master-cooks | How To Buy Meat For Impressive Homemade Steak Tartare

When preparing steak tartare at home, selecting the right meat is crucial for both flavor and safety. Start by choosing a high-quality cut of beef. Tenderloin is often preferred for its tenderness and mild flavor, but sirloin or top round can also be excellent choices due to their slightly more robust taste and texture. Always prioritize freshness and quality, opting for a reputable butcher or a trusted grocery store with a good meat counter. Communicate with the butcher, expressing your intention to make steak tartare, and ask for the freshest cut available. Look for beef that is bright red, indicating freshness, and avoid any with brown spots or an off-smell. It's essential to buy the meat on the day you plan to make the dish or, at most, a day before to ensure optimal freshness and minimize the risk of bacterial growth. Have the butcher grind the meat fresh or do it yourself at home using a clean grinder or by finely chopping it with a sharp knife. This helps maintain the texture and ensures the meat is free from bacteria that could be present in pre-ground beef. Prioritize cleanliness and temperature control, keeping the meat well-chilled until you're ready to prepare and serve the tartare.

What types of beef to buy and to avoid

Selecting meat for steak tartare involves more than just finding the right store; it requires choosing the appropriate cuts of beef. To start, opt for a tender cut, as there’s no cooking to soften tougher meat. Cuts with connective tissue, such as brisket or chuck, are not ideal since they come from more active parts of the cow, resulting in tougher meat.

Leaner cuts are typically preferable to avoid any gristle in your tartare. For instance, Martha Stewart suggests using tenderloin, a recommendation echoed by many other recipes. Top sirloin is another excellent option, favored by Alton Brown in his recipe. It’s low in fat and, as an added benefit, more budget-friendly than tenderloin. Top round is also a cost-effective choice; while it comes from a slightly tougher area of the animal, it remains low in fat and flavorful. In general, aim for meat that is as bright red as possible, as this indicates freshness.

General safety tips to know for steak tartare

Officially, the USDA advises against consuming steak tartare, strongly recommending that all beef be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit before eating. However, in practice, tartare can be safe if you maintain proper hygiene. Choosing high-quality meat is crucial, but proper storage is equally important: keep it refrigerated until just before preparation. It's essential to use thoroughly clean knives and cutting boards to prevent any contamination. If you follow these guidelines, you shouldn't have any concerns when enjoying that classic French tartare.

Lastly, let's address the topic of ground beef. While many tartare recipes typically do not include ground meat (favoring cuts like tenderloin instead), there are similar dishes that do, such as the "cannibal sandwich" found in Wisconsin. In general, it's best to avoid ground meat for any raw beef preparations, as various cuts from different sources can be mixed together in a meat grinder, posing significant food safety risks if consumed raw. In theory, you could use ground beef if it comes from a single cut and is processed through a clean grinder, but this may require you to do it yourself at home.

How To Buy Meat For Impressive Homemade Steak Tartare

What types of beef to buy and to avoid

General safety tips to know for steak tartare

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