Steak Tartare

w rosemary + harissa

I had a tartare in Portugal recently that reshaped my idea of what a tartare needs to be. It was incredibly simple and had the essence of rosemary — that was about it. I don’t use rosemary often, but it made me realize how delicious the combination of raw meat and rosemary can be. It was slightly toasted and salty but also warmed the mouth in a really gentle, pleasant way. I instantly thought: I need to make something similar.

Now obviously, the combination of rosemary and steak is a common one throughout Europe — Italy, Greece, Spain, and so on. But I’d never had it with raw meat before.

This was a bit of an off-the-cuff recipe, just something I threw together with what I had on hand and what I thought might pair well. I knew I wanted rosemary in the tartare, but how to include. I thought of frying it and chopping it into the meat, but that would interfere with the smooth texture I want in the tartare. So I landed on a strong rosemary oil and it worked incredibly well.

Definitely source some good beef for this. I used tenderloin, but other cuts like top round work just as well. Pop it in the freezer for an hour before prepping to keep it extra cold while you work. Chill your plates and bowls too — it keeps everything fresher, longer.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb tenderloin