Some recipes are meant to steal the show at a dinner party.
The downside is that these luxurious dishes usually require long prep times and lots of labor to make, not to mention a sharp culinary skill set.
Good news: we’ve got a recipe that will not only wow your guests at first sight but is also shockingly easy to assemble and serve.
This recipe for Wagyu Tartare with Soy Cured Egg and Caviar can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and will be an instant favorite when it hits the table.
Stay tuned, and we’ll spell it all out for you in this article, with precise instructions to master this recipe the first time around.
Getting Quality Wagyu Beef and Caviar
As you’ve gathered from the name of the recipe, A5 Wagyu beef and authentic caviar are the stars of the show for this dish.
But if you have no hands-on experience with these high-tier ingredients, you might need some help sourcing, storing, and making the most of Wagyu and caviar.
Here’s what you should know to get the right goods for this recipe and use them to the fullest:
Fresh Is Best for Luxury Ingredients
Like all things in-home cooking and fine dining, there’s no substitute for fresh ingredients.
The sooner you procure and store your beef and caviar, the better the final product will be.
Ideally, you will have these ingredients obtained and stored within a week of when you plan to make this dish, maximize freshness, flavor, and the value for your money spent.
Reputable Online Marketplaces
While you may have access to gourmet grocers in your city, shopping for Wagyu beef and caviar online is truthfully the better option for several reasons.
By going online for these ingredients, you not only get better prices and direct shipment for added convenience, but these services also tend to ensure fresher ingredients with more transparent supply chains.
You’ll know exactly what you’re getting, how fresh it really is, and often save money and time by shopping online.
Better yet, distributors like Imperia offer both genuine Japanese A5 Wagyu, in addition to quality Ossetra and Kaluga Hybrid Caviar. It’s a one-stop-shop to simplify and speed up your experience when planning out this dish.
If you like to keep the caviar flowing, some companies also offer subscriptions to ensure you always have fresh caviar in the fridge.
Storing Wagyu and Caviar
Once you’ve obtained your Wagyu and caviar, be sure to store it properly so that all the distinctive textures and flavors are preserved as best as possible.
Avoid using the freezer compartment of your refrigerator to store Wagyu or caviar. Both ingredients are better suited for a cold section of the fridge, with the addition of ice packs to bring the temperature just around the freezing point of water.
You can easily keep your Wagyu and caviar in the same area of your fridge and leave them undisturbed until it’s time to get the gears in motion for this recipe.
Recipe: What You’ll Need
Although this recipe isn’t extraordinarily difficult, there may be some items that don’t usually appear on your weekly grocery list.
Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this unique tartare and some kitchen tools that will definitely help your cause when creating each portion.
Key Ingredients
Highlight this part of the article or commit it to memory because these are the ingredients that matter most, including the proper amounts you’ll need (serves four).
- 16 Oz of A5 Japanese Wagyu Ribeye
- 2 Oz Kaluga Caviar
- 4 Large Egg Yolks (separated from egg whites and intact)
- 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce (low or full sodium)
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tsp White Soy Sauce (also known as Shiro)
- 16 Small Purple Shiso Leaves (herb member of the mint family)
- Flaky Salt (Jacobsen or Maldon)
Get these ingredients lined up in your fridge and pantry, and you’ll be ready to go when it’s time to put the recipe into action.
Tools and Extras
You can prepare this dish effectively with your standard kitchen tools, but a few extra items will come in handy if you want to speed up the process and achieve Michelin-star-level construction for your tartare.
The tool that will help you the most is a circular, stainless steel ring mold. This can be found for cheap online or at any kitchenware store.
This tool will ensure you create the perfect puck-shaped portions of beef. The circular shapes make an ideal, flat surface for your egg yolk and garnishes. You can also use it for baking and other kitchen tasks.
This is also a great excuse to pick up a set of porcelain ramekins (small cylindrical dishes) that will be useful for curing egg yolks to perfection. Trust us; you’ll use these dishes for all sorts of kitchen projects and simple snacking in the future: worth it!
Recipe Steps
It’s finally time to put our ingredients and tools to use.
Here are the steps you can follow for beautiful steak tartare with caviar, from start to finish:
Planning and Prep
Before you even pick up a utensil from the drawer, your first move is to bring your main ingredients to the proper temperature.
Consider this a part of the prep process. Give yourself about 20 minutes to make sure the temperatures are perfect for both the Wagyu ribeye and caviar.
With your Wagyu, the aim is to make the beef slightly colder than it was in the fridge, so 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer should be sufficient to firm up without compromising flavor. You won’t be cooking Wagyu in this recipe — quite the opposite!
On the other hand, your caviar needs to be brought up to temperature by leaving it on the counter for a comparable amount of time.
In the meantime, drop your egg yolks into individual ramekins. Then, begin the curing process by gently adding one tablespoon of soy sauce to each dish.
Dicing and Dressing
When the ideal temp is achieved, bring out your Wagyu and begin to slice the steak julienne style (into small strips) on a cutting board.
Then, alternate your angle to create fine dice, but not so small that the pieces crumble apart. The texture of your steak tartare is up to you. Larger or smaller chunks are acceptable.
Once diced to your liking, dress the Wagyu with equal parts olive oil, rice wine vinegar, and white soy sauce. Allow the liquid to fully coat and absorb into the beef.
Assembly and Garnish
From here, divide the beef onto four plates or shallow bowls using your ring mold, creating a flat surface on top before pressing a small indent with the back of a spoon.
Gently place the cured egg yolk into the indentation of the tartare portions, keeping it intact.
Each portion should then be garnished with a ½ ounce of caviar, either directly onto the egg yolk or on the surface of the tartare itself. Finally, sprinkle generously with flaky salt and shiso leaves for an attractive finish.
Serve and Enjoy this Exquisite Dish
This is a recipe you can serve at the beginning of a meal. It could also be an intermediary course during a longer event with many components. It also makes for a great protein-packed side dish for any night of the week you’re feeling luxurious!
Test out this recipe yourself to see just how easy it is to make and how magnificent it is to enjoy.
