Steak tartare with fried toast is a traditional and very popular Czech dish or appetizer made from raw beef. It seems very simple, but it can be very easily spoiled. Fresh top-quality ingredients are essential. It is not something cheap; Czech people are willing to pay for this delicacy. Traditionally, it is served on some kind of platter wherein the center is very finely hand-chopped beef sirloin with egg yolk on top, and around it are condiments and spices. And then it is just about your taste and how you want to mix it because everybody likes different flavors. After all the condiments you want are mixed in, it is eaten like a spread on fried country bread.

Ingredients

The measurements of condiments are just for presentation. When you mix in every condiment in the amounts written, the meat should taste the best. But you can add more or less according to your taste. That is what’s so fun about this dish.

1 lb fresh raw ground beef sirloin
5 tsp paprika
4 egg yolks
5 tsp finely chopped onion
4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
6 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 tsp yellow mustard
5 tsp ketchup
1 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds (can be ground in a coffee grinder)
2 tsp Worcester sauce
10 slices rye bread
2 cups cooking oil for frying the bread

Instructions

Put the meat in the fridge and let it chill. Peel an onion and chop it very finely. Then peel your garlic cloves, but do not chop them (later it will be rubbed on the bread). After the beef is completely chilled, take it out of the fridge and try to find the sharpest knife you have. Hand-cut the beef into very thin sheets, then into strips, and then into very small cubes. It should be very fine in terms of consistency (it should look like it has been ground). Then take the salt and mix it in and put it back in the fridge. Pour the oil into the pan and heat it to a high temperature.

Cut your bread slices in half and fry them until they are golden brown. Now you can prepare the serving platter. Put about 5oz of the minced meat in the center. With your fingers make a dent in the center and gently place one egg yolk in it. Take your other condiments-chopped onion, garlic, pepper, paprika, mustard, ketchup, ground caraway seeds, and Worcester sauce and arrange them on the platter around the meat.

These condiments can be served directly on the platter, or they can be placed in small bowls.

This delicacy is served on top of the warm fried bread which has been generously rubbed with fresh garlic.