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Tartarmad - good, old fashion smørrebrød

Sadly, sometimes for good reasons and sometimes not, some wonderfully delicious delectables fall out of fashion and spontaneously disappear from dining room tables. Tartarmad - or Danish smørrebrød of steak tartare on hearty rye bread - is a perfect example of one such casualty of the fast-paced world of changing food tastes - it has been gone from popular cuisine for ages and ages. Whether it is due to fears of eating raw meat and eggs, or just because there are so many other yummy treats to eat these days, Tartarmad is definitely not on today's culinary radar.

Tartarmad: Back on the culinary radar

But fear not! I love Tartarmad, and this week's post will show you just what you need to do in order to bring the oldie but goodie back into style in your home...

First of all, let's talk about ingredients. With tartarmad, probably more than any other sandwich in the pantheon of all-time great smørrebrød, you are relying heavily on the quality of its component ingredients - you absolutely need the freshest, highest quality ingredients, especially in terms of beef and eggs. The few extra dollars you'll need to spend on great meat from a top butcher is worth it, in terms of the final taste, and of course in terms of food safety. And the eggs - if you can get farm fresh, free-range eggs, the flavour will be that much better (and safer). And needless to say, it all comes together on thick slices of buttered Danish rye bread.

Ooey, gooey good!

Simply put, I love this smørrebrød. I love the way the ingredients come together harmoniously and combine to make an ooey-gooey-good lunch. With savoury, tender meat, smooth egg yolk, chewy rye bread, crunchy pickles, and potent horseradish you are getting an exhilarating sandwich experience like few others. It's like eating in a great French bistro, without the surly waiter. Add a bowl of pommes frites, and you have an unforgettable treat.

Clean is good...

A note on food safety and hygiene: I am no food safety expert, but I am not squeamish when it comes to eating things raw. I do realize that not everybody shares my zeal for "living dangerously". So here is my advice for those of you who are thinking of taking a stab at "extreme" tartare eating for the first time. If you have any doubt about the quality of the produce, don't take any chances. Avoid the back alley free-range egg merchants and the suspicious meat rack at the supermarket. Mad Cow and Salmonella have funny names, but that is where the humour ends.

So ends my public service announcement. Now on with the recipe...

Sirloin! Perfect for tartarmad.

So let's start with the meat. You want to go to a good butcher and get a whole (unground) piece of nice quality meat - I suggest sirloin here. It's tender and has a bit of fat to make it taste slightly richer than, say, filet mignon. 500g of sirloin will get you enough meat for 5 or 6 generous smørrebrød.

Once you've got your meat, you need to chop it by hand with a really sharp knife. This is for a couple of reasons. 1) It helps to ensure the best possible hygiene, as meat grinders are notoriously hard to keep really spick and span, and 2) you end up with a nicer coarse texture to the meat. Tender, high-quality meat need not be ground beyond recognition  - there is nothing to hide!

Chop sirloin by hand

Chopping sirloin is not hard, but it tasks a bit of patience. Make sure you work on a clean surface, work fast (without risking your fingers), and try to keep the meat as cold as possible to inhibit the formation of unwanted bacteria.

Once you've chopped it to the desired degree of coarseness, give it a dash of seasoning (salt and pepper), and even throw in a couple of table spoons of minced onion. Then wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nothing to hide  - Yum!

Meanwhile, prepare the other accompaniments:

• Slice a small onion into rings 
• Grate horseradish, if you can find it fresh
• Dice pickles and red beets
• Separate the egg yolks from the egg white (you'll need one egg yolk per open sandwich)
• Put out 3-4 spoons of capers

When you are ready to build the sandwich, here's what you need to do:

1. Start by buttering the rye bread.
2. Cover the bread completely with a generous portion of seasoned chopped sirloin, then flatten the meat out evenly across the top of the bread using a fork.
3. Place an onion ring atop in the centre of the meat.
4. Place one egg yolk inside the onion ring.
5. Serve with accompaniments such as horseradish, pickles, capers, and red beets. 
6. Enjoy with fork and knife and large glass of Danish lager. Skål!

Tartarmad: old-school goodness and pretty, too!