Imagine a line graph of dishes cooked at home nationwide. Minus extensive (or any) googling, I envision a single line soaring way above the rest. This would be, of course, the pasta line. Kid-friendly and quick, pasta is almost divinely constructed for dinnertime consumption.
Crawling along the bottom depths of the graph, I see recipes that take a long time to make, active or inactive, especially those with multiple steps and a long list of ingredients and required pot washing. For example: real chicken pot pie, from scratch quiche, a variety of risottos, from scratch layer cakes, and so on.
Completely off the chart would be kimchee, the spicy Korea condiment made from a variety of vegetables and seafood. Almost by definition, kimchee is fermented, preferably packed in a jug buried in the yard. To make kimchee is to step into the world of the long wait, the culinary equivalent of sitting in a busted subway car. Not eagerly embraced.
And yet, there is quick kimchee, cucumber being among the tastiest. As in most kimchee, the main ingredient (cukes) is heavily salted, which extracts a ton of water, allowing it both to absorb the flavorings and come together as a uniform relish rather than a soupy mess. However, the cukes remain crisp, the kimchee is ready to go within a few hours, and even improves over time.
On the other side of the spectrum, steak tartare is fast food: mix ground beef with stuff and serve cold. As it happens, this instant dish goes beautifully with a bit of kimchee: the rich beef balanced by the spicy kimchee. We tossed the beef only with a bit of mayo rather than the usual capers and so on; the kimchee has plenty of spice and acid. Serve this with some toasted bread and you’ve got a powerful mouthful: quick food and slow food, all in one bite.
(NOTE: the recipe makes a ton of kimchee, but it lasts in the fridge for 2 months. It goes without saying, for steak tartare you need high quality beef.)
Steak Tartare w/ Cucumber Kimchee
Makes 8-10 pieces
For the Kimchee (adapted from The Kimchee Cookbook)
6 pounds cucumbers, washed, unpeeled
5 oz sea salt
4 oz fish sauce
3 oz garlic, minced
1 oz ginger, minced
1 oz sugar
3 oz hot chili flakes
1 pound carrots, julienned finely
2 bunches scallions, white and green, sliced thinly
Toast Points
Steak Tartare (below)
- Trim ends of cucumbers, quarter lengthwise and cut in ½ inch chunks. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit in a colander set over a large bowl for ½ hour. Reserve the drained liquid.
- Toss the cucumber with the remaining ingredients as well as the drained cucumber water. Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 months.
- Top a toast point with about 1 tablespoon of the beef and a little kimchee.
Simple Steak Tartare
½ pound high quality beef (filet preferably), ground
2 tablespoons mayo
salt and pepper
1. In a cold bowl, mix the beef with the mayo until combined. Season and keep cold until ready to serve.
