Conference turris::cooks

    My mother used to serve a variation of steak tartare for dinner
    occasionally when I was young.  She always sprinkled a few capers
    (rinsed off first) on top, and this really tasted good.  Recipes I
    have seen also call for raw egg yolk brushed on top, but that turns
    my stomach...the raw meat and raw fish are quite enjoyable to me
    though!
    

    While stationed in Germany (5 years), I had many occation to see steak
    tartare served in restaurants. The couple we use to chum with, use to
    order steak tartare all the time. YES, this had chopped onion, spices,
    and the egg. BUT, in this case, the eggs (two) were cooked sunnyside
    style and placed in the top center of the steak tartare.
    
    This reminds me of the time we had another couple with us one night.
    Not to be outdone, they ordered steak tartare ("we'll have the same").
    Well, when it came to the table, you could hear the comment all over
    the place "this is raw, don't they cook things here". This couple ended
    up wrapping the tartare up and taking it home to make "big macs".
    
    Bob G.
    

  It never ceases to amaze me how people comment about how disgusting
  they consider this or that food. I'd like to think we could have a
  philosophy like "If some culture considers this a delicacy, maybe I
  ought to try it at least once". On the other hand, I draw the line at
  live insects, which are a delicacy in some parts of the world (like Oz
  and Kiwi land). Just can't manage to consider trying it, though I
  suppose if I were starving ...

  Anyway, here's a recipe for Carpaccio, which is another raw beef dish,
  and is very popular in Italy and Southern France. Maybe a moderator or
  the author of .0 could change the title to something like "tartare and
  other raw meat dishes" so it would be easier to find this recipe with
  dir/title.

  Carpaccio

  Beef tenderloin chilled in fridge
  Olive oil
  Cayenne pepper
  Capers
  Salt
  Lemon juice

  Slice the beef very thin (1/16" or 1.5 mm) with the grain (this is
  hard to do without a slicer, but possible with a *very* sharp knife).
  Put on a plate and sprinkle with the other ingredients. As far as I
  know, the salt, capers and lemon juice are optional -- it's the oil
  and pepper which define this dish as Carpaccio. It's surprisingly
  good, and makes a nice light lunch on a hot day (serve quickly on a
  chilled plate so it doesn't warm up too much). Goes well with a dry
  white wine and a salad.

    Brings back memories of my four years in Germany.
    
    A friend who ran a Gasthaus in Pruem made an excellent Steak Tartare. 
    He used a very sharp knife to 'shave' the raw, lean beef, producing
    the equivalent of a very fine grind.
    
    Formed into a 'crater' into which the yolk (only) of a raw egg was
    deposited.  Salt, pepper, paprika, and capers were served on the
    side as was crusty rye bread and unsalted butter.  It was the
    responsibility of the customer to mix the stuff together as desired,
    spread on the bread -- and, of course, to eat.
    
    It was a great light meal (albeit heavy on the cholesterol) with a 
    bowl of Goulaschsuppe (recipe elsewhere in this file).
    
    I seem to recall a cold, amber-colored liquid, with white foam on top
    which also went well with it.
    
    Probably not for the squeamish, but I enjoyed it immensely and
    frequently -- think I'll make some if and when travels finally
    get me home.

Unfortunately, ground beef as acquired in supermarkets is rife with
contamination. The large surface area of the unground meat (usually scraps)
turns into even more surface area as it's ground.  As it sits in the store,
the bacterial contamination can become dangerous.

If you're going to try this at home, you sorta need a meat grinder.  Second best
is a knife.  I've never successfully used the food processor to grind meat, but
they say if all the pieces are the same size to begin with, you can do it. I
find the fibers stay uncut and the meat gets too finely ground.

It's very tasty...

John

    Re: supermarket ground beef
    
    Bacteria aside, the stuff is at best 10-18% fat!  And up to 12% water
    added in the form of crushed ice while grinding.  This is NOT the stuff
    you would want for "bull sushi".  Your best bet is to buy a chunk of
    USDA Good beef, since it has the least amount of marbling.  Then grind
    it yourself, using a grinder or 2 knives.                             

    Another reason not to have it ground at the store is -- you don't know
    how clean their grinder is.  It might do for meat you are going to cook
    but not for something to eat raw.