Elk Tartare Aller-Retour and a Spanish Valentine

Passport & Plate - Elk Tartare Aller-Retour

Spain | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Serving: 4
Prep Time: 2 hours
2Lbs ground elk meat (substitute with beef tenderloin)
2 yellow onions
1 shallot
2 Tblsp worcestershire sauce
1tsp sat (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 Tblsp butter
1 Tblsp olive oil (plus more for skillet)
8oz of coffee (light roast preferred)
1 tsp sugar
1 bag of vegetable chips
4 Tblsp fresh parsley
Meat thermometer

 

How to prepare this recipe
This is a fairly easy recipe, although it does have a few steps that take some time, but the finished product is elegant yet welcoming.

1. Caramelize onions by adding 1 Tblsp of butter to coarsly chopped onions (they needed to be small enough to fit on top of tartare). Turn to medium heat, let butter melt and stir into onions. Onions will lose firmness after about 6-8mins of cooking, turn heat to low and let simmer for about 30-35 mins or until evenly cooked to golden brown, occasionally stirring. 5 mins before finished, added thinly sliced zucchini to pan and sauté till softened. keep onions and zucchini separated, but allow zucchini to soak up some of the sweet juice in the pan. Separate and set aside.
2. In the mean time set the oven to 325 degrees and grease a medium sauce pan with olive oil.
3. In a small sauce pan bring coffee to a boil, add one tsp of sugar. Lower to medium heat and let reduce until thick. Set aside for garnish.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl mix ground elk, one shallot finely minced, one Tblsp worcestershire sauce and olive oil, salt and pepper and 2 Tblsp fresh parsley. Form 6oz of meat mixture into 4 small round pucks with flat tops and bottoms. Use softened zucchini to surround edges.
5. Allow greased sauce pan to heat until the oil bubbles. Sear elk pucks on flat side for about 3-4 mins before turning to alternate side for another 3-4 mins. Once seared places pucks in oven for 8-10 mins or until inside of meat has reach 125 to 135 for rare to medium rare*.
6. On a separate baking dish allow vegetable chips to warm slightly in oven.

Plating:
1. Place Elk Puck in middle of plate, top with onions, a pinch of salt and pepper, a bit of chopped parsley.
2. Ladle coffee reduction over the elk.
3. Surround with warm chips.
4. Season with salt and pepper

*Note: This is not a classic tartare, so feel free to cook meat to preference. Suggested would be rare to medium rare.

 

The story behind this recipe
It was 9pm, which is late for a couple of Americans to begin dinner, but in Spain dinner is served late and 9pm is early. February 14th, you would think more people would be out exploring Girona's quaint old town with its colorful buildings and vibrant culinary scene, but the restaurant we wandered into was almost empty. Only one other couple gracefully sipped wine and bothered the server with questions about cheese pairing as we, feeling a bit out of place, were asked if we had reservation before we were seated. My wife and I had been traveling in Europe for three months, an extended honey moon, prior to arriving in Barcelona. Friends suggested Girona for a romantic weekend. So my wife bought a lovely dress, borrowed some heels, fixed her hair and I wore the only collared shirt I brought for our adventure. We called it dressed up and went out for a Valentines Dinner.
It was not long before our plates arrived and I welcomed crispy duck breast and cheese ravioli, but greedily eyed the small zucchini wrapped, seared tartare in front of my wife. It was not a classic tartare, as it was lightly cooked on the outside, but delicately red and juicy on the inside, topped with caramelized onions, surrounded by vegetable chips and garnished with a slightly sweet coffee reduction. Did I mention it was COLT! Luckily we shared dishes so after enjoying mine, and waiting while my wife savored every bite of hers, we switched plates and I slipped into bliss as the red meat melted in my mouth. It was the first and only time since that I have enjoyed colt meat, but let me tell you it was divine.
Upon returning to the states, colt is hard to find, but visiting my parents in Montana, elk is abundant and a good substitute for this elegant, yet interesting dish, somewhere between a burger and chips and a Spanish tartare. The elk is gamey, yet rich, complemented by the sweet onions and a bitter coffee reduction, it screams Spain in my mind but mirrors mountain cuisine.