gastrongarden

BLACK ANGUS SUCADA TARTARE

Smoked Ponzu · Egg Yolk Cream · Beef Fat Croutes · Edible Flowers

Serves: 4

1. COMPONENTS

  • Black Angus Sucada Tartare
  • Egg Yolk Cream
  • Smoked Ponzu Dressing
  • Beef Fat Croutes
  • Marigold & Cornflower Petals
  • Micro Cress

2. INGREDIENTS

BEEF

  • 320 g Black Angus Sucada, hand-cut into 0.5 cm cubes
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

EGG YOLK CREAM

  • 70 g egg yolk
  • 14 ml white soy sauce

SMOKED PONZU DRESSING

  • 160 g smoked oil
  • 130 g ponzu
  • 1 small banana shallot, finely diced

BEEF FAT CROUTES

  • ½ sourdough loaf (semi-frozen for precision)
  • 2 tbsp beef fat
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • Salt

GARNISH

  • Marigold petals
  • Blue cornflower petals
  • Micro cress (red basil, shiso, etc.)

3. METHOD

Egg Yolk Cream

  1. Mix egg yolks with white soy.
  2. Vacuum seal and cook sous-vide at 64°C for 2 hours.
  3. Blend until silky, pass through a fine chinois, transfer to piping bag.

Smoked Ponzu Dressing

  1. Whisk smoked oil, ponzu and finely diced shallot.
  2. Rest for 20–30 minutes to bloom the shallot aroma.

Beef Fat Croutes

  1. Dice the sourdough into 0.5 cm cubes.
  2. Melt beef fat with thyme in a pan.
  3. Add bread cubes and toast until golden brown and crisp.
  4. Strain, season lightly with salt, cool on tray.

Beef Preparation

  1. Cut sucada by hand into neat 0.5 cm cubes.
  2. Season with Maldon salt and cracked pepper.
  3. Fold in a spoonful of smoked ponzu dressing just before plating.

4. PLATING

  1. Place a 6–7 cm ring mold in the center of a dark, textured plate.
  2. Pipe small dots of egg yolk cream into the base of the mold.
  3. Fill with the tartare mixture and press lightly to set the form.
  4. Finish with:
    • Beef fat croutes
    • A few drops of smoked ponzu
    • Micro cress
    • Marigold petals
    • Blue cornflower petals
  5. Dust Maldon salt and cracked pepper around the plate for an elegant finish.

5. CHEF’S TIPS

  • Hand-cut only: sucada’s fat marbling gives perfect texture; grinding ruins the structure.
  • Work ice-cold for maximum sharpness and definition in each cube.
  • Add ponzu at the last moment to avoid citrus denaturation of the beef.
  • Croutes should be irregular, not perfect cubes – creates more natural fine-dining contrast.
  • Flowers are not decoration only:
    • Marigold → soft citrus notes
    • Cornflower → colour contrast & subtle bitterness
  • A matte black plate enhances the ruby colour of the tartare and absorbs reflections for photography.

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