What kind of meat can you actually use to make steak tartare?

Question

I want to try making tartare at home for dinner, but I am not sure which cut of beef is the safest and best to buy from a regular grocery store :)

Answer 1

Hello Claire! Making steak tartare at home is a wonderful culinary project, and choosing the right cut is indeed the most critical step for both texture and safety.

The gold standard for steak tartare is beef tenderloin (also known as filet mignon). Tenderloin is ideal because it is naturally very lean, exceptionally tender, and contains almost no tough connective tissue or gristle. If tenderloin is out of your budget, high-grade top sirloin is a good alternative, though tenderloin will consistently give you the silkiest, most luxurious texture.

Here are a few essential rules to follow when buying and handling meat for tartare:

1. Never use pre-packaged ground beef. Ground beef exposes all surface bacteria to the interior and sits in packaging for days. You must always purchase a whole-muscle steak and mince it yourself by hand.

2. Buy the freshest cut possible. Rather than picking a pre-wrapped styrofoam tray from the open refrigerated aisle, visit the meat counter and ask the butcher for a fresh, whole piece cut from the center of the loin.

3. Trim the outer layer. Bacteria on whole cuts of beef live on the exterior surface. For an extra layer of safety, use a clean knife to trim away a very thin layer of the exposed outer surface before dicing the interior meat.

4. Keep everything cold. Place your beef in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. This firms up the meat so you can dice it into clean, tiny cubes with a sharp knife instead of tearing or mashing it. It is also good practice to mix your tartare in a bowl set over another bowl filled with ice.

Take your time with the prep work and enjoy the process!

Answer 2

Everyone makes such a huge fuss about raw beef now, treating it like some dangerous science experiment instead of a simple dinner. Years ago, you just bought a whole piece of lean rump or sirloin and chopped it with a knife, without worrying about fifty chemical additives or vacuum-sealed plastic packs.

Buy a fresh whole steak from the supermarket or butcher counter, never pre-minced meat sitting in gases. Pop the steak in the freezer for twenty minuts so it is firm to slice, then trim the outide surface off completely before you dice it fine. Keep it cold, season it simply with salt and egg yolk, and eat it straight away. It is quick, affordable, and safe.

Answer 3

People overcomplicate tartare with fancy supermarket buzzwords these days. You do not need expensive cuts pumped with preservatives or pre-packaged nonsense. In the past, people just got a fresh, lean cut of rump steak or topside from a proper traditional butcher who knew what they were doing.

All you really need to do is buy a whole piece of lean beef, keep it properly cold, and slice off the outer edges yourself at home. Then take a clean, sharp knife and chop it by hand into tiny pieces. No industrial mincers or strange shortcuts required. It is cheap, honest, and perfectly safe if done properly :)

Answer 4

A nice fresh top sirloin steak is your best bet, just have the grocery butcher run it through their grinder for you to save time!