Ingredients
Beef
- 400 glean beef, a whole piece of fillet or topside, trimmed of all fat and sinew
Dressing
- 3 tbspgood mayonnaise
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 2 tsptomato ketchup
- 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce, which contains anchovy
- a few drops Tabasco
- 1 tbspcapers, chopped
- 2small pickled gherkins, finely chopped
- 1small shallot, very finely chopped
- 1 tbspchopped parsley
- salt and black pepper
To serve
- with fresh bread, or as a topping on a sandwich
- or with frites, as filet américain préparé
Directions
- Keep the meat cold at every stage, take it from the fridge only when you are ready, and return the finished dish to the fridge at once. Trim away every scrap of fat, silverskin and sinew before mincing. Fat is unpleasant raw and sinew is impossible to chew, and both must go.
- Chop it by hand with a very sharp knife if you want the better texture, cutting it into fine dice rather than mincing it to paste. Hand chopping keeps the meat in distinct pieces where a machine crushes and smears it, and the difference in the mouth is considerable.
- Chill the bowl and the meat before mixing, since warm raw beef becomes greasy and unpleasant quickly. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together first, in a separate bowl.
- Chop the shallot and gherkin very finely, since large pieces dominate every bite in a soft mixture like this. Taste the dressing and make it noticeably sharper and saltier than seems right.
- Fold it gently rather than beating it, since overworking turns the mixture into a dense paste. It should stay loose and slightly textured rather than smooth. Taste it and adjust the salt, pepper and Tabasco. Now serve it promptly, within the hour.
- Serve it cold on fresh bread or toast, spread thickly. In a Belgian sandwich shop it goes on a soft roll with lettuce and sometimes egg, and that is its most common form by far.
- Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge and eat them the same day. It is not a dish to make in advance or to keep, and that is simply the nature of raw meat.
Technique
- It is not American; the name was chosen in early twentieth century Brussels.
- Mayonnaise is what distinguishes it from steak tartare.
- Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy.
Substitutions
- Any very lean whole cut of beef, minced fresh.
- Homemade mayonnaise, which is better here.
Variations
- With a raw egg yolk on top, closer to tartare.
- Served on toast as a starter.
- Made hotter with more Tabasco.
Frequently asked questions
What is Filet américain?
Filet américain is a snack from Belgium: seasoned raw minced beef spread on bread or with fries.
How long does Filet américain take to make?
Filet américain takes 20 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Filet américain?
Yes, within limits. Any very lean whole cut of beef, minced fresh. Homemade mayonnaise, which is better here.
What is the most important thing to get right in Filet américain?
Keep the meat cold at every stage, take it from the fridge only when you are ready, and return the finished dish to the fridge at once. Trim away every scrap of fat, silverskin and sinew before mincing. Fat is unpleasant raw and sinew is impossible to chew, and both must go.
