Steak Tartare Crostini
Finely chopped raw beef seasoned with capers, cornichons, and shallots on toasted bread rounds
- 12 ozbeef tenderloin(highest quality, very fresh)
- 2 tbspshallots(finely minced)
- 2 tbspcapers(drained, chopped)
- 2 tbspcornichons(finely chopped)
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tspWorcestershire sauce
- 0.5 tspkosher salt
- 0.25 tspblack pepper(freshly ground)
- 24crostini rounds(1/4-inch thick, toasted)
- 1egg yolk(optional, for richness)
Beef can be trimmed and diced up to 4 hours ahead - keep tightly covered on ice. Mix seasonings in just before serving. Never hold dressed tartare.
- 1Using very sharp knife, trim beef of all fat and sinew
- 2Cut beef into 1/4-inch dice, then chop further to desired texture
- 3Transfer to chilled bowl - keep cold throughout
- 4Add shallots, capers, cornichons, mustard, olive oil, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper
- 5If using egg yolk, add now and mix gently
- 6Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
- 7Spoon small mound onto each crostini
- 8Serve immediately while beef is still cold
Freeze beef for 20 minutes before cutting for cleaner dice. Only use beef you would eat medium-rare - quality is paramount. A chilled bowl and working quickly keeps the meat at safe temperature. Hand-cutting produces better texture than food processor.
Steak tartare as it exists today is a distinctly French creation, despite the persistent legend connecting it to Central Asian nomadic warriors. Wikipedia confirms that the Tatar saddle story — supposedly describing Mongol horsemen tenderizing meat beneath their saddles — was popularized by the 13th-century French chronicler Jean de Joinville and has no basis in fact; historians have established that meat placed under saddles was used to treat horses' sores, not as a food preparation method. The actual culinary lineage is French. In the late 19th century, the dish appeared on Parisian menus as "beefsteack à l'Américaine" — raw minced beef, so-called because French diners associated eating beef in bold fashion with American customs. Auguste Escoffier's foundational 1903 cookbook Le Guide Culinaire codified a version called "Beefsteack à la Tartare," describing it as raw beef served with tartar sauce on the side. The name "tartare" thus referred to the accompanying condiment, not to the Tatar people. Over the early 20th century the sauce became incorporated into the meat itself, the egg yolk was added, and by the 1950s steak tartare had become a symbol of French gastronomic confidence. Presenting tartare on crostini transforms the classic bistro plate into a single-bite format — a practical and elegant adaptation for cocktail-party service.