GSLX-BTT-001 · Signature
The Starter · Signature Programme
Cut. Dressed. Never minced.
The knife makes the tartare. Everything else follows. Aged fillet, cured yolk, caper, shallot, sourdough toast.
Hand-Cut Beef Tartare · Toast
35-day aged fillet · hand-cut to 3mm dice · cured yolk emulsion · fine-brunoise shallot and caper · Dijon · Worcestershire · sourdough toast points.
Yield10covers
Portion85g
Total Time45min
SkillCDP · Knife
Cost/Cover£1.44
Sell£18.00
GSLX-BTT-001 · HERO
35-day aged fillet · cured yolk · sourdough toast · 85 g portion
Hand-cut · 3 mm dice
35-day aged fillet
4 °C service
Fine brunoise
Sourdough · charred
À la minute · < 4 min
01
Provenance & Sourcing
CutCentre-cut fillet · chateaubriand section
OriginNative breed · Aberdeen Angus · Yorkshire
Age35 days dry-aged · 2 °C · 80% RH
EggFree-range Burford Brown · cured yolk
SourdoughHouse levain · 72 h ferment · Wildfarmed flour
CapersSalt-packed Pantelleria · rinsed same-day
SupplierThe Ginger Pig · Yorkshire · farm-direct
TraceabilityEar-tag to plate · logged
02
Mise en Place
Six components, weighed and portioned. Once the knife touches the beef, service starts.
MISE 01The Fillet
MISE 02Cured yolk
MISE 03Brunoise
MISE 04Toast points
03
Method — four moves
The cut cannot be rushed. The dressing cannot be measured by eye. Both are learned on the block.
01
METHOD 01Slice
02
METHOD 02Dice
- Trim & slice. Fillet from cure to service board. Remove any silverskin. Slice into 3 mm sheets against the grain with the 24 cm chef knife. Never mince.
- Dice. Turn the sheets 90°, cut into 3 mm strips, then 3 mm dice. The cube must be visible on the plate. Keep the beef on chilled marble, never wooden board.
- Dress. In a chilled steel bowl: beef + 15 g brunoise (shallot, caper, cornichon) + 8 g cured yolk emulsion + 2 dashes Worcestershire + 1 dash Tabasco + Dijon. Fold with two forks. Season LAST.
- Plate. 85 g quenelle to a chilled slate plate using two spoons. Two sourdough toast points at 4 o'clock. Cured yolk swipe at 8 o'clock. Sea salt at pass. Cutlery: butter knife + fork, both chilled.
04
Critical Control Points
| CCP | Standard | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Beef core temp | < 4 °C throughout service | Marble board on ice · verified 20 min |
| Cutting board | Marble or steel · never wood | Kitchen check · every service |
| Knife hygiene | Sanitised between portions | Alcohol wipe · logged per shift |
| Yolk pasteurisation | Cured min. 48h at < 4 °C | Cure log · dated jars |
| Service window | < 4 min from dress to guest | Pass timer · tracked |
05
Sub-Recipes & Components
Cured yolk emulsionGSLX-SUB-CY-004 · 48-hour salt cure · whipped
Fine brunoise mixGSLX-SUB-BM-005 · Shallot / caper / cornichon (3:1:1)
Charred sourdoughGSLX-SUB-CS-006 · Wildfarmed levain · 72h ferment
06
Classification
CategoryStarter · raw beef · classical
Menu PositionCourse 2 of 5 · after amuse, before fish
ComplexityTier 2 · CDP with knife discipline
PlateChilled slate · 22 cm · charcoal grey
Serve Temp4 °C · chilled plate + cutlery
Prep AheadYolk cure 48h · brunoise same-day · beef cut à la minute
07
Ingredients — Yield 10 covers
| Component | Measure | Standard / Allergen |
|---|---|---|
| Fillet · 35-day aged | 1 kg (10 × 85 g + trim) | Aberdeen Angus · Beef |
| Cured yolk emulsion | 80 g (8 g/cover) | Sub-recipe · Egg |
| Shallot · brunoise | 90 g | Long shallot · fine dice |
| Capers · Pantelleria salt-packed | 30 g | Rinsed same-day · Sulphites (brine) |
| Cornichons · brunoise | 30 g | French style · fine dice · Sulphites |
| Dijon mustard | 15 g | Maille · Mustard |
| Worcestershire sauce | 20 dashes total | Lea & Perrins · Fish, Soya, Sulphites |
| Tabasco | 10 dashes total | Original red |
| Sourdough · house levain | 10 slices × 2 points | Charred, brushed with beef fat · Wheat, Gluten |
| Sea salt · Maldon | To season | At pass, never in the bowl |
08
Presentation & Service
PlateChilled slate · 22 cm · charcoal
LayoutQuenelle centre · toast points 4 o'clock · yolk swipe 8 o'clock
GarnishMicro parsley · single leaf · never chopped herbs
CutleryButter knife + fork · chilled 20 min
NapkinIvory linen · folded once
Service NoteGuest instructed: spread on toast, one bite. Never eaten from spoon alone.
09
Wine Pairing
RecommendedBeaujolais Cru · Morgon · Marcel Lapierre
StyleGamay · light-bodied · low tannin · chilled
Also PairsChampagne blanc de noirs · dry sherry (Manzanilla)
By the GlassLoire Cabernet Franc · Bourgueil
Non-AlcoholicVerjus + cranberry + smoked salt · house tonic
Never WithHeavy oaked reds · Cabernet Sauvignon · anything > 14% ABV
The wine must lift the beef, never overpower it. Chilled Gamay is the classic answer. Serve at 12 °C, never room temperature.
10
Substitutions & Property Adaptations
| Original | Property / Reason | Substitution |
|---|---|---|
| 35-day aged fillet | Warsaw · MOQ constraints | 21-day aged fillet · same cut, same portion, note age on ticket |
| Burford Brown egg | Manila · availability | Free-range local egg · verified pasture |
| Wildfarmed sourdough | Any · pre-programme | Any traditional levain · minimum 24h ferment |
| Pantelleria caper | Any · sourcing gap | Any salt-packed caper · never brined in jar |
11
Training Notes & Common Failures
- ×Minced, not diced. Grinder, food processor, or dull knife = failure. Sharpen daily, cut by hand only. If you cannot see the cube, start again.
- ×Warm beef. Meat off the ice for > 6 min = colour turns, texture goes. Marble board on ice bath, always.
- ×Over-seasoned in the bowl. Salt draws water, kills texture. Season AT THE PASS. Never in the dressing bowl.
- ×Sad quenelle. Two spoons, worked between three passes. Should sit tall, not spread. If it slumps, the beef is too warm.
- ×Cold beef, warm toast. Toast points delivered still warm from the salamander = tartare weeps in 30 s. Toast to room temperature only.
12
Cost & Margin
| Line | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fillet · 85 g portion · £48/kg | £0.86 | Ginger Pig · 35-day aged |
| Yolk emulsion · 8 g | £0.09 | Burford Brown · sub-recipe cost |
| Brunoise mix · 15 g | £0.14 | Shallot / caper / cornichon |
| Dijon + Worcestershire + Tabasco | £0.05 | Amortised |
| Sourdough · 2 points | £0.24 | House-baked, per-slice cost |
| Herb + salt + service | £0.06 | Amortised |
| Total cost/cover | £1.44 | 8.0% of sell |
| Sell price | £18.00 | Signature starter · highest-margin course |
| Gross margin | 92.0% | Category-leading for hand-cut tartare |
13
Allergens & Compliance
Beef
Egg
Wheat / Gluten
Mustard
Fish (Worcestershire)
Soya (Worcestershire)
Sulphites
Raw beef advisory printed on menu · Traceability logged farm-to-plate · Pregnant guest warning issued verbally
14
Version History
| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | 2026-08-19 | Edward Phillips Blanco | Initial signed release · Volume I MMXXVI |
GSLX-BTT-001 · Recipe Codex™ · Volume I · MMXXVI
Signed · Edward Phillips Blanco · N° 001