 Beef steak tartare with raw egg yolk | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Raw beef |
| Variations | Tartare aller-retour |
Steak tartare,[a] ortartar steak, is aFrench[3] dish ofrawground (minced)beef.[4][5] It is usually served withonions,capers,parsley orchive,salt,pepper,Worcestershire sauce and otherseasonings, often presented separately, to be added to taste. It is commonly served topped with a rawegg yolk. It is similar toPiedmontesebattuta al coltello, as well asLevantinekibbeh nayyeh,Ethiopiankitfo,Turkishçiğ köfte,GermanMett andKoreanyukhoe.
The nametartare is sometimes generalized to other raw meat or fish dishes. InFrance, a less-common variant calledtartare aller-retour is a mound of mostly raw ground meat lightly seared on both sides.
A popular caricature ofTurco-Mongol warriors—calledTatars or Tartars—has them tenderizing meat under their saddles, then eating it raw. This story was popularized by the French chroniclerJean de Joinville in the 13th century,[6] although he never actually encountered Tatars himself and used the story as a way of showing that the Tartars were uncivilized.[7] It is possible that this story was a confusion originating in the use of thin slices of meat to protectsaddle sores from further rubbing.The Cambridge Medieval History says the story was started by early chroniclers who saw Mongol horsemen putting thin slices of raw meat beneath their saddles, but that the meat was meant to help heal the horses' sores rather than fill the men's stomachs. The book notes that the meat would have been impregnated with sweat and inedible by the end of the day.[8][9] This has also been considered as the origin ofpastirma.[10]
In the late 19th century, theHamburg steak became popular on the menus of many restaurants in theport of New York. This kind of fillet was beef minced by hand, lightly salted, and often smoked, and usually served raw in a dish along with onions andbread crumbs.[11][12] Hamburg steak gained popularity because of its ease of preparation and decreasing cost. This is evident from its detailed description in some of the most popular cookbooks of the day.[13] This preparation style was used by 1887 in some U.S. restaurants and was also used for feeding patients in hospitals; the Hamburg steak was served raw or lightly cooked and was accompanied by a raw egg.[14]
It is not known when the first restaurant recipe for steak tartare appeared.[15] While not providing a clear name, it is possible that the dish was popularized in Paris by restaurateurs who misunderstoodJules Verne's description of "koulbat" ("...a patty of crushed meat and eggs...") in his 1875 novelMichael Strogoff.[16]
In the early 20th century, what is now generally known as "steak tartare" was calledsteak à l'Americaine in Europe. One variation on that dish included serving it withtartar sauce; the 1922 edition ofEscoffier'sLe Guide Culinaire defines "Steak à la tartare" as "steak à l'Americaine" made without egg yolk, served with tartar sauce on the side. "Steak à la tartare" (literally meaning "served with tartar sauce") was later shortened to "steak tartare".[17][18] Over time, the distinction betweensteak à l'Americaine and its tartar-sauce variant disappeared. The 1938 edition ofLarousse Gastronomique describes steak tartare as rawground beef served with a raw egg yolk, without any mention of tartar sauce.
"À la tartare" or simply "tartare" can still mean "served with tartar sauce" for some dishes, mostly fried fish.[19] At the same time, the name "tartare" is also sometimes applied to other dishes of raw meats or fish, such as tuna tartare, introduced in 1975 by the restaurant Le Duc in Paris.[20]
Health concerns have reduced the popularity of this meat dish in some parts of the world because of the danger of contamination bybacteria and parasites[21][better source needed] such asToxoplasma gondii andTaenia saginata.[22]
According to theWorld Health Organization, when basic hygienic rules are followed and fresh meat is used, the risk of bacterial infection is low.[23] However, in the United States, ground beef is not typically sold in the expectation that it will be eaten uncooked. The process of grinding beef can introduce any surface pathogens into the interior of the meat, where they pose greater danger. TheUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends avoiding uncooked ground beef.[24]
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that may be found in raw or undercooked meat.[25] A multicentre case-control study found inadequately cooked or inadequately cured meat as the main risk factor fortoxoplasma infection in all centres.[26] Due to the risk ofcongenital toxoplasmosis in the fetus, pregnant women are advised not to eat raw meat.[27]
Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm) may also be acquired via ingestion of undercooked beef. Thetapeworm is transmitted to humans via infectious larval cysts found in cattle.[22] People withtaeniasis may not know they have a tapeworm infection because the symptoms are usually mild or nonexistent.[28]
Steak tartare is served at many high-end restaurants in the United States.[29]
InWisconsin, a variation of a steak tartare sandwich called a "cannibal sandwich" is popular among those ofGerman descent; it uses sirloin, rye bread, salt, pepper, and chopped onions.[30][31]
A popularstreet food inMexico,carne tártara orcarne apache, is a dish of ground beef cured inlime juice, like aceviche.[32]
Chilean cuisine features a dish of prepared raw beef calledcrudos.
In southernBrazil, German immigrants influencedHackepeter orcarne de onça inCuritiba, where this dish is very common and served covered withchives.[33]
Ethiopians have long eaten a dish of raw, minced beef calledkitfo.[34]
Nepalese, especially theNewar ofKathmandu Valley, have long eaten raw meat dishes inNepal.[35]
In Belgium, raw ground beef is used to make theMartino sandwich.[36]
In Sweden, it is called råbiff (raw beef).
In Italy, raw beef is traditionally eaten inPiedmont ascarne cruda all'albese (orbattuta al coltello), often made with Fassona beef and seasoned simply with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper.[37]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)People acquire Taenia saginata by ingestion of viable, infective cysticerci in fresh beef, eaten raw or inadequately cooked. Dishes containing raw beef (e.g., steak tartare), sometimes associated with particular cultures, increase the risk of human infection.
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