Appetizers

Beef Carpaccio

Introduction

Ever wondered how to slice raw beef so thin it practically melts on your tongue? I considered Beef Carpaccio strictly restaurant fare until I discovered how easy it is to prepare. All you need is a sharp knife, plastic wrap and something with weight, like the bottom of a small saucepan, to flatten the beef. I prepare and plate the beef in advance, cover with plastic and refrigerate until needed. When I’m ready to serve, I remove the plastic and top the beef with freshly dressed salad, shaved Parmesan and fleur de sel. Perfect for those lazy summer days when you just don’t want to turn on the oven.

Beef Carpaccio

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

■ 8 ounces beef tenderloin fillet
■ Salad greens
■ 1/2 cup grapeseed or other mild-tasting oil
■ 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
■ 1 tablespoon shallots, sliced
■ 3 1/2 ounces fresh Parmesan shavings
■ Freshly ground pepper
■ Fleur de sel

Cooking Instructions

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the beef as thin as you can manage.

Place about an ounce of sliced beef on a sheet of plastic wrap and cover with a second layer of plastic wrap.  Gently pound the plastic-wrapped beef until it’s paper-thin; the bottom of a small pot or a light roll of a rolling pin works well. Remove the top layer of plastic and invert the exposed beef onto a plate. Cover the beef and plate with plastic and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Whisk the grapeseed oil and vinegar in a small bowl and season with salt.

Just before serving, remove the plastic from the beef, toss the salad with vinaigrette and heap it on the beef along with the sliced shallots, freshly shaved Parmesan, cracked black pepper and a pinch of fleur de sel.

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