Beef Carpaccio

[Marlene]

There seems to be some diversity on how to make beef carpaccio. Some recipes indicate searing the tenderloin first, others advocate just slicing it raw.

Now that I have a meat slicer, this is on my list of things to try. i'm thinking beef carpaccio with a horshradish sauce and shaved parmesan.

Tips, ideas?

[bandregg]

My favorite preperation is raw with a little flavorful olive oil, arugula, and shaved parmesan. I also like a touch of lemon. But really, if you're going to slice tenderloin the simpler the flavors the better.

[TongoRad]

A place I go to does a really nice presentation that turns out to be pretty functional as well. They mound the arugula (dressed with a bit if olive oil) in the center of the plate and then lay the sliced beef on top of that. It gives the plate some height, but more importantly the beef doesn't stick to the plate- I've had the dish in a number of places where I have had that exact problem and it is a bit of a pain to eat. This particular version is dressed with a bunch of shaved parmesan on top, and capers and chopped red onion are scattered about the perimeter.

I have made carpaccio at home before and the trick I used to get nice thin slices was to make sure the beef was partially frozen beforehand. Maybe the method of searing is to allow the beef to 'set up' for the slicer?

Edited May 8, 2006 by TongoRad (log)

[snowangel]

Marlene, I've had it raw and seared. I like either one equally. The simpler the better. I like a few capers with it, as well.

I think that the beef will slice easier (even if you are using a slicer) if it is slightly frozen. But, perhaps someone who has made it can weigh in on this.

[Jason Perlow]

Marlene I think the key thing with carpaccio is you want to use a pristine cut of filet, and then you want to put it in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes to facilitate slicing. You don't want to put a beef tenderloin in a meat slicer without it being firmed up first.

An nice alternative to the Euro style of Carpaccio, you can do a Beef Tataki, which is the same sliced beef with a scallion/soy/ginger/lemon/sesame oil dressing on it.

Try it with a sashimi grade tuna as well:

Again the key feature here is the beef or the fish itself, you don't want a sauce that totally overwhelms it. A thin emulsion of olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper added, with perhaps some chive or other herbs finely chopped up in it, sparingly applied is what you want.

I think it is also helpful if the serving plates are pre-chilled.

Edited May 8, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Jake]

What Jason et al said. Definitely freeze the beef slightly. Baby arugula is excellent right now and I always add a few capers for flavour. I like crostini on the side rather than plain bread. I've never seen any reason to sear.

[Ann_T]

I've had it both ways before too, but I prefer it raw. Drizzled with olive oil, parmesan cheese, capers and a little fresh squeezed lemon. And lots of fresh ground black pepper. I've also had it served with toasted pinenuts .

Ann

[alanamoana]

depending on when you're serving it after slicing, you'll also need to take into consideration oxidizing of the meat. slice it onto plastic wrap, put another sheet of plastic directly on the surface and press out any air. that way, you can do several servings without the beef getting warm, dried and brown. it is rather tricky to manipulate those thin slices of beef.

when you're ready to serve, just remove one side of the plastic wrap, flip the meat over your plate, and remove the other sheet of plastic. i think that's why the standard presentation is the meat stuck to the plate. would be harder to remove the meat on top of a pile of lettuce unless you're doing that presentation a la minute.