisch.com/

.....iffin you all like this stuff you ought to invite Khubilai Khan to invaded your town .
Also if you cant get a restaurant to cook your hamburger rare how the hell are you going to have them serve it raw?? and why would you? I'm with Mikey Hoff I'll have it fresh at home along with a raw quail egg.

.....from one of my earlier posts. "1238 - When Genghis Khan's grandson, Khubilai Khan (1215-1294), invaded Moscow, they naturally brought their unique dietary ground meat with them. The Russians adopted it into their own cuisine with the name "Steak Tartare," (Tartars being their name for the Mongols)"

I make my poor mans version.
Raw ground sirloin, with garlic pepper on top of a saltine.
Dad and I used to eat them standing up in the kitchen......
(Oh, dont give me any of that eating raw meat stuff either)
I like it!

OK Kozel, I'll have to grudgingly admit that Queens is indeed a part of New York state, and I'm glad to learn that steak tartare has apparently not been outlawed in our state.

Cheers, John

Sirloin chopped in my Cuisinart, added to a cold buttered slice of a crusty rye bread topped with a generous amount of salt and pepper and finely chopped raw onion. Second best was at an Ethiopian restaurant in Toronto; mixed with tiny cubes of cold butter, it was sublime.

quote:

Originally posted by fpczyz

.....iffin you all like this stuff you ought to invite Khubilai Khan to invaded your town .
Also if you cant get a restaurant to cook your hamburger rare how the hell are you going to have them serve it raw?? and why would you? I'm with Mikey Hoff I'll have it fresh at home along with a raw quail egg.

I would appreciate it if you not again refer to me by that disgusting diminutive. It is not my name, and I am not, to say the least, fond of it.

Good for you, Michael, expecting to be referred to by your full name. One of my pet peeves is using "nicknames" for people when they have perfectly good and lovely names given to them at birth.

By the same token, I abhor raw flesh in any form served, whether animal, fish or fowl. If I wanted raw meat, I'd go out in the meadow and bite a cow. I simply do not understand ingesting raw or rare, bloody food.

But to each his own, I guess. I prefer for my sons to be called by their right names, and my meat to be cooked!!!!

Donna

I love raw food. Steak tartare, sashimi, even enjoy raw horse meat when in Japan.

My first name is Michael also. Only one person calles me Mikie, I've known him for over thirty years, he was in my wedding and I simply call him Stevie instead of Stephen.

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

I wonder if one could even find a steak tartar in New York state- places that used to serve it around here have long ago given it up, and I miss it.

You're not looking hard enough. The 21 Club has always had Steak Tartare, prepared tableside, served with great seeded crackers.

Three folks on this thread needs to stop it now. Some have already had it discussed that their rhetoric is not necessary. Please stop it now.

Sincerely
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, Tn

My dad used to make Steak Tartare. I loved it! It seamed like there was egg mixed in? Hmmm, what do yall put in it?
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

My dad used to make Steak Tartare. I loved it! It seamed like there was egg mixed in? Hmmm, what do yall put in it?
Joe

I'd like Mr. Hoffman's recipe. I googled it and the recipes I saw called for egg. I had a Julia Child recipe once but have no idea where it is!

===As for steak tartare, I've always wanted to try it. I've had beef carpaccio and LOVE it!====

My mom would give me fresh hamburger with salt and pepper on it. It was a childhood treat that I have forgotten about. I suspect that the best and safest way to have steak tartare is to buy some lean beef from a good grocery and grind it yourself. I have my granny's old stainless steel grinder and if I had the wither-all I could make it or use the sausage tube and make some home made Italian sausage. I would put fennel seed in my sausage, but that was another topic elsewhere. My grocery does have hog casings, so it may be worth trying.

I love carpaccio too. It is too hard to duplicate at home unless you have a meat slicer. I love it with cracked pepper, capers and sliced (not grated) hard Italian cheese.

mark

In the Mr. Bean series starring Rowan Atkinson (a Britcom shown from time to time on PBS stations, also available on DVD), there is a priceless episode where Mr. Bean goes into a fancy restaurant and orders steak tartare, thinking he is ordering steak. When it arrives, he is mortified, and spends the rest of the episode trying to dispose of it in every nearby receptacle, one spoonful at a time, so that the waiter will think he ate it. It is funny beyond words.

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy




===As for steak tartare, I've always wanted to try it. I've had beef carpaccio and LOVE it!====

My mom would give me fresh hamburger with salt and pepper on it. It was a childhood treat that I have forgotten about. I suspect that the best and safest way to have steak tartare is to buy some lean beef from a good grocery and grind it yourself. I have my granny's old stainless steel grinder and if I had the wither-all I could make it or use the sausage tube and make some home made Italian sausage. I would put fennel seed in my sausage, but that was another topic elsewhere. My grocery does have hog casings, so it may be worth trying.

I love carpaccio too. It is too hard to duplicate at home unless you have a meat slicer. I love it with cracked pepper, capers and sliced (not grated) hard Italian cheese.

mark

I still eat raw hamburger, fresh, not after it's been frozen though. A french neighbor got me hooked when I was about 4 I guess. If my 10 and 16 year old see fresh hamburger they'll kinda spy on me to see when I open the package..they like it too. I can never successfully sneak without them busting me.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty246

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

My dad used to make Steak Tartare. I loved it! It seamed like there was egg mixed in? Hmmm, what do yall put in it?
Joe

I'd like Mr. Hoffman's recipe. I googled it and the recipes I saw called for egg. I had a Julia Child recipe once but have no idea where it is!

Lean sirloin, rib eye or tenderloin chopped fine by hand or in a Cuisinart. If you use the machine, ba careful you don't turn it to mush. Goes without saying I hope that everything has to be spotless and kept cold. I personally like a bit of texture so I do the chopping by hand.

Seasoning is shallot, a bit of garlic (rub the bowl with a clove) salt & black pepper, parsely, capers, olive oil, Worcestershire, dash of Tabasco, squeeze of lemon and an egg yolk to hold it all together. Everything needs to be chopped very fine. If you make it more than a few minutes ahead of serving, hold off on the Tabasco & lemon and egg until the last minute or the acids "cook" the meat & turn it grayish.

The Four Seasons in NY used to make a great one & served it as a bar snack.

NB: The same basic ingredients with a bit of extra lemon work well for tuna tartare.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty246

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

My dad used to make Steak Tartare. I loved it! It seamed like there was egg mixed in? Hmmm, what do yall put in it?
Joe

I'd like Mr. Hoffman's recipe. I googled it and the recipes I saw called for egg. I had a Julia Child recipe once but have no idea where it is!

Here's mine:

Steak Tartare

2 anchovy fillets
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon capers
1 egg
1 Tbls grainy mustard (Pommery is good)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbls Pickapeppa sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound strip steak finely chopped (remove fat)
1 medium shallot, finely-chopped
chopped egg white
chopped egg yolk
1 small red onion finely-chopped

Crush the anchovies and garlic together in a mixing bowl to make a paste. Add the egg and mustard and whisk. Add salt, pepper and Pickapeppa sauce,then whisk in the oil.

Combine the beef, shallots, salt and pepper in a chilled mixing bowl, and add the contents of the other mixing bowl to the meat and mix it. Form the meat mixture into two patties (actually, you want them to be round, and flat on the top and bottom) and put each one on a cold plate. Place the egg whites, egg yolks and onions on each plate (if you have them you could also add some chopped cornichons) as a garnish and serve with toast points (or, if you prefer, slices of buttered pumpernickel bread).

Michael Hoffman: That is sort of a complicated recipe but I am sure that it is very good.

I hve only done the steak tartare once and that was in Europe. I do not mind saying that when I ordered, I did not know exactly what I was getting. I could not finish this fine dish. I think it was a thing in my mind about raw meat. I have to admit the flavor was good but I could not get over the thought of raw flesh.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I must humbly disagree w/ Mr. Hoffman's recipe. Tartare is best when it is very very simple. I find sirloin to have a very good taste and since it is going to be minced (two Chinese cleavers seem to work very well for me) toughness is not an issue.

I add nothing but sea salt to the meat. Raw egg in a depression of the meat, capers and toast on the side. Some chopped hard boiled eggs if I'm of a mind to do so.

Names...three come to mind that have problems w/ nicknames (remember Paul you took great offense at me calling you Sundanger and that is only your handle)

Richard...gets called Dick...Thanks Mom and Dad for not putting me through that one.

Steven or Stephan...gets called Steve...most go along and live w/ it in a quiet mad.

Michael...gets Mike or Mikie (he'll eat it as the commercial said). Michael is a biblical name, Mike is not. I will correct anyone who calls me Mike that my name is Michael. You want to call it pretentious so be it.

Always enjoyed the movie w/ John Travolta as the angel named Michael. Loved the scene where he danced w/ all the women in the bar in a modified line dance. See what being named Micheal can get you?

You are certainly welcome to disagree with me. You're wrong,of course, but feel free to disagree.

Now, if I want to go the egg-on-top route, and I didn't bother mentioning it because I didn't want to give anyone a hard time, I use a quail egg. By the way, I sometimes use a double mezzaluna to final-mince the steak.

When it comes to names I always begin by calling everyone whose name is Michael, Michael. If they prefer Mike, I'll use it. Mikey? Never.

Several Posts were deleted as they contributed nothing to the Topic of the thread.


Eat it Raw ! (The Thread Topic!!)

Had something a little different last night. I used sashimi grade tuna to make tuna tartare. very good.

V960
I second your menu item. I have enjoyed both Beef and Tuna and find them both Outstanding!

quote:

Originally posted by V960

Had something a little different last night. I used sashimi grade tuna to make tuna tartare. very good.

I cube the tuna in TINY cubes, and add a little soy sauce, chopped scallions, wasabi, a little yuzu juice, and a quail egg yolk. Sometimes I'll add a little shiso chiffonade...

The BEST? THE BEST?

I can tell you the best steak tartare I have ever been served because it was the only time I have been served steak tartare! It was on my aunt and uncles sail boat on Lake Minnetonka Minnesota and I guarantee that it is THE BEST I have ever been served.

Actually I liked it but just have never had the chance to try it again. If I do I will then know THE BEST and THE SECOND BEST steak tartare I have EVER been served.

Sarcasm fully indended.

Cakes

30 years ago, we lived in Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. Common pub grub at the time was bratwursts, burgers (nice thick greasy burgers), and such.

A lot of the places served raw ground beef sandwiches. They didn't call it steak tartare, these were blue collar places. Then the YOU CAN'T EAT THAT POLICE came along and you didn't see it on the menu anymore.

I never tried one. I was a pretty conservative eater back then.

Cakes

I like the idea of quail egg yolk as a garniture, but I've always been concerned about freshness since I assume there's uneven turnover in the product even at the few places that sell them. Where do you quail egg users get yours and how do you know they're fresh?

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

30 years ago, we lived in Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. Common pub grub at the time was bratwursts, burgers (nice thick greasy burgers), and such.

A lot of the places served raw ground beef sandwiches. They didn't call it steak tartare, these were blue collar places. Then the YOU CAN'T EAT THAT POLICE came along and you didn't see it on the menu anymore.

I never tried one. I was a pretty conservative eater back then.

Cakes

My father used to call them Cannibal Sandwiches.

quote:

Originally posted by rjb

I like the idea of quail egg yolk as a garniture, but I've always been concerned about freshness since I assume there's uneven turnover in the product even at the few places that sell them. Where do you quail egg users get yours and how do you know they're fresh?

I get them at our local Balducci's and they've always been fresh.

If in Jersey, there is a place that I've mentioned before called Mignon's in Rutherford. They serve a great tartare with the most wonderful bread as their "appetizer" instead of with butter.

Carpaccio is also one of my most favorite things ever - every time I see it on a menu I get it. I was very happy to find that one of our favorite pizza/italian restaurants called Giovanni's in Kinnelon has it on occasion!

quote:

Originally posted by Willly

quote:

Originally posted by rjb

I like the idea of quail egg yolk as a garniture, but I've always been concerned about freshness since I assume there's uneven turnover in the product even at the few places that sell them. Where do you quail egg users get yours and how do you know they're fresh?

I get them at our local Balducci's and they've always been fresh.

Which Balducci's is your local?

Al,
Thank you.
Willy,
I minced my tuna w/ two Chinese cleavers. AND where can you find yuzu?

quote:

Originally posted by V960

Al,
Thank you.
Willy,
I minced my tuna w/ two Chinese cleavers. AND where can you find yuzu?

Google suggests GourmetSleuth.com or a Japanese grocery store

quote:

Originally posted by rjb

quote:

Originally posted by Willly

quote:

Originally posted by rjb

I like the idea of quail egg yolk as a garniture, but I've always been concerned about freshness since I assume there's uneven turnover in the product even at the few places that sell them. Where do you quail egg users get yours and how do you know they're fresh?

I get them at our local Balducci's and they've always been fresh.

Which Balducci's is your local?

Westport, CT

I love steak esp. Pittsburg rare, but what you guys are talking about sounds like uncooked SOS.

Of course it's uncooked. It is raw steak that is either minced or ground.

I am always struck how certain foods hit a nerve. One place in NYC that served a decent steak tartare was Prime Burger. It was more of a steak tartare sandwich. I remember it was essentially raw meat mixed with chopped onions. Interesting set up. The tables were essentially adult-sized built-in baby chairs (you lifted the table and placed it over your lap once you sat down.) I remember that meal distinctly because of the look of horror that crossed a woman's face when she saw what I ordered. Pshaw! Food is food.

I've been using something similar to this recipe for a few years. Having been turned on to Ethiopian food while living in Washington DC where there are a number of Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurants, we went out and bought an African Cookbook since there were no restaurants of that type in our new locale. Kitfo has always been one of my favorites.

KITFO
Ethiopian Tartar Steak
Yield: 8 portions
Chopped beef should be freshly ground just before serving. It is served raw.

In a 9-inch skillet:
Melt 2 oz. BUTTER.
Add: 1/4 tsp. CAYENNE PEPPER
1/4 tsp. CHILI PEPPER
1 tsp. SALT and stir through thoroughly.

Add to 1 1/2 Ibs. LEAN ROUND STEAK, freshly ground,

Mix thoroughly. Serve immediately. Do not cook.

It doesn't get any easier than that !

I don't get it. If it's supposed to be served raw why add it to a skillet? And why, after saying add it to the skillet and mix, does it say "Do not cook?"

quote:

Originally posted by tigerborn

I am always struck how certain foods hit a nerve. One place in NYC that served a decent steak tartare was Prime Burger. It was more of a steak tartare sandwich. I remember it was essentially raw meat mixed with chopped onions. Interesting set up. The tables were essentially adult-sized built-in baby chairs (you lifted the table and placed it over your lap once you sat down.) I remember that meal distinctly because of the look of horror that crossed a woman's face when she saw what I ordered. Pshaw! Food is food.

Prime Burger is still very much around and still has the little school desk-like solo tables. Don't recall seeing a tartare sandwich there, but then, I never looked beyond the cheeseburger (one of my favorites).

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I don't get it. If it's supposed to be served raw why add it to a skillet? And why, after saying add it to the skillet and mix, does it say "Do not cook?"

Excellent point-likely a "cut and paste" error on my part. It should say "Add TO ..." The skillet is for the butter, pepper and salt all of which gets poured on the beef and then mixed.

quote:

Originally posted by BernieG

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I don't get it. If it's supposed to be served raw why add it to a skillet? And why, after saying add it to the skillet and mix, does it say "Do not cook?"

Excellent point-likely a "cut and paste" error on my part. It should say "Add TO ..." The skillet is for the butter, pepper and salt all of which gets poured on the beef and then mixed.

Ah, thank you. It sounds good that way.

I had the best steak tartare in Montreal Canada.

Perhaps we could be a bit more specific regarding the tartare in Montreal? Location?

I had it several times in several restaurants, it seemed to be on the menu everywhere along Steak Au Poivre. If you need a certain restaurant's name for your visit, sorry, I do not remember. What differed from the Tartare I had in Montreal vs. the US was the amount of anchovy paste and cognac I tasted in it. Finely ground meat, at least 3 times I think. Very delicious.

As you all may know, I am not much of a meat eater, but my dad's steak tartar was wonderful, i would eat it in a second if he was still here. I think he used Julia's recipe, he loved Julia.
I think I also stopped eating steak and other red meat as well when he died as I have never had steak prepared as tasty as he cooked it.

Mr Hoffman, you have a very nice name and I would never change it. Some people!

KB

The best I ever had was at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills.

Not that I have had steak tartare in that many places, but I would nominate The Caucus Club in downtown Detroit.

http://www.caucusclubdetroit.com/

This past Sunday a friend of mine took me to a French restaurant in
Soho named FELIX. It has one of the best Stake Tartar's I've ever had.

I get the steak tartare at Petit Louis in Baltimore from time to time. It is really good. A little mustard and some cornichons work well with the fatty beef.

Some places will do Steak Tartare with meat that is too lean. fat equals flavor

I also eat raw hamburger on pumpernickel bread with my Dad and Uncles on Christmas eve.

Here in NYC there are numerous places that serve steak tartar. I can heartily recommend both Balthazar and the Four Seasons as probably the most classic versions. I have also had very good tartar at Primehouse NY (prepared table side) and the Palm actually serves one that is made from dry aged strip, as opposed to the filet that mis commonly used.

I know purists will probably find the idea offensive but I love the steak tartare at the Blue Ribbon in NYC. They serve it with house made waffle chips and it's a perfect pairing of steak and potatoes.

quote:

Originally posted by baconman

The best I ever had was at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills.

Absolutely!!!

The No. VI Chophouse in the Baronette Hotel in Novi Michigan is my favorite....Russ
http://www.hotelbaronette.com/Dining/NoVIChophouse/tabid/72/Default.aspx

deMarchelier, both the uptown and downtown restaurants in Manhattan, do a fantastic steak tartare. Bonus: you can get their delicious fries as an accompaniment. Perfect combination.
Their mussels, sweetbreads, steak au poivre (heck, any French bistro dish) are also great, for those in your party who can't face raw meat.