Beef carpaccio is a delicious and elegant Italian appetizer made from thinly sliced raw beef. This delicate dish showcases the deep rich flavor of quality beef in a surprisingly simple preparation.
With its origins in Venice, carpaccio has become popular on Italian restaurant menus around the world. Home cooks can also master making restaurant-quality carpaccio with just a few key steps.
Keep reading to learn all about the history, preparation, and best practices for serving beef carpaccio so you can add this iconic appetizer to your repertoire.
A Brief History of Carpaccio
The creation of beef carpaccio is credited to Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy in the 1950s.
As the story goes, Cipriani invented carpaccio for a countess who couldn’t eat cooked meat according to her doctor’s orders. So the innovative chef came up with a preparation of thinly sliced raw beef dressed with a light sauce.
When Cipriani admired the vibrant red hue of the thinly sliced beef, it reminded him of the red paint used frequently by Vittore Carpaccio, a Renaissance artist from Venice. Cipriani decided to name his new raw beef dish “carpaccio” as a nod to this connection.
Cipriani’s creative appetizer caught on quickly across restaurants in Italy and internationally. Soon carpaccio joined antipasto spreads everywhere as the classic way to highlight excellent beef.
How to Make Beef Carpaccio
While making carpaccio requires some advanced knife skills, the preparation is actually quite straightforward. Follow these basic steps:
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Select high quality beef. Tenderloin, sirloin, and filet mignon are traditional cuts used for carpaccio. Choose beef with good marbling from a trusted butcher.
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Trim the beef of all external fat and sinew. Carpaccio puts the spotlight on the flavor of the beef alone.
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Season the beef before chilling with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and herbs (optional).
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Chill the beef for 8-48 hours to develop flavors. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
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Slice the beef paper-thin, ideally with an electric slicer. Otherwise use a very sharp knife.
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Arrange the slices attractively on chilled plates.
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Dress simply with olive oil, lemon juice, and desired garnishes like capers or herbs.
That covers the basics of making a classic beef carpaccio appetizer. Now let’s explore some key details and serving suggestions.
Choosing and Preparing Beef for Carpaccio
Selecting the right quality beef and handling it properly makes all the difference for carpaccio. Here are some tips:
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Go high-end with cuts like filet mignon, tenderloin, or sirloin. Inspect the color and marbling.
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Trim thoroughly to remove exterior fat and sinew. Only the interior marbling should remain.
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Pat dry and season with salt, pepper, citrus juice, and herbs (optional).
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Wrap tightly in plastic to prevent air exposure. Chill for 8-48 hours.
Allowing the seasoned beef to chill fully develops the flavors in the carpaccio.
Slicing the Beef Paper Thin
Achieving perfectly thin slices takes special tools and skill:
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Use an electric slicer for the thinnest, most even cuts. Deli-style slicers work great.
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Otherwise, use a very sharp slicing knife. Chill the beef briefly before cutting.
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Cut against the grain for tenderness. Slice at a shallow angle.
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Aim for a thickness of 1/8 inch or less. Some raggedness is normal for hand slices.
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Slice only what you’ll use immediately, as air exposure degrades the beef’s fresh quality once cut thinly.
Dressing and Serving Carpaccio
Transform your sliced beef into an elegant carpaccio with these tips:
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Let sliced beef reach room temperature before plating for fullest flavor.
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Overlap slices in a single layer on chilled plates. Round plates display it best.
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Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
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Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and any desired garnishes.
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Avoid over-garnishing. The pristine beef should take center stage.
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Serve immediately to prevent the bright red color from fading.
Enjoy carpaccio as a starter course with Italian cheeses, olives, bread and wine. Learning how to make proper carpaccio allows the phenomenal taste of great beef to impress your diners.
Carpaccio with Other Meats and Seafood
While beef rules in the carpaccio world, the preparation also suits other proteins:
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Salmon carpaccio – Wild salmon replaces beef for a take on this appetizer.
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Tuna carpaccio – Sashimi-grade tuna gets thinly sliced and dressed.
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Venison carpaccio – Lean, tender venison offers a delicious twist.
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Pork, chicken, or turkey carpaccio – White meats need extra acidity for flavor.
Almost any fresh sushi-grade seafood or lean meat can shine when treated like a carpaccio. Let the quality proteins be the star.
Vegetarian Carpaccio
In recent years, “carpaccio” has expanded from meat dishes to techniques for produce. Thinly slicing fruits or vegetables and dressing them with oil and citrus visually resembles classic carpaccio. Of course the flavors differ greatly without rich beef.
Some successful combinations for vegetarian carpaccio include:
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Tomato carpaccio – Sliced heirlooms with olive oil and balsamic
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Zucchini carpaccio – Shaved raw zucchini with lemon and Parmesan
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Portobello carpaccio – Grilled mushrooms thinly sliced
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Melon carpaccio – Thin melon slices garnished with mint
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Beet carpaccio – Earthy beets mimic the color of beef
Get creative with slicing any fresh produce paper-thin either raw or grilled. Dressing them as “carpaccio” makes for an elegant meatless appetizer.
How to Make Carpaccio at Home
Now that you understand the origins, preparation, and serving suggestions for beef carpaccio, why not try crafting this restaurant-caliber appetizer at home?
Follow these steps for success:
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Find high-end beef cuts like filet, sirloin, or ribeye
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Trim away fat and sinew then season with salt, pepper, and citrus
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Refrigerate for 8-48 hours
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Slice the chilled beef as thinly as you can manage
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Arrange slices carefully on chilled plates
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Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, and any desired garnishes
With top-notch ingredients, proper handling, and very sharp knife-work, you can absolutely make incredible carpaccio at home. Offer it as a dinner party starter, or create a carpaccio tasting with beef, seafood, and produce versions.
Once reserved for refined Italian restaurants, nuanced beef carpaccio can now grace your own table. Master this technique, and you’ll be able to enjoy restaurant-caliber carpaccio any night!
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How to Make Carpaccio
There are a couple of ways of making carpaccio. For beef, which is the usual type, start with a beef sirloin or tenderloin. Be sure to get the highest quality of meat available at your local store and you can inform your butcher the cut is for carpaccio. Beef carpaccio is a delicacy you can enjoy at home with these simple steps:
- First, trim all the fat off of the meat. Even though the whole essence of carpaccio is that its raw meat, some chefs will sear the meat on all sides, just to give it a bit more flavor. This step isnt necessary or even all that common.
- The next step is to season the meat with salt and pepper, chopped fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, or cilantro are all good options) and perhaps a splash of balsamic vinegar before wrapping it with plastic and chilling it for at least 8 hours.
- After the sealed meat has had a chance to thoroughly chill, you can proceed with slicing the meat. Carpaccio meat is typically sliced very, very thin. Its possible to do this by hand if you have a very sharp knife and excellent knife skills. But more likely, an electric meat slicer would be the way to go. It can also help to chill the meat in a freezer for 30 minutes or so before slicing. You dont want it frozen solid—just enough to slightly harden the meat and make the meat easier to slice.
Beef carpaccio is usually served with capers, onions, olive oil, and lemon juice, along with possibly some shaved parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Note that some recipes will call for the meat to be pounded thin, which is another way of doing it, especially with a lesser cut of meat, but the preferred technique is to use a good cut of beef and slice it thin.
While beef is the classic carpaccio protein, there are many ways to get creative with other types of carpaccio dishes. Some ideas include:
- Seafood carpaccio with sushi-grade fish, like tuna or salmon, is often on restaurant menus. Sometimes seafood carpaccio will be accompanied with thin slices of jalapeño and a soy dipping sauce.
- Vegetable carpaccio can be any vegetable that is sliced razor thin and prepared on a plate. Feel free to experiment with vegetables—artichoke and fennel could be a good starting place for creative vegetarian dishes.
- Other proteins, such as lamb, veal, and venison can be used in carpaccio. Make sure any protein is the highest quality since it will be eaten raw.
How to Make Beef Carpaccio | Get Cookin’ | Allrecipes
FAQ
Is beef carpaccio always raw?
Carpaccio is always served raw. It is made with thinly sliced beef tenderloin. whereas tartare is made from meat that has been pounded, minced or chopped. The price wasn’t bad on this at all, it was only $31 and it’s a really nice shared plate for two to four people.
Why is beef carpaccio okay to eat?
Yes. By definition, carpaccio consists of raw beef tenderloin sliced extremely thin and served either totally raw or with minimal cooking. When made with high-quality beef and handled properly, this fancy appetizer is perfectly safe to eat.
Is carpaccio totally raw?
Carpaccio is a dish made with thin slices of raw, cured, or slightly cooked meat, fish, or vegetables. The thin slices are typically served chilled or at room temperature and are often topped with a dressing or sauce.
What is the difference between carpaccio and tartare?
Tartare is made by mixing finely diced tuna with various seasonings, while carpaccio typically features minimally dressed, thinly sliced tuna. Unless you’re used to eating sushi, the idea of consuming raw meat may be a bit worrisome.
What to serve with beef Carpaccio?
Beef carpaccio is usually served with capers, onions, olive oil, and lemon juice, along with possibly some shaved parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
What is beef Carpaccio made of?
Beef carpaccio is an Italian appetizer made of thinly sliced raw beef. It is typically drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.
What is Carpaccio & how do you eat it?
Carpaccio (pronounced “car-PAH-chee-oh”) is a traditional Italian appetizer consisting of raw beef sliced paper-thin, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, and finished with capers and onions. In contemporary cuisine, carpaccio can refer to any thinly sliced raw meat or fish, such as tuna, served in this fashion.
What meat is used in Carpaccio?
While beef is the traditional choice, carpaccio can be made with other meats such as fish (tuna or salmon), venison, or even vegetables like beets or zucchini. The essence of carpaccio lies in the thinly sliced raw elements, allowing for creativity in ingredient selection.
What does Carpaccio mean?
In contemporary cuisine, carpaccio can refer to any thinly sliced raw meat or fish, such as tuna, served in this fashion. Even thinly sliced vegetables or fruits are sometimes served as carpaccio. Interestingly, carpaccio is named after an Italian painter who was known for employing bright red in his works, evoking the bright red of the raw beef.
Why is it called Carpaccio beef?
The name “carpaccio” comes from the Italian painter Vittore Carpaccio, known for his use of vivid reds in his artwork. Since carpaccio beef is thinly sliced and has a vibrant red color, it was aptly named after the painter.