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Everything You Need to Know about Tartares, from Purchase to Preparation

Beef or fish tartare is easy to make, but requires certain precautions. From purchase to preparation to service, here’s everything you need to know to make a successful meal with your tartare.

Prioritize Freshness and Quality

Eating raw meat and fish in a tartare is not without risk because the food can be contaminated with bacteria that are usually destroyed when cooked. 

So make sure to choose high-quality ingredients, as fresh as possible. It’s important to mention to your butcher or fishmonger that the meat or fish will be served tartare-style. They’ll be able to guide you in the choice you need to make. Fresh fish needs to be consumed on the day it was bought. If you’re wondering about how fresh it is, better cook it.

What About Frozen Fish?

Avoid fish that are sold defrosted. However, you can find several ranges of frozen products you can defrost at home. Again, defrost your fish on the day you intend to serve it and eat it quickly. Defrost the package in cold water—never in hot water!—and keep it in the fridge.

Choose the Right Fish

We often tend to choose pink-fleshed fish, like tuna or salmon, but white fish, like gilthead bream, or scallops are also possible options. Another one, local and sustainable, is Arctic char: Try it in this citrus tartare recipe.

Removing Fish Skin

You’ll need good knives and a certain talent to remove the skin of the fish without wasting anything. Make sure to do it on a clean work surface and with a clean knife. If necessary, just ask your fishmonger to take care of it for you.

Removing Fish Skin

You’ll need good knives and a certain talent to remove the skin of the fish without wasting anything. Make sure to do it on a clean work surface and with a clean knife. If necessary, just ask your fishmonger to take care of it for you.

Select the Right Cut of Meat

Though there are duck, lamb and veal tartares, beef tartare remains—and by far!—the most popular choice. In addition to freshness and quality, you’ll need to look for tender, fairly lean cuts of meat. Among the best are the tenderloin or inside round. Top sirloin is perfect to make this Beef and Bulgur Tartare, a recipe inspired by cold mezzes, often made with lamb.

Calculate the Right Amount

For a fish or beef tartare served as a main course, use about 150 g to 175 g per person. For an appetizer, we recommend using about 65 g to 130 g. Keep in mind that a tartare is usually presented with a side, like French fries or croutons, which can be very filling.

Keep It Cold

During transportation and preparation, cold is the best ally of meats and fish that will be eaten raw. Think of bringing an ice box or insulated bag before leaving home to shop. While you cut the raw ingredients, use a cold water bath. In other words, a container filled with ice cubes on top of which you place a second container, such as a stainless steel round-bottomed mixing bowl, where you can put the pieces when they’re cut.

Add Freshness

There are many possibilities that go beyond the classic version of shallots, capers, chives and parsley—aromatics that can all be found in our Salmon Tartare (The Best) recipe. In addition to fresh herbs, fruits, both local and imported, can also be put to good use, such as strawberries, citruses, mango and passion fruit.

Give It a Little Kick

Tartares are often enhanced with a hot, spicy touch—sambal oelek, harissa, sriracha, chipotle, tabasco, horseradish, wasabi, jalapeño, crushed chili, etc. These condiments offer a variety of more pronounced and subtle flavours that open the door to a multitude of possibilities.

Prepare It in Two Steps

To spend more time with your guests, prepare the garnishes and sides in advance. You can also cut the meat and fish early, but only as long as it’s just a few hours at most before serving. Keep everything in the fridge in an airtight container and wait until the very last minute to mix the raw foods with the rest of the ingredients.

Vary the Crispy and Crunchy Sides

Of course, you can use croutons as a base for eating tartare, but you can also replace them with fried wontons, corn chips, endives or lettuce leaves, or even serving spoons.

Eat the Leftovers

You can recycle tartare leftovers, if they’re put away quickly in the fridge without waiting on the counter. The tartare must be eaten within 24 hours, in recipes that’ll cook it. Add some breadcrumbs to the tartare mix, make meatballs or little cakes and serve them as burgers.

Speedy Tip

For a finishing touch to the presentation of the dish, use a round pastry cutter or burger press.