Wagyu tartare: the cut, the dice and the cold chain

What is Wagyu tartare?

Wagyu tartare is raw Japanese Wagyu, diced by hand and seasoned just before it goes out. I'd skip the classic French egg and oil, because the beef already carries that richness. A little salt, a little acid, something sharp, and keep it cold.

Which cut of Wagyu is best for tartare?

A lean, tender cut works best. On a Japanese Black cow even the lean muscles carry visible marbling, so a lean cut gives you Wagyu flavor in a dice that stays distinct on the spoon. Tenderloin is the classic choice. Rump is firmer and beefier, and costs less.

I'd skip the ribeye, the short rib and the karubi slices. Raw, heavy marbling smears under the knife and coats the palate before the beef comes through. If you want more richness, consider folding a little finely diced rib cap into the tenderloin rather than building the plate on it.

Is A5 Wagyu good for tartare?

In small amounts. A5 means marbling of BMS 8 to 12 (what the grades mean). Japanese Black fat is high in monounsaturated fat, which lowers its melting point and keeps it soft ^[1]. It melts at roughly 64–80ºF (more on that).

Tartare is served colder than that, so the fat in an A5 dice is solid and eats as firm white flecks that only melt in the mouth. On a one-bite canapé spoon that's the point. Across a 3 oz plate it gets heavy.

Our current cow, Takemitsu-chan, graded A4 at BMS 6. Her tenderloin and rump carry less fat per bite than A5 and hold up to a full appetizer portion.

How small should you dice Wagyu tartare?

About ⅛–¼″ (3–6 mm), by hand, with a sharp knife. A grinder or food processor smears the fat and turns the lean to paste. We'd go ¼″ for tenderloin, which is soft enough to eat in bigger pieces, and closer to ⅛″ for the firmer rump.

1. Thaw the pack in the fridge, sealed, overnight (unboxing). Skip the 20–30 minutes at room temperature we suggest before searing a steak. Tartare goes from the fridge to the knife.
2. Firm it up if it has softened: 15–20 minutes in the freezer makes for cleaner cuts.
3. Trim silver skin and sinew.
4. Cut planks, then batons, then cubes. The tenderloin tips are already ¼″ thick, so you only cut batons and cubes.
5. Work on a chilled board, and move the dice into a metal bowl set over ice as you go.

How do you season Wagyu tartare?

Lightly, and at the last minute. Salt pulls moisture to the surface and acid starts to firm the meat, so mix each portion to order. For 2½ oz (70 g) of dice, start with:

• a scant ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or a pinch of flaky salt on top
• 1 tsp minced shallot or chive
• ½ tsp soy sauce, or a few drops of yuzu or lemon
• a dab of fresh wasabi or Dijon

We'd leave out the oil. A raw yolk on top is traditional, but it adds a second raw ingredient to disclose; pasteurized-in-shell eggs lower that risk. Our dipping sauces post has more salt and soy pairings.

What temperature should Wagyu tartare be served at?

Cold, straight off the ice. Keep the beef at 40ºF or below until it's plated, the line FSIS draws for refrigerated food ^[2]. Plate on chilled plates and send it right away. The fat melts on the tongue, at body temperature, so the plate doesn't need to warm up first.

A plate left out warms toward the fat's melting range, and the dice turns slick. FSIS's limit for perishable food at room temperature is two hours ^[3]. Unfinished plates should be thrown out, not re-chilled.

For a private dinner, it's best to dice in the client's kitchen. Carry the thawed, still-sealed packs in a cooler with ice packs and a probe thermometer, and check that the beef reads 40ºF or below when you arrive.

Is Wagyu tartare safe to eat?

Raw beef carries real risk, and USDA's guidance is to cook it: 145ºF with a 3-minute rest for steaks, 160ºF for ground beef ^[2].

Chopping is what separates tartare from a rare steak. In an intact steak, any E. coli is limited to the outside surface, where cooking kills it; grinding or otherwise breaking up the meat can spread it through ^[4]. Dicing by hand does the same to the batch. Producers have to verify that STEC E. coli has been eliminated from beef intended for ground or tenderized use, but not from beef intended to stay intact, like steaks and roasts ^[4].

Some chefs trim away the outer surfaces of a solid piece before dicing. That reduces what ends up in the bowl, though only cooking kills bacteria, and it works on the filet or Chateaubriand; the tenderloin tips arrive already cut into strips.

Freezing doesn't help either. Our beef ships frozen, and at 0ºF bacteria go dormant, but once thawed they grow at the same rate as on fresh meat ^[5]. Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter ^[3]. For tartare I'd use only packs that arrived frozen solid.

Then talk to the client. FSIS lists infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of serious illness, and children under 5 face a higher risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the kidney failure E. coli can cause ^[2]. A seared version is a good option for those guests. Restaurants working under the FDA Food Code must flag raw items on the menu with a reminder like "Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness" ^[6]. Rules for private chefs vary by state, so it's worth checking yours, and printing that line on the menu card either way.

How much Wagyu tartare per person?

Plan on 2–3 oz (55–85 g) per person as a first course, and 4 oz as a main, the low end of the 4–8 oz we suggest for Wagyu. At this drop's prices, before trim:

Budget 5–15% extra for trim, depending on the cut; the filet has almost none. For eight guests at 2½ oz, that's 20 oz of dice. Two packs of tenderloin tips give you 25.8 oz, which leaves room for trim.