Seattle restaurant Joule's chef Rachel Yang was doing the Korean-American mashup thing long before it became a national trend. Here's her Korean barbecue-inspired take on tartare, a dish I saw (and ate) across the country this year.
THE MEAT Yang uses a tender cut of beef from the chuck known as teres major. "You want lean beef," she explains. "Higher-fat beef doesn't melt in your mouth the same way."
THE MIX-INS Yang folds in pickled Asian pear for pucker, brined mustard seeds as a nod to classic Dijon, scallions for freshness, and toasted pine nuts, which bring the toasty quality that bread typically delivers.
THE SALAD She tosses a tangle of red watercress in Sherry vinaigrette, providing a sharp contrast to the flavor of the meat.
THE SEASONING Just before serving, Yang dresses the meat with a sweet-salty mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder), Chinese mustard powder, and sugar.
THE AIOLI Instead of a front-and-center egg yolk, Yang's tartare has a rich aioli spiked with mentaiko, or spicy cured cod roe, for heat and brininess.