Beef Tataki

It was maybe a year or so ago, maybe longer, I'd had Beef Tataki. Loved it! But. Like sashimi and beef carpaccio, I leave raw dishes to professionals. What with all the food safety warnings regarding raw animal proteins.

Truth is I don't get out all that often and almost nobody serves carpaccio anymore. So I did some research and finally decided to try making Beef Tataki!

Sauce: Mix maybe 1/2 cup soy sauce, juice from a half a lime, a teaspoon or two of honey, a chopped garlic clove, and a generous splash of sesame oil.

Procedure:

• 4 oz. strip steak
• Freeze it
• Thaw in the refrigerator for 90 minutes
• Bath it in vodka
• Sear each side one minute each in a screeching hot cast iron skillet
• Finish thawing in the refrigerator overnight
• Slice thinly (almost see through)
• Marinate two hours in sauce

The idea behind the short thaw in the refrigerator is to have the surfaces soft enough to take a good sear while the interior is frozen thereby reducing the risk of cooking it. The vodka bath is a home cook's carpaccio trick to minimize the impact of bacteria. I'm not an expert but it's my understanding bacteria is found on the surface of the beef and not within the muscle itself.

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.

Beef Tataki
Hands down the best thing I've had to eat this year. Best thing I've had to eat in a very long time. Will do it again!