Beef Tartare and “Cheese” Fondue

 

Cheese fondue never disappoints. But you know me, “just” cheese fondue isn’t enough. So, I’m going to show you how to make it “à la Max” with the addition of a delicious tartare. I’m telling you, if you combine these two dishes, you’ll have something absolutely IN-CRE-DI-BLE.

 

My fondue isn’t really a fondue, but the flavor you’ll get in the end will certainly taste like you’re dipping your fondue fork into a pot full of cheese.  And my tartare, well… It’s not really a tartare either because the meat is seared on the grill, but ultimately it will be cold and (mostly) raw, so it still counts (it’s just even better 😉 ).

 

Speaking of tartare, picanha is a really great cut for it. Many people use filet mignon, sirloin steak (Boston cut) or other similar cuts instead, but personally, I like to use picanha because it’s super flavorful.  Needless to say, you’ll need to get a good quality piece to make sure it’s tender.

 

Here is how to make this delicious meal:

 

Serves 4

 

Required tools:

• Stainless Steel Grill Pan
• House of BBQ Experts Stuffer

 

Ingredients :

For the tartare:

• 1 whole picanha steak (about 800 g)
• House of BBQ Experts Montreal Spice Mix and Rub, to taste
• House of BBQ Experse s Texas Spice Mix and rub, to taste
• 4 slices of Boursin cheese (1 per tartare)
• Capers, to taste
• Gherkins, to taste
• Sun-dried tomatoes, to taste
• 1 avocado
• 1 shallot
• Cilantro, to taste
• Chives, to taste
• 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Avocado oil, to taste
• Firebarns Ghost Pepper Sauce, to tase (optional)

For the “fondue”:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 2 cups pork rinds
• 2 blocks of halloumi cheese
• Avocado oil, for cooking
• Parmesan shavings, to taste

 

Preparation:

 

1. Preheat the grill to the highest temperature (the charcoal, for example, should be extremely hot).
2. Take the picanha out of the refrigerator (the meat should be very cold), then use a knife to trim some of the fat (you can freeze the fat and use it in another dish, if you like).
3. Generously sprinkle the Montreal spice mix over the entire picanha steak to give lots of flavour and create a nice crust.
4. Fill in the gaps between the grains of Montreal spice mix by coating the meat with Texas dry rub.
5. Place the meat on the grill in the direct cooking zone and enjoy the sound of sizzle as it gets seared over the flames.
6. After about 1 minute and a half to 2 minutes (max) of searing, flip the meat and sear it for the same amount of time on all sides (even the ends) until about 1 millimeter of meat is browned.
7. If it’s cold, leave the meat to rest on a board outside while you make the “fondue”. Otherwise, put it in the refrigerator or freezer for the time being. (The goal is to stop the meat from cooking and to cool it down).
8. Reduce the heat in the grill so that it slowly reaches about 550°F.
9. Put the pork rinds in a blender and crumble into breadcrumbs. (Note that it’s important for them to retain some of their crunch.) Pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl and set aside.
10. Slice the halloumi cheese blocks into rectangles about 1 cm thick.
11. Drizzle a little avocado oil on both sides of the cheese slices, then transfer them to the grill in the direct cooking area and grill, slowly but surely, on both sides until they get nice grill marks and soften slightly.
12. Meanwhile, crack the egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork. Set aside.
13. When the cheese is ready, roll the blocks in the flour bowl, then in the egg, and lastly in the breadcrumbs.
14. Place the cheese on the stainless steel grill tray, clean the grill, then reduce the heat inside the unit to about 400°F.
15. Once the grill has reached the proper temperature, place the grill tray on the grill and let the cheese cook. Turn the blocks over when they lift off the tray easily. When evenly cooked, remove from the grill and coat with Parmesan shavings. Set aside.
16. While the cheese is cooking, chop the picanha into tiny cubes to make the tartare. Place the meat in a bowl.
17. Slice the capers, gherkins and sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces. Add the ingredients to the bowl with the tartare.
18. Scoop out the avocado and cut it into small cubes. Add them to the bowl of tartare.
19. Chop the shallot, cilantro and chives and add to the bowl.
20. Add lemon juice, Dijon mustard and a little avocado oil to the contents of the bowl.
21. If you want to spice things up, add a few drops of ghost pepper sauce (optional).
22. Stir the ingredients in the bowl until well combined, then pour some mixture into The Stuffer.  Use the curved part of The Stuffer to create a hole in the tartare, then place a slice of Boursin cheese on top. Unmold the tartare onto a plate, then repeat this step until all the tartare is gone.
23. Garnish the plates of tartare with Parmesan cheese shavings, serve and enjoy.

Happy grilling!