The Trattoria alla Palma"s Steak Tartare
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare
La Tartara, steak tartare in English, is finely chopped deftly seasoned raw beef, and though it is often associated with French bistros (in the 1921 edition of his Le Guide Culinaire, Escoffier says steak Tartare is a variation of steak à l'Americaine, chopped raw beef with raw egg yolk, in which the yolk is omitted and tartar sauce is served on the side), it has long been enjoyed in Italy too.
This Tartara was prepared at the Trattoria alla Palma just outside Verona.
The beef is garnished with a rosemary sprig and seasoned with olive oil, while there are capers, yellowy mustard and a dark balsamic vinegar glaze on the side.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: The Beef
As you might guess, the success of steak tartare depends upon the quality of the meat used. At the Trattoria alla Palma they use cuore di scamone, which is an individual muscle from the heart of the rump, and both flavorful and tender. English-language recipes I have seen suggest top quality tenderloin, with the sinews removed, and it will work too.
At the trattoria alla Palma, in addition to regular beef tartare, they make tartare from Fassona, a Piemontese beef breed renowned for the quality of its meats.
By comparison with the regular Tartare whose preparation I photographed, Tartara di Fassona is paler.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Begin Chopping
While you will find recipes that say to grind the beef, it is much better to chop it with a very sharp knife (see notes on sharpening and honing if need be), because chopping cuts the fibers, whereas grinding ruptures and crushes them, releasing juices and altering the texture of the meat. At the Trattoria alla Palma they make Tartara to order, and this volume of meat was for two antipasti like the one in the first picture.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Keep Chopping
Work the blade back and forth over the meat, bringing the pieces back together and cutting across them, until the meat is quite finely chopped -- you want it as finely chopped as it might be upon emerging from a grinder. As is the case with any manual activity, chopping beef (or other meats) this way takes a little practice, but once you have the hang of it, you may find yourself preferring your home-chopped meat to what the butcher provides.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Salt the Meat
Once the meat is finely chopped, you will want to salt it. At the Trattoria alla Palma they use fine sea salt, and go by eye. I would say add a teaspoon, mix, and taste the first couple of times.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Work in Some Olive Oil
Steak tartare requires some moisture or it will be unpleasantly dry. Some use egg yolk, but Italians tend to use olive oil, which I think a healthier alternative -- it's lower in bad cholesterol, and does not pose the risk of salmonella that raw eggs do.
Add a tablespoon to start out with; you can always add more.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: A Grind of Pepper
Next, add a grind of black pepper -- to taste.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Mix Well
The next step is to mix well, and, if need be, check seasoning.
If you look around on the web, you'll see many photos of steak tartare -- with or without the egg yolk -- that are simply patties of meat on a bed of some sort of green. To be honest they make me think of a raw burger, and I don't find the presentation that appealing.
At the Trattoria alla Palma they instead shape the meat into lozenges, using two tablespoons and passing the meat back and forth between them, and lay three lozenges like the spokes of a wheel on the plate.
Steak Tartare benefits amazingly from garnishes, and well rinsed pickled capers are among the most popular. At the Trattoria alla Palma they also garnish with mustard, and with a balsamic vinegar glaze, then drizzle the lozenges with a little more oil, and add an upright sprig of rosemary to mark the hub of the wheel, as it were.
Enjoy!
La Tartara, steak tartare in English, is finely chopped deftly seasoned raw beef, and though it is often associated with French bistros (in the 1921 edition of his Le Guide Culinaire, Escoffier says steak Tartare is a variation of steak à l'Americaine, chopped raw beef with raw egg yolk, in which the yolk is omitted and tartar sauce is served on the side), it has long been enjoyed in Italy too.
This Tartara was prepared at the Trattoria alla Palma just outside Verona.
The beef is garnished with a rosemary sprig and seasoned with olive oil, while there are capers, yellowy mustard and a dark balsamic vinegar glaze on the side.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: The Beef
As you might guess, the success of steak tartare depends upon the quality of the meat used. At the Trattoria alla Palma they use cuore di scamone, which is an individual muscle from the heart of the rump, and both flavorful and tender. English-language recipes I have seen suggest top quality tenderloin, with the sinews removed, and it will work too.
At the trattoria alla Palma, in addition to regular beef tartare, they make tartare from Fassona, a Piemontese beef breed renowned for the quality of its meats.
By comparison with the regular Tartare whose preparation I photographed, Tartara di Fassona is paler.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Begin Chopping
While you will find recipes that say to grind the beef, it is much better to chop it with a very sharp knife (see notes on sharpening and honing if need be), because chopping cuts the fibers, whereas grinding ruptures and crushes them, releasing juices and altering the texture of the meat. At the Trattoria alla Palma they make Tartara to order, and this volume of meat was for two antipasti like the one in the first picture.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Keep Chopping
Work the blade back and forth over the meat, bringing the pieces back together and cutting across them, until the meat is quite finely chopped -- you want it as finely chopped as it might be upon emerging from a grinder. As is the case with any manual activity, chopping beef (or other meats) this way takes a little practice, but once you have the hang of it, you may find yourself preferring your home-chopped meat to what the butcher provides.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Salt the Meat
Once the meat is finely chopped, you will want to salt it. At the Trattoria alla Palma they use fine sea salt, and go by eye. I would say add a teaspoon, mix, and taste the first couple of times.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Work in Some Olive Oil
Steak tartare requires some moisture or it will be unpleasantly dry. Some use egg yolk, but Italians tend to use olive oil, which I think a healthier alternative -- it's lower in bad cholesterol, and does not pose the risk of salmonella that raw eggs do.
Add a tablespoon to start out with; you can always add more.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: A Grind of Pepper
Next, add a grind of black pepper -- to taste.
The Trattoria alla Palma's Steak Tartare: Mix Well
The next step is to mix well, and, if need be, check seasoning.
If you look around on the web, you'll see many photos of steak tartare -- with or without the egg yolk -- that are simply patties of meat on a bed of some sort of green. To be honest they make me think of a raw burger, and I don't find the presentation that appealing.
At the Trattoria alla Palma they instead shape the meat into lozenges, using two tablespoons and passing the meat back and forth between them, and lay three lozenges like the spokes of a wheel on the plate.
Steak Tartare benefits amazingly from garnishes, and well rinsed pickled capers are among the most popular. At the Trattoria alla Palma they also garnish with mustard, and with a balsamic vinegar glaze, then drizzle the lozenges with a little more oil, and add an upright sprig of rosemary to mark the hub of the wheel, as it were.
Enjoy!
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