John Myers
Tatar is a particularly high-quality type of minced beef. It is also called beefsteak mince or shaved beef. It is ground finer than ground beef, contains hardly any tendons and only a little fat. Nowadays mostly fillet of beef or other high-quality beef is processed into tartare. In the past, on the other hand, people used particularly stringy meat that was otherwise only used for stewing or cooking: for example false fillet or the lid of the upper shell. Fat, muscle skin and tendons were removed from the pieces and then finely chopped.
The special thing about beef tartare is that it is traditionally eaten raw. Because the fine minced meat is very susceptible to germs, it should only be prepared and eaten fresh. The cold chain must not be broken before serving.
In Germany it is customary to season the fresh minced meat with salt and pepper and shape it into patties. A well is pressed in the middle and filled with raw egg yolk, finely chopped onions, anchovy fillets and capers. The ingredients are mixed on the plate just before consumption at the table. Mixed pickles, mixed bread and Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco and brandy are often served with this.
However, you can not only prepare tartare raw in the traditional way, but also use it like conventional ground beef. If you want to prepare meat dishes with a low fat content, the beefsteak is ideal: Bolognese sauce, chilli con carne, lasagne and co. work particularly well with the high-quality, fine minced meat.
Incidentally, the name Tatar goes back to a legend: According to legend, the horsemen of the Tatars put pieces of raw meat under their saddles in order to then ride on them. In the evening, the meat was tender and tender, so the Tartars could eat it.
In addition to beef tartare, there are similar dishes made from other types of meat or fish. These include, among other things, ground pork made from raw pork, horsemeat tartare and Häckerle made from herring or salted herring and salmon and herring tartar.
