Classic Beef Carpaccio

A Classic Beef Carpaccio is a simple preparation of raw beef that is thinly sliced and dressed with a few ingredients to add flavor and texture to the dish. It’s famously known as a popular appetizer that is great for sharing along with a few other dishes. The richness of the thinly sliced Beef is paired with freshly squeezed Lemon Juice and Olive Oil, adding a nice contrast of acid and fat. It can be topped with various toppings, with the traditional toppings typically being Arugula and Balsamic Vinegar. It’s a wonderful dish to kick off a meal and to showcase the amazing flavor of raw beef

The key to a great Carpaccio is good quality Beef

All cooking benefits from good quality ingredients, but it is especially important when the protein you are using is prepared raw. In the case of a Classic Beef Carpaccio, the cut of Beef to use is Tenderloin / Filet. It’s the most tender cut of Beef, so it will be the most enjoyable to eat raw

Unlike other popular cuts of beef like Ribeye and NY Strip, good quality tenderloin isn’t identified by how much marbling it has (the thin ‘vein’ like fatty strands that run through Beef). In fact, you want to get a cut of Tenderloin that doesn’t have any fat on it at all. Any fat on the Beef should be trimmed before it’s sliced

Good quality Tenderloin is a lot more challenging to find in my opinion, because you’re not looking for distinctive marks. My best piece of advice is to do some research and locate a local butcher who is known for their quality sourcing of produce. Have a conversation with them about your plans to make Carpaccio and they’ll steer you in the right direction on the best cut to buy

You won’t need a whole lot of Beef to make Carpaccio

Because the Beef is so thinly sliced, and eating raw Beef can be quite a rich and filling experience, you don’t need a lot of Tenderloin in this recipe. A typical 4 oz. cut of Filet / Tenderloin will be more than enough to make 2 large plates of our Classic Beef Carpaccio

I would suggest that 1 plate of this dish is enough for 2 people to share, mainly because of how rich the eating experience is, and that it’s typically served as a starter and not the main course. So, 1 stand size 4 – 5 oz. cut of Beef will be enough for 2 people

How to prepare the Beef to serve raw

Beef Tenderloin is, like its namesake, super-tender. This is great when ti comes to eating but presents more of a challenge when it comes to slicing. Cutting into raw, room temperature Beef Tenderloin is challenging, and you’ll likely end up with squashed pieces of meat that won’t present well on the plate

To best prepare the Beef, wrap it rightly in some cling film so that is hold its shape, and then freeze it. Once it’s frozen, I like to leave it out at room temperature for about 20 minutes before slicing. Cutting frozen Tenderloin makes for much easier work, and you’ll be able to keep the shape of the Beef intact

Always use a sharp, heavy knife when cutting frozen Beef. There is going to be a little bit of resistance, so make sure your knife is freshly sharpened and that you’re cutting on a sturdy, flat surface. Cut thin slices (they don’t have to be wafer thin), as the Beef will be flattened out at the next stage of the dishes preparation

Once sliced, it’s time to flatten out the Beef to make those thin, Carpaccio slices

The hallmark characteristics of a Classic Beef Carpaccio is super thin slices of quality Beef. To get the Beef super thin requires it to be pounded out. This is an easy step, and so much fun! Place your slices of Beef on a large piece of cling film that’s laid out on a flat surface (like your kitchen bench). Allow enough space between each of the pieces, as they’ll expand when they’re flattened)

Lay another piece of cling film over the top so that they are sealed on both sides. This step is to protect the Beef from getting damaged when pounded, and avoids any dirt to get onto them from whatever you’re pounding them out with

The device to pound or flatten out the Beef is totally up to you. All you need is a somewhat heavy, flat bottomed utensil. I used a standard Saucepan which I find works great because it’s got a heavy base and is large enough to cover the entire piece of Beef

I recommend avoid using the classic rolling pin if you can. You want to hit the Beef evenly with every strike, and a rolling pin doesn’t have the appropriate surface area to get an evenly flattened piece of Beef. Just lightly pound the Beef out until it’s flat. You’ll know if you’ve gone too far as the Beef will begin to tear, so avoid doing that

Plating and dressing the Classic Beef Carpaccio

Once you’ve pounded out the Beef into beautiful, thin strands then it’s ready to serve! Carefully peel away the cling film and transfer the Beef straight onto a plate for serving. Try to avoid overlapping it if you can, and use the space on the plate to completely fill it up with the slices of Beef

To finish the dish, it will require some dressing and seasoning. The classic finish to a Carpaccio is a generous squeeze of Lemon Juice, a drizzle of Olive Oil, and Salt. About half a Lemon will be enough juice for 1 plate of Carpaccio, and about ½ tsp. of Olive should do the trick

I recommend using Flaky Sea Salt to season the dish. The large flakes will dissolve beautifully into the sliced Beef and add a nice, subtle crunchy texture to the dish. Once you’ve added these three key elements you can get creative with additional seasoning

We tried a few different combinations when preparing our dish, including Arugula, Parmesan Cheese, Balsamic Glaze, Capers, and Horseradish Cream. They all worked to a certain extent, but just remember when every additional element you add to the dish, the more it will take away from the pure flavor of Beef

I personally found that the Parmesan Cheese and Balsamic Glaze tasted so good. Just use it sparingly as both ingredients have strong flavors. A few drops of Balsamic and a couple of slices of Parmesan Cheese will be perfect to finish your delicious homemade Beef Carpaccio!

Classic Beef Carpaccio Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 – 5 oz. Beef Tenderloin / Filet
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• ½ tsp. Olive Oil
• Flaky Sea Salt
  
  

Optional Toppings

• ¼ cup Arugula
• A few shavings of Parmesan Cheese (use a Potato Peeler)
• ¼ tsp. Balsamic Glaze
• 1 tsp. Capers
• 1 tsp. Horseradish Cream
  
  

Instructions

1. Wrap the Steak in cling film to hold its shape and then freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 20 minutes
2. Using a sharp knife, slice thin strips of the Beef and lay them out on cling film on a sturdy surface. Allow space between each slice of Beef
3. Cover the beef with another layer of cling film and then pound the Beef out with a heavy based flat bottom object (eg: a Saucepan). Avoid aggressively bashing the Beef as this will break it. Pound out enough so that thin, large pieces form
4. Peel away the cling film then place the Beef pieces on a serving plate. Avoid overlapping if possible
5. Finish with Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, and Flaky Sea Salt. You can add additional accompaniments like Parmesan, Balsamic, Capers, Arugula, or Horseradish Cream if you like
   
   

Recipe Notes

• The optional toppings are your personal preference. I suggest adding one and tasting it before you add them all
  Serve the Beef immediately once sliced. Avoid slicing it in advance
  
  

This simple and delicious Classic Beef Carpaccio recipe is a great way to kick off a meal, or to simply showcase some fun techniques in the kitchen. The dish is rich and packed full of flavor, even when you keep it to just the traditional toppings of Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, and Salt

For more tasty Appetizers like this one, check out these delicious dishes:

• Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce
• Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
• Easy Steak Tartare
• Panko Calamari Rings
  
  

Happy Cooking!