Chimitaki Beef – Sybaritica
The name of today’s production may sound like a Japanese classic but, actually, it is something I made up myself. This little appetizer combines lean beef grilled in the Japanese ‘Tataki’ style, which is then served with a slightly modified version of the Argentine sauce known as Chimichurri. The fusion of culinary forms is thus mirrored in the name-fusion, ‘Chimi’ plus ‘taki’ …
The Ingredients
- 1/2lb. lean beef cut into one thin rectangular block;
- ¼ cup Chimichurri Sauce (see recipe here);
- 1 tbsp. of your favorite prepared mustard (Dijon is great here);
- 1 tbsp. Capers;
- 1 pinch each Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper.
The Method
Here is the beef I cut from a small roast (the trimmings will be used elsewhere). To prepare it, you need to grill it using the method for Beef Tataki.
And… here is the beef after grilling and ready to wrap in plastic film. You need to chill the beef before slicing and you can achieve very nice thin slices if you stick it in the freezer for about 15 or 20 minutes before using.
Make the sauce by mixing the Chimichurri sauce and mustard together in a little bowl. If your Chimichurri contains a lot of oil, try and use more of the solid ingredients so as to keep the sauce from being too runny. For today, I have used a blend of plain Dijon mustard and a whole-grain French variety. You can mix and match however you please…
Once the beef has been sliced (1/8th to ¼ of an inch thick), place the slices attractively on suitable plates (I have used some shredded lettuce as a ‘bed’), drizzle over the sauce and scatter the capers on top. Garnish the plates with whatever tickles your fancy and serve…
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