Recipe: how to make BAUT’s famous steak tartare at home
BAUT is a phenomenon – both in and far beyond Amsterdam. Chef-owner Michiel van der Eerde set the standard for pop-up restaurants in the Netherlands with his much-talked-about BAUT concept. BAUT stands for: raw, rebellious, unconventional and above all – temporary. Each time, BAUT moved to new, spectacular and temporary locations in the capital, such as the former V&D department store’s menswear department under the name BAUT & Dreesman, in the heart of Rokin. Now, 8 years and 7 restaurants later, all BAUT classics and stories have been brought together in one unique cookbook. One of our personal favourites: this steak tartare.
Michiel: “I’ve been going to Ibiza my entire life. My aunt taught me never to eat steak tartare in warm countries. But I decided to take the risk once. At that restaurant in Ibiza, it was served at the table on a frozen plate with lukewarm crostini; you could see the quality. During the preparation at the table, you could decide how spicy you wanted it. Because we went there often, I became better and better at putting together my own seasoning. That’s where I discovered my style. I put it through a coarse plate. Not too fine; it shouldn’t become filet américain. Then briefly mix all the ingredients together at once. The olive oil makes the difference. It makes it deliciously fatty. As long as I live, this dish will never leave my menu.”
How to make BAUT’s steak tartare
- For the dried bacon, preheat the oven to 80 °C. Place the slices of bacon on a baking tray lined with baking paper and let them dry in the oven until completely crisp. Grind them into a powder.
- For the bacon mayonnaise, blend the finely ground bacon with the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice until smooth. While whisking, add the oil, first drop by drop and, once the mixture starts to emulsify, in a thin stream. Whisk the mayonnaise for another 30 seconds once all the oil has been incorporated, until it is thick and glossy. Season with pepper and salt.
- Cook the eggs au bain-marie or in a roner at 62 °C for 45 minutes. Place them in a bowl of iced water to cool them down. Peel the eggs and remove the soft egg white. The egg yolk will still be soft. Season to taste with pepper and salt.
- For the croutons, increase the oven temperature to 180 °C. Cut the focaccia into thin slices, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with some pepper and salt. Bake them in the hot oven for 10–12 minutes until crisp.
- For the dressing, stir the mustard together with the vinegar, shallot and parsley. While stirring, add the soy oil drop by drop until you have a well-emulsified dressing. Season with pepper and salt. For the steak sauce, mix all the ingredients together.
- Pass the meat through the coarse plate of a meat grinder and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the capers, shallot, parsley, steak sauce and olive oil. Mix everything gently and season with pepper and salt. Mix carefully; you don’t want filet américain but a beautifully loose steak.
- Serve the tartare with the egg yolk, dollops of bacon mayonnaise, the croutons and dressed butter lettuce.
Title: BAUT
Author: Michiel van der Eerde
Price: €35
Publisher: Fontaine
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