Steak Like Tartare

Not far from my usual way to eat steak in the summer (seared, served rare, covered in some sort of herby sauce with anchovies on the side), but doctored to really evoke “you’re eating steak tartare” (except the steak is, um, cooked). The ingredients stay classic– shallot, caper, chive, Worcestershire, and yes, anchovies. As for seasoning, you should adjust as you see fit– add hot sauce or horseradish if you want, more or less vinegar, you get the picture.

Whatever steak you choose is sort of secondary here— you can go with whatever cut you usually like— but I do recommend something “beefy,” in flavor, like a boneless short rib (which tends to require a finish in a low oven since it’s so thick) or quick-cooking, affordable but harder to find hanger steak. If you don’t do beef, I would confidently say this sauce would still be great with pork, lamb or chicken. If you don’t do meat, eat it with crisped, roasted mushrooms.

YIELD — 4 servings

Ingredients

1 ½ –2 pounds hanger steak (you can use any steak of your choosing, boneless or bone-in, such as ribeye, boneless short rib, sirloin, etc).

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola

1 medium or ½ large shallot, finely chopped

4 anchovies, finely chopped, plus more for serving if you’ve got them

2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar, plus more

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, plus more

½ cup finely chopped chives (scallion works in a pinch)

¼ cup parsley leaves, tender leaves and stems

3⁄4 cup olive oil, plus more

Some sort of bread (baguette, sliced country loaf, ciabatta), halved lengthwise or sliced

Directions

1. Season steak with salt and pepper (do this ahead if you can, even if by 10-15 minutes or so).

2. Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the surface. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add steak (if using hanger steak, flat-side down; work if batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan), pressing it a bit with tongs to ensure good contact with the skillet (this is how you get even browning). For hanger steak, cook 4-5 minutes until deeply browned (thicker pieces of meat will take closer to 5–6). Using tongs, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until browned on that side as well.

3. Transfer steak to a plate to rest (a plate will catch their juices vs. a cutting board from which they’ll escape), leaving any meaty bits or rendered fat behind in the skillet.

4. While the steak rests, make the sauce(!). In a medium bowl, combine shallot, capers, anchovies, 2 tablespoons vinegar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire, chives, and parsley. Stir in olive oil along with any meat juices from the plate the steak is resting on. Taste the sauce and season with more vinegar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper as needed. Steak Like Tartare seasoning (like tartare) is deeply personal and should be adjusted to suit you and your loved ones.

5. If you like, use the skillet with all the meaty bits to toast your bread for 2–4 minutes over medium heat until golden brown and crisp (add a little olive oil to the skillet if it needs it).

6. To serve, slice steak against the grain to create a more tender slice. Arrange steak on a large serving plate, spooning sauce over the steak. Scatter with more parsley if you’ve got it, serving with toast and more anchovies alongside.

DO AHEAD: You can season your steak a day ahead if you like– otherwise, this sauce is really best made when you’re planning on eating it. That said, it DOES make good leftovers, even as a quick dressing, spooned over lettuce the next day.