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Updated Beef Carpaccio

Beef carpaccio is served raw. It can be chilled or served at room temperature - I prefer room temperature.

When I first watched Jamie Oliver prepare beef carpaccio, I was utterly impressed. Until then, I would never have considered preparing this dish or even thinking of it as something interesting. This recipe is based on his method and preparation, but you could create something even more of your own using the basic technique. Note: Beef tenderloin is a very expensive cut of meat. This is without doubt a dish for very special occasions. My recipe is for a main course and would serve 4. If creating an appetizer platter, you can adjust accordingly.

What you need

  1. 1 beef tenderloin portion of 2-2.5 lbs.
  2. 1 Tbl brown mustard seed
  3. 1 tsp Fennel seed
  4. 2-3 Tbl fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
  5. 2 tsp coarse black pepper (freshly ground)
  6. 1 tsp kosher salt
  7. Olive Oil
  8. 3/4 - 1 lb. asparagus
  9. 1/2 cup sour cream
  10. 1 Tbl prepared horseradish
  11. 1 mild red chili pepper (such as rocotillo) cut into 1/2 x 1/8 inch strips
  12. 2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
  13. Shaved asiago, parmesan or crumbled bleu cheese (don't overdo if you use bleu)
  14. Kosher salt

How to make it

  1. Remove beef from refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 1 hour before cooking)
  2. Cut asparagus into 1/4 - 1/3 inch pieces on the diagonal
  3. Drizzle asparagus with a little olive oil and sauté with salt & pepper until just tender - set aside
  4. Combine horseradish and sour cream - add kosher salt to taste
  5. In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, crush the mustard and fennel seed
  6. Combine mustard, fennel, rosemary, pepper and 1 tsp salt - place onto a large board or piece of aluminum foil
  7. Heat a grill pan or ridged skillet over high heat - it must be very hot
  8. Roll room temperature beef in spice mixture, pressing into the meat well around sides but leave ends un-spiced
  9. Lightly oil the grill pan/skillet
  10. Place beef on grill and sear very quickly on all sides - a total time not more than 5 minutes
  11. Remove meat and let stand for 5 minutes
  12. Slice as thinly as possible
  13. On a very large platter, lay out beef slices in a single layer
  14. Dust lightly to taste with kosher salt
  15. Spread asparagus pieces randomly over the top
  16. Spoon a bit of the sour cream mixture here and there partially over asparagus and partly over beef
  17. Sprinkle green onion and chili pieces over all
  18. Top with a scant amount of cheese randomly placed

Serve at room temperature accompanied with Caesar Salad or other very simple salad. You will not need a knife to enjoy this dish. The beef is extraordinarily tender.

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