This came from last month’s Man B Que, and I believe it may be the only way to get away with not using the grill at a MEATing. And that’s because if there’s one thing that matches the primal nature of meat seared over flame and embers, it’s beef in its rawest (non-mooing) state.

As a kid, I thought this was one of the fanciest dishes ever. Philosophically, it reminds me of The Wellington in Arlington Heights, which also hasn’t aged much since the 70s. But there’s something kind of cool about revisiting food that’s way past being trendy. Especially when it tastes like this.

The Setup

- 1 lb prime lean steak, like tenderloin or sirloin
- 4 oil packed anchovy fillets
- 3 tsp capers, rinsed
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 oz cognac
- 1 small onion, minced extra-fine
- 6 cornichons (or gherkins), chopped
- 6 sprigs parsley, leaves picked and minced
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 2 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- Smoked Tabasco
- Salt and pepper
- Bread, thinly sliced, oiled, and toasted

Don’t hit any crappy grocery for this. Get good, fresh quality meat from a place you know is quality. And especially don’t use pre-ground beef from the grocery, unless you want your insides to melt like the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s a raw beef dish – use your head and spend an extra couple bucks for the good stuff.

Make sure that your knife is good and sharp. You want a nice small mince, not mashed beef.

If you’re serving this to a bunch of people and want to be super damn fancy, you can try and get some quail eggs and put a small yolk on each serving. If you feel like doing that, then omit the yolks when you’re making the dressing. It’s a pain in the ass, but maybe you’re trying to impress someone.

At the MEATing, I just put a bit of the tartare with some toasted bread in a bunch of plastic shot glasses. I recommend it if you’re serving this to a lot of people. But hell, you could eat it out of the bowl with an ice cream scoop if you want.

Cooking

1. Trim the beef of any excess fat and place in the fridge (or about 15 minutes in the freezer) to chill while you make the dressing.

2. Mince the anchovy fillets.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and add the mustard and anchovy fillets. Keep whisking until it forms a thick paste.

4. Continue whisking and slowly add the oil, then the tomato paste, cognac, and Worcestershire.

5. Slowly fold in the parsley, cornichons, onion, and capers. Place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the meat.

6. Mince the chilled beef, add to the bowl, and toss to coat evenly.

7. Serve on the bread or a chilled plate. Add a little of the Tabasco and any extra onion or parsley before serving.