Ranchlands Beef Tartare
by Biggie Lemke
20 minutes | Serves four
The greatest thing about Ranchlands beef is how clean it is. The depth of flavor is remarkable. I don’t want to mask that, but rather enhance it and really make it the star of the show. Before coming to the San Luis Valley, I owned a wood-fired bakery in Belgium and worked with some exceptional people. This recipe is one I definitely gleaned from them, and it so reminds me of sitting on my terrace with a glass of wine. I do the same now but with a different view. And if I leave out the shallots out I can share it with the dog
INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sunflower oil
- Salt
- 1 pound Ranchlands ground beef or 1-2 sirloin steaks (make sure they are very lean and free of silver skin and any connective tissue)
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- 1-2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Watercress
STEP ONE
To make the mayonnaise, place the eggs in a pot and cover with cool water. Bring them to boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Chill, peel and set aside.
STEP TWO
Add the cooled eggs to a bowl or mason jar with mustard and lemon juice. Blend well using an immersion blender. Very slowly add the oil until you have a nice thick creamy mayonnaise. Add salt and more lemon or mustard to taste. This should be nice and punchy.
STEP THREE
Keeping the meat chilled, add chopped shallot, tarragon, salt, pepper and a good bit of nice olive oil to a bowl. Gently stir to combine and add lemon to taste. Fold in the watercress and serve with the mayonnaise and a nice loaf of sourdough bread.
