The best tasting raw steak in America
Bazaar's Beef Tartare is a thing of beauty
There are some dishes that survive history and just get better and better. There are very old stories—probably myths—about beef tartare that originate hundreds of years ago, and the meat in question may have been horse (hey, if you’ve never tried it…) But the tartare we know today was written into the famous Larousse Gastronomique in 1938, based on two preparations: a la tartare, a sauce of pureed hard-boiled egg yolks, vinegar, chives and oil; and a la americaine, raw chopped steak (it’s funny…to me, I don’t think of Americans as liking raw meat, and instead maybe a lot of them like their steak a little too well done…? But I’m not the one who names these things!)
At the new Bazaar in Washington DC, we have continued to perfect our own tartare dish we’ve had on all of our Bazaar menus…it’s a classic for a reason.
What makes our version taste so good is two special ingredients that you may have to look out for…Savora mustard and HP sauce. Yes, I am Spanish, but I am recommending French mustard (Savora is a century-old Dijon-based condiment with sweet spices) and English steak sauce (HP Sauce is so British, it’s named after the Houses of Parliament!)
Beyond that, it’s a classic tartare: egg yolk (if you know the name of the chickens, even better), parsley, chives, capers, shallots, Worcestershire, and some hidden anchovies for extra umami. Serve it with rich Parker House rolls or brioche, or make it easy and open a bag of potato chips!
Oh, and at The Bazaar we use richly marbled A4 Wagyu (let’s talk steaks sometime) but at home you can use a high quality lean cut, like filet mignon…even if it doesn’t have the best flavor, it is tender and will be soaking up all of the delicious dressing, so you don’t have to worry too much about it.
Bazaar’s Beef Tartare, For Home
12 ounces high-quality lean beef, like filet mignon