Beef Carpaccio

I could eat the stuff all day, every day!! Raw beef at its finest. Surprisingly simple to make and will really impress without the use of a deli meat slicer. You MUST get top grade beef for this dish. There is no substitute. Best to order more than less (thus the 500gms below) as it gets difficult to cut the further down you gets to the end and you can always use the offcuts for a steak etc

Feeds 2
Ingredients

  • 500gm Top grade Trimmed eye fillet
  • 70gm Parmesan cheese (Reggiano Parmesan or Grana Padano)
  • ¼ cup baby Rocket (or cut up normal rocket)
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • ¼ cup Baby capers (salt or brine washed off)
  • Whole Egg Mayonnaise or
    • 2 egg yolks
    • Vegetable oil
  • ⅓ a Lemon
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
  • Cracked pepper
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Truffle Oil
  • sea salt

What you’ll need for the job

  • Cling wrap
  • Your sharp new knife
  • Potato peeler (or grater)
  • The largest plate you have (or two dinner plates)
  • a glass or ceramic bowl and whisk (if making your own Mayonnaise
  • Cutting board

Method

It is important to get the best part of the eye fillet so ensure your butcher trims all the fat and sinew off... Then roll the eye tightly with the cling wrap and put in the freezer for 1 hour. You need to have the meat almost frozen so that it is still a bit soft, not rock hard.

Quick Mustard Mayo Method

mix 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard with the store bought Mayonnaise, then squeeze in a little lemon juice to loosen it up (you are looking for pouring cream consistency).

 

Freshly Made Mayonnaise

add the egg yolks, mustard and a pinch of sea salt to a bowl and start whisking. Once the egg yolk is broken down start drizzling in the oil a little at a time until thick and well combined. drizzle some lemon juice and season to taste.

 

Unwrap the meat and slice through the log of meat as thinly as possible.  It doesn't matter if the pieces are a bit thick but try to keep them at no more than a couple of mm’s. Lay out on the large plate so that they are 1cm away from eat other.

the plate has been covered with the thin pieces of meat, lay a piece of cling wrap over the whole plate and with your hands, flatten out the meat, pushing it to eat of the other pieces so that there are no longer any gaps between eat piece.

Throw the rocket lightly over the plate, then, using the potato peeler, slice of pieces of the parmesan cheese lightly doing the same (lightly scattered) and then the same with the baby capers.  Finally drizzle over the mustard Mayo. The aim here is to make sure that you get a taste of each ingredient with each mouthful. Lightly drizzle a little olive oil, scatter some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve.