Beef Tataki • Best Beef Tataki in Ponzu Sauce {Video} • Two Purple Figs

The beef tataki is made using premium cut of beef, which the tenderloin for us. Lightly seasoned and seared over very high heat briefly. Then the beef is wrapped, chilled and thinly sliced with a gorgeous rare interior. 

You won’t see blood as you would cook any rare beef, since the process of chilling removes that. You’ll just soak up the melt in your mouth tenderloin slices drenched in a ponzu sauce. 

Why You’ll LOVE Beef Tataki Recipe

• It’s a 5 star restaurant appetizer or main, made affordable at home!
• All you need is 10 minutes of cooking and prepping time.
• You can easily arrange to make this in advance, as there’s a chilling time for the beef.
• The flavors are impeccably delicious from the Ponzu sauce.
• A world of textures in this dish! Melt in your mouth tender beef, crunchy fried onions, luscious smooth ponzu sauce and buttery avocados on the side. 
• This recipe is easy to make for a potluck or party, it’s great for sharing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Beef. We use beef tenderloin, aka filet mignon as it’s super tender, lean, melt in your mouth texture and smooth beef flavor. You can substitute it with Ribeye Steak.
• Seasoning. A simple salt and pepper is all you need to season the beef.
• Ponzu Sauce. A combo of fresh ginger, lime juice (or yuzu), orange juice, sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, scallions.
• Garnish. More scallions, fried onions (store bought or homemade), coarse black pepper and sliced avocados. 

How to Make Beef Tataki

Beef

1. Start by seasoning the tenderloin steak with salt and pepper generously on both sides.
   
2. Sear the steak over high heat with butter. 
   
3. Make sure there’s a crisp golden crust before flipping and continuing to sear on the other side.
   
4. My best tip here is to also sear the sides of the filet mignon as well for maximum flavor! You’ll need to sear each side for about 2 minutes and the sides for about 2 minute each.
   
5. At that point the steak is ready to wrap really well. Use a regular plastic wrap and tightly wrap the steak, place it in the fridge to chill for about 2 hours. 
   
6. Once chilled, you’ll remive the plastic wrap, use a super sharp knife and slice the meat. Now you’re not going as paper thin as the Beef Carpaccio or Tuna Carpaccio here. You want about an eighth of an inch thick slices as shown above.

Ponzu Sauce

1. To make this delicious bright, zesty and flavor packed sauce, add all the ingredients listed in a large bowl. 
2. Simply use a whisk to blend them all together. 
3. Pour the sauce at the bottom of your serving plate. 

Assemble the Tataki

1. Now that the beef is ready, the ponzu sauce is spread at the base of the serving plate, you’ll start assembling the beef tataki.
2. Carefully layer the sliced beef over the ponzu sauce in a single layer, and layer some sliced avocados next to the meat slices.
3. Sprinkle some fried onions– we used store bought for convenience and we we actually LOVE how crisp and flavorful they are! And also sprinkle some thinly sliced scallions or chives on top. You’re all set to devour!!! 

Tips For the BEST Tataki Recipe

1. Use premium and quality beef, as this will be consumed rare.
2. Make sure you sear the meat really well, on ALL sides! Both sides at fist for 2 minutes each and then the sides as well for 1 minute each side.
3. Wrap the meat really well to seal in the juices when you’re chilling it.
4. A sharp knife is KEY to even slicing. Chilling the meat does help with neat slices, but a good knife is essential nonetheless.
5. The Ponzu sauce is classically made using Yuzu, a Japanese citrus that tastes like a blend of lemon and grapefruit. I’ve tried it, along with Yuzu Salt and Sugar from The Spice House–and they’re SO GOOD! It’s hard to find however, so we use a combo of lime and orange.
6. For convenience, we used store bought fried onions, as they’re so tasty and crispy. You can make them at home if that’s your preference and you can likewise try fried garlic chips.
7. We LOVE serving Beef Tataki with some slices of avocados on a plate drenched in Ponzu sauce, however you can just serve it as is.

Can You Make Beef Tataki Ahead of Time?

Easy Beef Recipes

Beef Tips And Rice
Steak Tartare
Steak Bites with Parmesan Cheese
Beef Carpaccio
Best NY Strip Steak
Ribeye Steak
Grilled Sirloin Steak
Grilled Tenderloin with Rosemary Lemon Butter