Last Updated on 23rd April 2022 by
How to Make Beef Carpaccio at Home: 5 Delicious Carpaccio Recipes You Should Try!
Beef carpaccio is a gourmet appetiser that’ll wow your guests. It’s quick, tasty, and super simple to make. Not fond of beef? Not a problem! You can also make carpaccio using several types of seafood, including salmon, octopus, and tuna. There’s even an egg yolk carpaccio recipe. It’s amazingly versatile!
In this article, I’ll show you how to make beef carpaccio at home and other alternative carpaccio recipes for seafood lovers. Let’s start cooking!
What Is Beef Carpaccio?
Beef carpaccio is a classic Italian dish that uses raw beef as the main ingredient.
Eating anything raw in any context understandably makes many of us hesitate; after all, we’ve been told time and time again about the dangers of raw meat and salmonella.
But here’s the thing: beef carpaccio isn’t made with any slice of beef. Because it’s served raw, this recipe asks you to choose only the highest quality meat from the butchers. The rarer the breed, the better the flavour and texture it’ll have.
Beef carpaccio doesn’t specifically call for a specific type of beef. As long as it’s high-quality, you’ll be able to use it. The most commonly used cut for this dish is often the centre of the fillet. If you’re craving a more intense flavour, sirloin is a good alternative.
If you somehow manage to get your hands on a slice of Kobe or Wagyu beef, you’ll be in for a delicious treat. These cows, originally bred in Japan, tend to have a deep, melt-in-your-mouth flavour and consistency even when prepared raw. They’re exceptionally rare and often dubbed as the most expensive beef in the world.
In contemporary cuisine, carpaccio can also be made with seafood as its main ingredient. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you can even serve carpaccio with thinly sliced vegetables or fruits.
Raw Beef Carpaccio Recipe With Capers
If you want a taste of the Italian classic, I highly encourage you to try this beef carpaccio recipe. It’s flavourful, delicate, and exceptionally mouthwatering!
This recipe makes about two servings.
Raw Beef Carpaccio Recipe With Capers
Ingredients
- ⅓ pounds beef tenderloin or fillet
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Handful baby or wild arugula, or mixed baby salad greens
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- Tightly wrap the beef and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes or so until it's slightly frozen but not solid. Doing so allows you to cut the meat easily.
- Using a sharp knife or slicer, cut your beef paper-thin. It must be so thin that you'll be able to look through it when you hold the slice up.
- Place the beef you've just sliced on a cold plate. You’ll need the plate to be cold as you work, so I suggest putting a bag of frozen vegetables underneath it to keep the temperature constant.
- Add the capers, arugula, and mixed greens on the plate atop the beef. Drizzle a generous amount of oil and your favorite vinaigrette. Top it off with black pepper and salt to taste.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Roast Beef Carpaccio Recipe Gordon Ramsay Style
If raw beef is not your thing, you’ll surely enjoy the next recipe I have in store. Inspired by Gordon Ramsey, this beef carpaccio recipe calls for roasted beef instead of raw.
This recipe also makes about two servings.
Roast Beef Carpaccio Recipe Gordon Ramsay Style
Ingredients
- ⅓ pound beef rib eye
- 1 tbsp fresh chives snipped
- 1 small beetroot, thinly sliced and cooked (optional)
- 1 small black truffle, fresh (optional)
- Handful frisee lettuce
- A handful of celery cress or mustard cress
- A drizzle of vegetable oil or olive oil
Dressing
- 50 grams crème fraîche or sour cream
- 5 grams butter
- 10 grams trumpet or chestnut mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp truffle oil
- 12 tsp sherry vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to about 350 to 390°F.
- Place your beef into a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper, and brush generously with oil. Then, roast it in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the beef reaches an internal temp 97°F.
- Once properly roasted, roll the beef into parchment paper and transfer it to a sealable container. Leave it outside without the lid and allow it to cool down, then place it in the fridge for 2 to 12 hours before slicing.
- Melt the butter in a small pan and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat for about a minute.
- Roughly chop the mushrooms and place them in a bowl with crème fraîche, vinegar, truffle oil, and olive oil. Whisk the dressing thoroughly until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice the beef as thinly as possible with a slicer and place it on a cold plate. Drizzle the dressing on top of the chilled beef and garnish both plates with your vegetable of choice. Gordon Ramsey’s favorites are frisee lettuce, celery, and chives.
- To finish off this delicious beef carpaccio recipe, add a fresh shaving of truffle and season the beef with pepper.
- Enjoy!
Fresh Salmon Carpaccio Recipe
This salmon carpaccio Japanese recipe is perfect for seafood and sushi lovers. It makes for a great hors d’oeuvre platter or cocktail party appetiser. If you’re not a big fan of salmon, you can use the same method to make a tuna carpaccio recipe.
This dish makes four servings.
Fresh Salmon Carpaccio Recipe
Ingredients
- 7-10 ounces salmon fillet
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Capers or mixed greens of your choice
- 2 small lemons (squeezed)
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wrap your salmon fillet in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.
- Using a fillet knife, thinly slice your salmon into about 2mm slices. If you're not a big fan of raw salmon, you can also use smoked salmon as a substitute.
- Place your salmon slices neatly on a plate. If you want to serve it immediately, place a bag of frozen veggies underneath the plate to keep the plate's temperature as cold as possible while you work. Otherwise, leave it as is.
- For the dressing, squeeze two lemons in a small bowl and add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley. Drizzle your dressing on top of your salmon and garnish with capers or mixed greens. Serve immediately.
- If you're serving it for later, cover your salmon plate with a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to let the juices marinate. Take it out of the fridge for about 10 minutes before serving, and top off with fresh greens of your choice.
Japanese Hamachi Carpaccio Recipe
Hamachi is a type of Japanese migratory fish that’s often called amberjack, yellowtail, or buri in the US. This fish carpaccio recipe is buttery, rich, and delightful!
Ingredients
- ½ pound sushi-grade hamachi or yellowtail fillet
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-2 small tomatoes, sliced
- 1 jalapeno with seeds removed, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ponzu sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Slice your hamachi fillet into paper-thin slices and place it on a cool platter.
- Brown your garlic in a pan with butter or olive oil until golden brown and crunchy. Set it aside to cool.
- Thinly slice the tomato and jalapeno and place it over the hamachi.
- Prepare your dressing by mixing all the ingredients listed above. If you prefer the taste of delicate sashimi, you can marinate the fish in the dressing for 20 minutes before serving. However, if you like your fish fresh, bright, and crisp, serve immediately after drizzling the dressing on it.
- Top off the dish with garlic and enjoy.
Octopus Carpaccio Recipe
If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, try your hand at this delicious octopus carpaccio recipe.
Don’t worry, the octopus isn’t served raw like other seafood carpaccios. You can buy pre-cooked octopus from a Japanese market or buy a raw octopus and boil it yourself at home for about 30 minutes.
Octopus Carpaccio Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pound boiled octopus sashimi
- 1 whole tomato
- ¼ onion, chopped into small cubes
- English or Japanese cucumber
Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- Black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the boiled octopus into thin slices, anywhere from between 1 to 4mm. The thinner, the better.
- Arrange it neatly on a plate, wrap it in plastic, and place it in the refrigerator for later use.
- Mince the onion finely and soak it in water for about 5 to 10 minutes to get rid of the bitter taste and strong smell. Then, cut the cucumber and tomato into small pieces. Combine all vegetables in a bowl and add the above-mentioned seasoning. Mix until well combined.
- Remove the octopus plate from the fridge and add the prepared vegetable dressing on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Final Thoughts
Beef carpaccio, and all the alternatives thereof, is extremely easy to make. They act as a brilliant side dish or appetiser. Try the above recipes and let me know what you think. Happy cooking!
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!