Steak tartare

Lore & Background

The name 'tartare' is sometimes generalized to other raw meat or fish dishes. In France, a less-common variant called tartare aller-retour is a mound of mostly raw ground meat lightly seared on both sides. A popular caricature of Turco-Mongol warriors—called Tatars or Tartars—has them tenderizing meat under their saddles, then eating it raw, a story popularized by the French chronicler Jean de Joinville in the 13th century, though he never actually encountered Tatars himself and used the story to show they were uncivilized. The Cambridge Medieval History suggests this story may have been a confusion: early chroniclers saw Mongol horsemen putting thin slices of raw meat beneath their saddles, but the meat was meant to heal saddle sores, not for eating.

Reader's Guide

In the late 19th century, the Hamburg steak became popular in New York restaurants, consisting of beef minced by hand, lightly salted, often smoked, and served raw with onions and bread crumbs. It is not known when the first restaurant recipe for steak tartare appeared, but it may have been popularized in Paris by restaurateurs who misunderstood Jules Verne's description of 'koulbat' in his 1875 novel Michael Strogoff. In the early 20th century, what is now known as steak tartare was called steak à l'Americaine in Europe; a variation served with tartar sauce was called 'Steak à la tartare,' later shortened to 'steak tartare.' The 1938 edition of Larousse Gastronomique describes steak tartare as raw ground beef served with a raw egg yolk, without mention of tartar sauce. Health concerns have reduced its popularity in some parts of the world due to the danger of contamination by bacteria and parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and Taenia saginata. The World Health Organization states that when basic hygienic rules are followed and fresh meat is used, the risk of bacterial infection is low, but the USDA recommends avoiding uncooked ground beef.

Did You Know?

• The name 'tartare' is sometimes generalized to other raw meat or fish dishes, such as tuna tartare, introduced in 1975 by the restaurant Le Duc in Paris.
• In Wisconsin, a variation called a 'cannibal sandwich' uses sirloin, rye bread, salt, pepper, and chopped onions.
• The 1922 edition of Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire defines 'Steak à la tartare' as steak à l'Americaine made without egg yolk, served with tartar sauce on the side.
• In Poland, 'tatar' is usually served with an egg yolk, chopped onions, pickles, and bread, as an appetizer, especially with vodka.