My husband was skeptical about whether this dish would turn out well, so he actually prepared half of the beef in the traditional way with capers, parsley, shallots, and Dijon mustard. After tasting both versions, he agreed that the Korean version of beef tartare tasted better. Adapted from Marja Vongerichten's The Kimchi Chronicles.
Ingredients
| soy sauce | 1 tbsp | |
| sesame oil | 1 tbsp | |
| honey | 2 tsp | |
| garlic | 1 clove | |
| finely minced | ||
| black pepper | ||
| beef tenderloin | 10 oz | |
| highest quality, cold | ||
| korean pear | 1/3 whole | |
| peeled and cut into matchsticks | ||
| pine nuts | 2 tbsp | |
| egg yolk | 1 whole | |
| organic, optional, could also use quail egg | ||
cookware
| small skillet |
| mixing bowl |
| chilled serving dish |
1 | To prep your mise en place, toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a small skillet. Toss for about 2 minutes until the pine nuts are fragrant and lightly browned. Reserve. Peel and cut the Korean (Asian) pear into matchsticks and reserve. Last, finely dice the beef with a sharp knife. Reserve in the fridge. |
2 | In the mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and pepper. |
3 | Add the beef and stir to coat. You can also mix in a portion of the sliced pear if you wish at this point. |
4 | Transfer the beef to the chilled serving dish and garnish with the pine nuts and pear matchsticks. |
5 | Gently indent the top of the beef mound and gently place the yolk in the indentation. Serve the dish immediately. Mix the yolk into the meat table side. |
Notes
Because I don't want to have to wash 2 separate cutting boards, I peel and cut the pear first, then I cut the meat. For extra credit, transfer the tartare into a ramekin then invert it onto the serving plate to give it some shape.
Source
Marja Vongerichten's The Kimchi Chronicles