Tartar of musk ox (or fillet steak)

A modern Nordic recipe from the Danish chef, Rene Redzepi, who was voted best chef by the world's top cooks
Tartar of musk ox
Tartar of musk ox, a recipe from the Danish chef Rene Redzepi. Photograph: PR

In place of the musk ox, you can use the best beef fillet steak you can find. Fresh horseradish grows like a weed in the UK, so pester someone at your local farmers' market. It should be peeled and grated into small flakes. Wood sorrel is widespread across Britain. Although it contains oxalic acid, it is quite safe to eat in small quantities. If you can't source apple balsamic vinegar, use a good cider vinegar instead.

Serves four


500g musk ox or beef fillet

Tarragon emulsion:

1½ bunches of tarragon

100ml cold chicken stock

1 slice spelt bread, toasted and de-crusted

50ml balsamic apple vinegar (or cider vinegar)

1 shallot

¼ clove of garlic

250ml grapeseed oil

Juniper berry granulate:

1 tbsp of juniper berries

½ tbsp of coriander seeds

½ tbsp of caraway seeds


1 slice dark rye bread for croutons

¼ horseradish root, grated

16 fine slices of shallot

Lots of freshly picked wood sorrel

Læsø-sydsalt (or Maldon sea salt) in flakes

A bit of rapeseed oil

To make the tartar, scrape the beef or musk ox fillet with a very sharp knife, along the length of the muscle tissue, so you get fine, long segments of meat. Ensure there are no sinews in the finished tartar. Keep in the fridge. For the emulsion, blend the tarragon leaves (not stalks), chicken stock, toast, vinegar and shallot into a fine mixture. Pour in the oil, a little at a time, while blending. Strain it through a fine mesh and pour it into a small squeezy bottle and refrigerate. Heat the spices for the granulate on a warm and dry pan over a low heat until they release a fragrant odour. Then crush them into a fine powder. Make the croutons by crumbling the dark rye bread into crumbs and lightly frying in rapeseed oil until crunchy. Transfer to some kitchen paper and use once cold.

On the plates, spread the meat evenly in rectangles. Season well with salt. Sprinkle over the croutons, put a bit of the grated horseradish on top and drip a little rapeseed oil over the meat. Then cover the surface with leaves of wood sorrel, with shallot slices between the leaves. Smear the tarragon emulsion across one side of the plate, using the back of a spoon, and spread a little bit of the juniper berry granulate separately.

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