Burn out and raw food - steak tatar

I am done for the year. Like seriously done for the year. Not much time off this year, break ups, moves and builds and work and work and work. I am wanton for motivation, inspiration and at least two days to sleep and potter and renew my license disc and my passport and my ID book. Right now, so far as tasks go, the admin seems monumental. I just want to play now. Play all day long. Surely it has to be December soon?

With all the above in mind, my best friend called me yesterday and said: I just want to tell you something. I am so proud of you. This year, you have been through a shitty break-up, bought a house, built a house and still did well with work and you didn't fall apart. You just did it. And I am so proud of you and you have a beautiful flat now. Thank you Jeana Theron, you are my rock and my mind-reader and now you have a flat too. I love you madly.

But with burn out comes lethargy and laziness, and today was no exception. It could also have something to do with going out to The Bohemian last night, albeit briefly. It was my first time there and certainly a cultural journey into something I can't really put into words. It was good fun though but going out on Sunday nights leaves me anxious and does not make for a zen Monday morning and has left me having to work till 10pm this evening.

It is getting really warm and cooking for one is a bit of a chore on a hot Monday night, but I made a pact with myself when I moved in by myself that I will sit at the table and have a meal in the evenings, even if it is on my own, which I really don't mind to be honest. As an only child, I enjoy my own company just a little too much (but revel in attention when it's offered). I knew I would feel this way tonight so I planned accordingly. I went to my local butchers today (Dunkeld butchers, they are truly the best, especially for biltong) and bought 250 grams of minced prime fillet for steak tatar. Now being raw meat means it is not to everyone's taste and being raw meat means that buying the highest quality, fresh meat is critical.

Typically steak tatar is marinated raw meat in wine or other spirits, spiced to taste, and eaten chilled. It is often served with onions, capers and seasonings (the latter incorporating fresh ground pepper and Worcestershire sauce), sometimes with a raw egg, and often on rye bread. The wine or spirits almost cook the meat but I usually buck this trend and marinate mine in lemon juice instead, the acidity of the lemon juice does the same thing as the alcohol essentially.

Served with a salad and some melba toast, it really is a treat and a healthy if not slightly alternative way of eating red meat. This is how it's done:

Ingredients; (serves 2)

250 grams of prime minced beef
2 tablespoons of chopped capers
2 chopped pickled cucumbers
2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of Tobasco
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (I misspelt this is a previous blog)
juice of 1 large lemon
1 egg yolk
generous pinch of black pepper
ditto salt

Method:

Mix all ingredients together (love this, as this is all you do)!

Serving suggestion: Melba toast and a rocket salad.