Beef Tartare with Capers, Pistachio Pesto, and Watermelon-Tomato Salad Recipe

Beef tartare is one of my favorite recipes. The combination of flavors and textures is super complex. As a chef, I take that as a challenge to try to do something new. A pesto based on pistachio gives you all the creaminess that you get from egg in the classic recipe, but the flavor is so much more interesting. Likewise, old-school tartare relies on croutons for crunch, but I opt for fresh watermelon and sliced fennel. All in all, very unusual but very harmonious. Sure it has beef, but in the right amounts, beef is delicious, nourishing, and the saturated fat is negligible and well balanced by the pistachios and olive oil.
Freshness is very important in this recipe. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. If you lay them out in little dishes, it all comes together quickly. The end result always impresses.