The return of tartar | The Press

When he was chef at the chic Laloux bistro, Marc-André Jetté offered tartare, a great classic of French cuisine, in the purest tradition. “Today, we prepare it with all kinds of sauces. There are even tartare bars,” he notes. In addition to being prepared quickly, tartare has the advantage of being able to be reinvented as the cook wishes, although certain principles do not change: the quality of the ingredients is the essential part of the dish.

From his beginnings as chef at Laloux to the restaurant Les 400 coups, the tartare was there, sometimes displayed with sobriety and at other times, more vibrant. Faithful to this traveling companion, Marc-André Jetté put it on the menu of his two restaurants at Technopôle Angus, first at Hoogan and Beaufort, then a few years later, at the Annette wine bar. Considering that “the country boy” initially had a disdain for raw meat, this enduring tandem is rather unexpected.

Legend has it that the dish takes its name from the Tartars, the nomadic people of Central Asia who, it is said, slipped the meat under the saddle of their horses to soften it. However, we will stick to the modern version which makes this emblematic dish appear on the tables of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.^e century, particularly in France where “steak tartare” is served with the sauce of the same name. It has since evolved to include other ingredients like raw tuna, salmon and egg, as well as a host of condiments.

At Annette, the ground beef with a knife is a must. It is served there with a desire for authenticity which gives an idea of ​​what drives the chef today. Simple and yet effective, the dish is inspired by the “veal salad” of a nonna met in a vineyard, during a two-month trip to Italy. “She came back with a fresh veal tartare with lots of olive oil and a touch of garlic. It was simple and so good! It marked me. » When the wine bar opened in 2023, it went without saying that tartare would appear on the menu.

“When I started cooking, we seasoned the meat a lot so that the tartare “tastes”. My trip to Italy changed my perspective on this dish. I realized that what I wanted, as a good meat lover, was to taste it and feel its texture. »

The secret is in… the meat

The secret of a good beef tartare is not so much in the sauce, we understand, as in its basic element: the meat. All the noble parts of the animal lend themselves to the game because of their tenderness. However, it is the tab – a piece located in the ventral part of the beef, near the liver – that Marc-André Jetté cuts into small cubes on his work board. Why this anatomical precision? “That’s what makes this piece particularly tasty,” replies the man who also owns the Édouard and Léo butcher shops, located in Ahuntsic and Hochelaga. Tab also has the advantage of being more accessible in terms of price than other cuts that we often use, such as filet mignon. »

Tartare lends itself to improvisation. “We could have used lamb, duck or fish and added more freshness. In this case, we would have added a little fennel, cucumber, radish…” says the chef, specifying that it is the perfect dish to learn to trust yourself in the kitchen. The combinations are endless.

The tartare that he assembles in a few minutes before our eyes is crunchy and creamy in each bite, enhanced with a touch of spice, acidity and sweetness, in particular thanks to the addition of toasted bread with butter, chili pepper and marinated seasonal squash. “I think it’s a dish that will always be on the menu,” he says. Tartare remains a bistro classic and those that allow you to prepare and taste meat in its simplest form. »

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Beef tartare with marinated squash, Louis d’or and crispy bread

A recipe from chef Marc-André Jetté

Rest (for the marinade): 1 hour
Preparation: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 entries

Ingredients

• 400 g of beef cut into small pieces
• 50 g marinated butternut squash (see recipe below)
• 10 g burnt chili paste or sambal oelek
• 1/2 cup finely diced crusty bread (see recipe below)
• 1 tbsp. tablespoon chopped chives
• Salt to taste
• 30 ml d’huile d’olive
• 15 ml of white wine vinegar
• 5 to 10 g of Louis d'or cheese, finely grated for finishing

Ingredients for Pickled Squash

• 1 cup butternut squash cut into brunoise
• 100 g of water
• 100 g de sucre
• 100g white wine vinegar
• 100 g of white wine
• 12 g of salt

Ingredients for crispbread

• 1 cup brunoise bread
• 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
• Salt to taste

Preparing the marinated squash

• 1. Place the water, sugar, wine vinegar, wine and salt in a saucepan.
• 2. Bring to the boil and pour over the squash brunoise.
• 3. Leave at room temperature for one hour and then store in the refrigerator.

Preparing the crispbread

• 4. In a pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• 5. Add the brunoise of bread and cook until a nice color is obtained.
• 6. Add a little salt and place on absorbent paper

Montage

• 7. Place the beef tartare in a bowl with the marinated squash, chili paste, chives, olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt.
• 8. Mix everything and season to taste. Divide the mixture between 4 plates.
• 9. Add the fried bread to the tartare and sprinkle with grated Louis d'or cheese.