Carne Apache (Mexican Steak Tartare)

A Michoacán preparation from Pátzcuaro in which finely ground beef is cold-'cooked' entirely in fresh lime juice — a technique that denatures the proteins much as heat would — then folded with white onion, tomato, cilantro, green olives, sweet red pepper, and fresh chile. The result sits somewhere between ceviche and tartare: bright with acid, punctuated by the grassy heat of chile perón (Capsicum annuum var. perón) or serrano (Capsicum annuum), and finished with a thread of light olive oil. Served on tostadas or alongside hot tortillas, it is a street-market staple of inland Michoacán that rarely appears in restaurant kitchens outside the region.

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Serves4 as an appetiser

Sourced1 of 7 in BC

Cook

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The Market List

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225 g (½ lb)

finely ground lean beef

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120 ml (½ cup)

fresh lime juice

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80 g (⅓ cup)

finely chopped white onion

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240 g (1 cup)

finely chopped unpeeled tomatoes

Origin · ItalyNot yet stocked in British Columbia

Scant 60 ml (scant ¼ cup) finely chopped fresh cilantro

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chile perón (Capsicum annuum var. perón), seeds and veins removed, finely chopped — OR 2 chiles serranos (Capsicum annuum), finely chopped

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

heaped tablespoons finely chopped pitted green olives

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80 g (⅓ cup)

diced peeled sweet red pepper

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

3 tablespoons

light olive oil

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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Finely shredded cabbage

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Tomato slices

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Raw egg or hard-cooked egg slices

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

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The Method

Place the ground beef in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour over the lime juice, turn to coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (up to 6 hours is fine). Turn the meat every hour so the acid reaches all surfaces evenly. The beef is ready when it has lost its raw red colour throughout.

Remove from the refrigerator. Add the onion, tomatoes, cilantro, chile, olives, sweet red pepper, and olive oil. Fold together gently.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust chile and acid if needed.

Rest in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes, then serve mounded on tostadas or alongside hot corn tortillas. Top with shredded cabbage, tomato slices, and egg if desired. Serve immediately.

From the canon — Tostadas are corn tortillas fried in oil or baked until completely crisp and dry. Tostadas (fried or baked crisp tortilla base) →

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