Thai-style beef tartare

My companion’s favorite dish is steak tartare. Almost every time we go to a French Brasserie, he picks this dish.

Between mine and his, I’ve tried a great many deal of tartares along the way, and have had good suprises with funky tartares. I remember a beef and avocado tartare, which seems odd but was really great, and a garlic beef tartare, for beef lovers, with a pleasant hint of garlic, some salt and olive oil, and virtually nothing else.

While I do like the classic French version, I liked unorthodox tartares better. Since I’m in love with cilantro and all things fresh and crunchy, I went down this pairing road, and it did not take long for me to picture my idea of a perfect tartare ; lots of herbs and shallots, an acidity and spice kick, and plenty of crunch with prawn crackers. That’s it ! The Thai-style tartare was born.

Thai-style beef tartare - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

• Pay attention to your beef quality ! Ask your butcher for the best option, as it depends on the amount you want and the parts they have available. For example, here I used "surprise de boeuf" (a small part on top of the shoulder) because I didn't need much, and it was perfectly tender and tasty for a reasonable price. As a rule of thumb, know that you can rely on tenderloin (expensive but tender and minimal connective tissue) and sirloin (cheaper option that is perfectly fine).
• Everytime I asked for meat to be eaten raw, the butcher went to the backroom to fetch the freshest bits, which were visually redder than the meat in the window. If your butcher doesn't, feel free to ask him to !
• I like to dice my tartare meat myself, which allows you to do this at the very last minute, and with the thickness you want -I personnally want small dices, but not ground meat. Don't worry, it's not complicated at all, and only takes a few minutes. Besides, I find freshly cut meat to taste much better than pre-diced or ground meat.
• If you ask your butcher for ground beef, do know that you should eat it within 12 hours. If you grind or dice it yourself, it can be kept 24 hours.

Thai-style beef tartare - How to serve it

• You can serve your tartare like I did over pawn crackers or crisps, which is super simple and crispy, or with fries or sweet potato fries!
• Don't make your tartare in advance, because the lime might cook the beef slightly ; I recommend you to leave it in the fridge 30 minutes tops, no more.