Steak Tartare

I am here in my apartment trying to dig up information on steak tartare. It is a dish that I have tended to associate with France and with Paris in particular but it's history is long in the making and it seems that many countries have a version of this popular dish.

From what I can discern, the name Tartar refers to a group of Mongolian warriors in the late 13th century who were called this by the people in the villages that they attacked. The sound of the horses hoofs as the warriors approached made a "trrtrr" sound and villagers would use this as a cry of alarm and terror when they could hear this oncoming attack. As the story goes, these warriors would place long thin strips of meat under their saddles as they rode. Some historians claim that this practice was to tenderize, season and marinade the meat which was chopped finely and served with caper berries when the warriors stopped riding. (Thus the origin of the dish steak tartar.) The counter argument to this theory is that the meat would have been placed under the saddle in an attempt to heal the wounds of the horse and would have been inedible after being used in this way.
The Tartars were seen to be fierce and powerful warriors and it was a commonly held belief that eating raw meat could be the source of their great strength and endurance, therefore, this practice was adopted by other cultures and was adapted to local tastes.
Here in France, steak tartare is typically finely diced raw meat, bound with egg yolks and served with capers, shallots, small dill pickes, sea salt, ground pepper. Hot sauce and worcestershire sauce are served as condiments on the side and diners may add these as they wish. It will often be served with a raw egg yolk on top as a garnish.
I tried steak tartar at the restaurant I was at here in Paris and I quite enjoyed their recipe.

Steak Tartare, a variation


100 g lean, fresh beef, diced small
1 T diced shallots
2 t diced ginger
2 t chopped parsley
1 t chopped tarragon
2 t diced dill pickle
1 T capers
2 T salad oil
2 t soya sauce
1 t mayonnaise
1/2 t dijon
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and serve with a salad and some nice crusty french bread!! (Warm is always nice...) This is a rough estimation of amounts, so adjust as necessary to your taste!