So, do you want to walk on the wild side and start eating raw meat…but, too scared to gorge on a raw steak? Well, here’s a recipe that will lure you into the deliciousness of raw meat, coupled with other flavours. I swear, you will forget that it’s raw meat…the flavour combo is so good.
First, start with a piece of beef, preferably low fat, for better texture when cutting the ultra thin slices. If you want less beefy flavour, go with tenderloin. If you want more of a beefy flavour, go with a tougher cut, like sirloin tip. In this case, the photo shows a sirloin tip. Wrap it up in plastic wrap, and put it freezer. Let it freeze solid (takes several hours).
When you are ready to make the carpaccio, start with adding fat to a fry pan. In this case, beef tallow was used
While the fat in the pan is heating up. Take out about a tablespoon of capers. Let them drain and dry up a bit in a dish
When the fat is hot, throw in the capers. They will start frying, but more importantly, they will pop open a bit like popcorn. They will also turn brown and crispy.
When they are brown and crispy, take them out of the pan immediately, and onto a plate. Set aside, let them cool. Don’t snack on these little beauties…they are sooooooo delicious! They taste like vinegary popcorn.
Take the frozen meat out of the freezer, and place on a cutting board
Unwrap one end of the meat log…the side that you will start cutting your thin slices
Using a serrated knife, cut very very very ultra thin slices of beef. Since the meat is frozen solid, this gives you the advantage of making paper thin slices. If you have trouble holding on to a cold chunk of meat, use a cloth towel to protect your hand from frost bite
Place your thin slices of beef on a dish, in any decorative pattern you wish. Don’t freak out if the slices are curling while cutting, as they will straighten up when thawed. But, be careful where you place the slices on the plate. Once they thaw, it will be nearly impossible to move them around, without tearing them
Place a nice piece of fresh lemon on the plate. In the next steps, you will need extra virgin olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. In this case, I used a nice fleur de sel from France, and a D.O.P. quality extra virgin olive oil from Italy.
Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil all over the plate
Add the crispy little fried caper beauties
At this point, you can add other things you may like, as in arugula leaves, and shaved parmesan cheese. In this case, added some shaved Pecorino cheese
Add a bit of salt and ground pepper, and the masterpiece is done!
The perfect bite (with a squeeze of fresh lemon)
