[Sca-cooks] Tartare and Tournedo (was automat)

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

At 09:02 PM 12/19/2001 +1100, you wrote:
> > Do you just not like the idea of the steak cooked tartare? Or is
> > this not the type of meat that you usually cook tartare?
>
>Steak Tartare is uncooked.  If one were to cook it, it would no longer be
>"tartare".

This is one of the most often confused thing about steak tartare...

Although, one might argue that the meat is somewhat cooked by the acidity
found in the mustard and/or lemon juice, depending on the version you're using.

A word of caution:  Do not, repeat NOT, eat steak tartare in a
restaurant.  Too often it will be prepared with ground beef instead of
chopped fillet, or the meat will be chopped ahead of time.  This can cause
no end of troubles, such as e-coli infestation.

Steak tartare is just about as safe as anything else to eat, when you take
a few precautions, such as making sure your meat is fresh (doh!), and
slicing off the outter layer of the meat before chopping.  By doing this,
you remove the areas where the offending bacterias would reside.  Then you
chop it (ideally with a knife, though a robot-coupe will do in a pinch).

Incidentally, in Belgium, steak tartare is known as: "Fillet Americain".

If you want to try steak tartare, find me at an event, or come by
Chicago.  I make a mean one, even if I do say so myself.  Goes real well
with fries.  Served with home made mayonaise, of course <grin>

Oh!  but, this wasn't period cooking, was it?  Could anyone find it in
their little heart to flog me with a wet noodle, please? :-)


Gorgeous Muiredach
Rokkehealden Shire
Kingdom of the Middle
aka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry