The first time I had Maison Premiere’s steak tartare was in January 2020. I had been to the bar since then, albeit only for drinks, but I hadn’t stopped thinking about that salty, crunchy, garlicky beef dish. Finally, I got my fix again a couple of months ago, and it was just as perfect as I’d remembered. It was so good that our small table of four had to order a second plate because it went so fast.
To find out what makes it so special, I went to the source by speaking to Maison Premiere’s chef Jorden Smith. As expected, great steak tartare always starts with great beef.
“Always use a prime cut of meat, such as tenderloin, sirloin strip or ribeye,” Smith says. “I find grass-fed tenderloin has the cleanest flavor and the best meat-to-fat ratio. When butchering, I like to remove all the sinewy fat from the external cut so you’re left with nothing but the lean meat.”
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“Texturally, I prefer hand-cut versus ground,” he says. “I find it’s best to dice the meat as small as possible — while keeping the meat really cold — and don’t over-mix once cut! This maintains a firmer texture and quality.”
While Maison Premiere’s steak tartare contains classic ingredients like capers, anchovies and mustard, they also add confit garlic for a rich flavor and garnish it with fried shallots for a crunchy, satisfying texture. Served with griddled sourdough bread, it’s quite simply a perfect food.
Maison Premiere’s Steak Tartare
Servings: 2-4
Ingredients
- 100 grams Ortiz anchovy fillets
- 50 grams confit garlic
- 50 grams Creole mustard
- 40 grams fresh lemon juice
- 7 fresh egg yolks, divided
- 1 cup garlic oil
- 1 pint olive oil
- Up to 1 quart canola oil
- 55 to 60 grams beef tenderloin, trimmed and finely diced
- 12 grams capers
- 12 grams shallots, finely chopped
- 8 grams chives, finely chopped
- 3 grams espelette pepper
- 10 grams Worcestershire sauce
- 8 grams confit garlic oil
- Salt, to taste
- Fried shallots, for garnish
Directions
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For the anchovy aioli:
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In a large bain-marie or mixing container, use an immersion blender to blend anchovies, confit garlic, mustard, lemon juice and 6 egg yolks into a smooth paste.
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Slowly emulsify by streaming in oils while blending. Begin with garlic oil, then olive oil and finish with canola oil (note: you may not need the full amount of canola). Continue blending until a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency forms. Avoid adding oil too quickly to prevent breaking the emulsion.
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Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice, if needed.
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For the steak tartare:
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Prepare all mise en place. Pulse-chop the capers in a food processor or Robot Coupe until just coarsely chopped.
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In a small container, layer and weigh the following (from bottom to top): Worcestershire, garlic oil, capers, shallots, then beef. Combine the mixture with chives, espelette pepper and salt to taste.
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Use a ring mold to plate the dish (a chilled plate is best). Start with a couple dollops (or more if you’d like) of anchovy aioli on the bottom, followed by the steak tartare. Garnish with a raw egg yolk and crispy fried shallots.
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