Korean Steak Tartare (Yukhoe).
Korean Steak Tartare is a nice alternative to the Western version for people who are reluctant to dig into raw meat. The marinade (which has ingredients similar to that for bulgogi) coats the bits of steak and the pear matchsticks add a refreshing crunchy note. This is based on a Maagchi recipe but with a couple of additional wrinkles in the preparation. Makes 4 panchan (appetizer) servings or 2 main course servings.
Ingredients:
8 oz good quality lean beef (we used sirloin)
2 bosc or anjou pears (or one Asian pear if available), on the slightly firm side
1 T sugar
2 c cold water
1 T minced garlic (or more if you wish)
1 scallion, including some of the green part, minced
1 T soy sauce
1 T honey
2 T toasted sesame oil
Grind of black pepper
1 T toasted sesame seeds
Sprinkling of pine nuts (7 or 8)
1-4 egg yolks (optional)
Directions: put beef in freezer. Make the sauce by combining garlic, green onion, soy sauce, honey or sugar, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl. Mix well and chill. Peel pear and cut lengthwise into quarters. Remove woody core that runs down the center and slice into matchstick shapes. (You will get prettier results with an Asian pear which has a larger unbroken surface area.) Dissolve 1 T sugar in cold water and add pear matchsticks. Chill until beef is ready, then drain.
When the beef is almost frozen but can still be sliced, cut into matchsticks the same size as pear matchsticks. Mix with seasoning sauce.
On serving plates, make a bed of pear matchsticks then put a healthy scoop of beef in the center of each. Garnish with optional pine nuts and optional egg yolk. (You can also serve the egg yolk on the side for dipping.) Serve immediately.
Note: if you have leftover Korean steak tartare, you can stir-fry it like bulgogi and serve over rice with kimchi.
Raw beef and raw eggs! No seafood? Mr Food Safety!: “..i’ll always err on the side of caution in food safety statements…” https://burntmyfingers.com/2024/05/10/recipe-pickled-eggs-2/#comments
I’ve lived thru carpaccio, other tartare and kibbeh. So, maybe this too. Looks good.
My mom said a few White Tower customers ate a raw hamburger on a plate.
An egg involved? Not sure…
You could always coddle the egg, LOL. Actually the yolk in my photo WAS from a coddled egg left over from a bath I sous video for a skittish Caesar salad eater. I am excited by your mention of White Tower…. this is a chain with a lot of chrome and servers who tend to be older women in skimpy outfits, yes? There was one very briefly in Dallas when I was growing up and it closed before I could really appreciate it.
Wikipedia says the White Tower trademark expired in 2005. Yours for the claiming if you care to start a new venture, Chuckeye Dave!
I recall rather frumpy beige, brown and orange polyester uniforms in the 60s. Not sure if the trademark is worth reviving. They were an imitator of White Castle who won several lawsuits over that.. On the other hand a chain of fast casual restaurants featuring tartare is kind of interesting. Unsold portions could be repurposed as meatloaf, similar to Wendy’s converting hamburger to chili. Something similar with the nigiri.
https://friendsofalbanyhistory.wordpress.com/2019/04/25/the-white-towers-of-albany/
I have never heard of a chain of raw beef restaurants. Surely that means it would be successful!
Raw beef? I’m not backing down;-) But it’s raw in hot pot or various DIY grills. Right? Then you cook it. Except most of these devices are not hot enough. Safety First! Table air fryers and microwave ovens. EZ, familiar, cooking, but better ingredients! I’m working on the recipes/instructions/disclaimers. You will be shellfish/seafood/media manager. A pleasant fantasy.
I’ve eaten in a lot of Korean BBQ places and I’ve never seen a diner grab a raw piece of ribeye (or tripe or pig guts, for that matter) and stuff it in their mouth. Doesn’t count.