When I was a kid, every Christmas my father would take us to the 21 Club in New York City. They made the most incredible tartare I ever had and did it tableside with great flair. The flavor, aroma, and texture always stayed with me, so I came up with this version, re-created from my childhood memories.
I suggest using great beef in the following ratio: 25 percent sirloin (for its fat) and 75 percent filet mignon, which is leaner, for its tenderness. Hand-cut tartare is popular these days, but I prefer the silky texture that comes from putting it through a grinder. You can grind the beef yourself, if you have a hand grinder or a grinder attachment for your stand mixer, or you can ask your butcher to grind it for you. It should be ground twice, using the coarse plate.
I use two stainless steel bowls when making this. The lower one is filled with ice, and the top one, in which I mix the tartare, rests on the ice to keep cold so the fat doesn’t start to melt out of the beef. For the capers, use the smallest size—called nonpareil. Take the time to drain them and chop them by hand; food processors just turn them into a paste. Likewise chop the cornichons by hand.
At the 21 Club, tartare was served in a big loaf for the entire table, and the waiter would break an egg on top of it. We instead serve it individually in 4-ounce portions, firmly packed into a ring mold. To place the egg yolk, once the ring mold is removed, make an indentation in the center of the tartare and then remove the top of the quail egg’s shell and release the egg into your hand. Let the white slide through your fingers while retaining the yolk to place in the center of the tartare. If you don’t have quail eggs, use the yolk of a small hen egg, but serve it with 8 ounces of tartare. Naan, an Indian flatbread, is available in most well-stocked supermarkets.
SERVES: 4
12 ounces filet mignon, double ground using the coarse plate
4 ounces well-marbled sirloin, double ground using the coarse plate
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped nonpareil capers
1 tablespoon chopped cornichons
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 quail’s or small hen’s eggs
Pinch Maldon sea salt, for garnish
Whole cornichons, for garnish, optional
Toasted naan bread, for serving
Place the ground beef in a stainless steel bowl. Nest the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. This will keep the fat from getting too soft and mushy.
Add the salt, pepper, mustard, capers, cornichons, scallion, Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix well until everything is completely combined and you have a homogeneous mixture.
One portion is a quarter of the meat mixture. You can use an ice cream scoop or spoon to mound the tartare on individual plates, or use a ring mold to create a uniform shape.
Make an indentation in the center of each portion.
Crack an egg, carefully separate the white from the yolk, and slip the yolk in the indentation. Repeat with each portion. Reserve the whites for another purpose.
Sprinkle each portion with a pinch of Maldon sea salt and garnish with additional cornichons, if desired. Drizzle the tartare with ¼ teaspoon of the olive oil, and grind some black pepper around the plate. Serve with toasted naan.