Called 'Texas Tartare,' This Town Turns Raw Ground Beef Into A Delicacy

Raw beef is commonly served in the form of beef or steak tartare, an elevated appetizer that's become popular in upscale restaurants. It's made from seasoned minced beef often paired with add-ons such as capers, shallots, and other bold flavor enhancers. But there's one variation of this tartare dish you probably haven't heard of, and it lives in a small corner of Texas called Medina County. Enter, Texas tartare.

The dish is formally called parisa, and it's typically made from ground beef combined with American or cheddar cheese, jalapeños, onions, and lemon or lime juice. There are certain variations, including swapping the jalapeños with another spicy pickled pepper, but for the most part, the dish is a blend of acidity, heat, and richness from the cheese. It does closely resemble classic beef tartare, with the exception of the cheese addition, and it's usually eaten with nothing more than salty crackers, such as saltines.

The beef remains raw, but the citrus juice does cure it mildly. While beef is the most-used meat type, it can also be made with venison due to how common hunting is in the area. The type of beef used might vary per recipe, but you can make it with something lean, such as eye of round. However, there's always a risk with consuming raw meat, so know where and how to buy good-quality meat before trying to make it at home.

Parisa is a staple in Medina County. Alsatian immigrants (those who moved to Texas from Alsace, a region in France) invented the dish as far back as the mid-1800s. For the most part, the recipe never ventured beyond the county's borders. There's no right or wrong time to eat this staple snack. It can be prepared for individual enjoyment, at parties, tailgates, and even as a wedding menu addition.

These days, the dish is so ingrained in Medina County culture that many locals eat it regularly. There are even cook-offs that establish the best parisa around. Many recipes have their own individual spins, but some of those spins have remained unchanged for years. In some ways, parisa is a love child between a few dishes: beef tartare, of course, but also chips and salsa, a citrusy raw ceviche, and even mett, a German raw pork dish. Still, though it shares commonalities with all of the above, it's certainly its own delicacy.