Polish Steak Tartare (Befszytk Tatarski)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 11/30/21
Polish Steak Tartare (Befszytk Tatarski)

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
444 Calories
29g Fat
14g Carbs
29g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 444
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 10g 51%
Cholesterol 345mg 115%
Sodium 671mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 92mg 7%
Iron 5mg 25%
Potassium 419mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Polish steak tartare or befsztyk tatarski ( BEFF-shtick tah-TAHRR-skee) served as an appetizer in restaurants and homes in Poland. It is customary to mix all the ingredients together at the table and serve with toast points.

You can make this raw dish yourself with this recipe from chef Marek (Mark) Widomski, founder and director of The Culinary Institute in Cracow, Poland. Since the meat and egg in this dish are eaten raw, use the most impeccable beef tenderloin you can find from a butcher you trust, along with pasteurized eggs (which reduce the risk of Salmonella). By mincing steak, you reduce the risk of E. coli bacteria (which is greater in pre-ground meat) but you do not eliminate the risk completely.

Freeze the leftover egg whites from this recipe and use them in leftover egg white recipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound high-quality beef tenderloin, trimmed, rinsed, coarsely ground or finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, preferably Polish grainy mustard

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 large egg yolk, preferably pasteurized

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Pasteurized raw egg yolks, for garnish

  • Toast points, for serving

  • Finely chopped red onion, for garnish

  • 2 small dill pickles, finely chopped, for garnish

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped capers

  • Finely chopped anchovies, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Polish Steak Tartare (Befszytk Tatarski) ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a medium bowl, combine ground or finely chopped beef tenderloin, Polish mustard (or other spicy brown mustard), olive oil, pasteurized egg yolk, finely chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

    beef mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Form the mixture into a mound and place it on a serving plate.

    beef shaped into a patty

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Make a slight indentation in the center of the tartare and garnish by placing a pasteurized egg yolk in it.

    egg yolk on top of the beef

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Surround the tartare with finely chopped onion, finely chopped pickles, capers, and chopped anchovies.

    Polish Steak Tartare (Befszytk Tatarski) on a plate

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Serve immediately, with toast points, if desired.

    Polish Steak Tartare (Befszytk Tatarski)

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.

Origins of Steak Tartare

The jury is still out, but it's believed steak tartare (also known as beef tartare) originated in the Baltic provinces of Russia where, in medieval times, the Tatars shredded red meat with a knife and ate it raw while on horseback to avoid stopping to cook meals. 

Others believe the dish was originally prepared in French restaurants near the beginning of the 20th century and was known as steak à l'Americaine.

What remains factual is that the dish is popular throughout Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, if not worldwide in one guise or another. In Belgium, it is served with fries and in Denmark and Germany, it is often served on rye bread. Italians call their version of this dish carne cruda. When the tenderloin is thinly sliced and not ground, it is known as Italian carpaccio.