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Beef Carpaccio with Lime Juice and Queso Fresco
Carpaccio was invented in 1950 in Venice. A lady in a restaurant there was unable to eat cooked meat because of an enzyme in it, so the owner/chef of Harry's Bar poured vinaigrette on thin raw beef slices. This dish was named after Vittore Carpaccio, who was a Viennese painter. This artist loved to use a lot of red in his paintings, hence the name of the meat dish because it is colored similarly. To make the best carpaccio recipe, it is essential to use very fresh ingredients, especially if you are making duck carpaccio because the lime juice "cooks" the meat. Other ingredients in carpaccio recipes include thinly shaved parmesan, which goes nicely with the beef taste, and arugula to contrast with the heavier flavors. You can prepare carpaccio a day ahead if you like and store it covered in the refrigerator for an up to twenty four hours.
Whether you want to make beef carpaccio, salmon carpaccio or another kind, you will need a long, very sharp knife to make it, because carpaccio slices are wafer thin. You might want to try freezing the meat an hour before slicing it to make it easier to get very thin slices. Purists claim it alters the taste but most people cannot tell. A restaurant might use an electronic deli slicer to get the fine slices but you are unlikely to have one of those in your kitchen! You can also pound the meat gently between two sheets of plastic using the smooth side of a meat mallet.
Although beef carpaccio made with tenderloin is the classic choice for this dish, you can also try sirloin steak because of its good flavor and texture. The eye of the round is another option and this cut has more flavor than filet steak but is shaped like tenderloin. If you want to use eye round, be aware that there is normally a thin piece of gristle running down the middle, which you might have to remove. Venison and buffalo can also be used to make a carpaccio recipe, and lamb is interesting, although its rich, gamey flavor does not appeal to every palate.
Gourmet Mexican Beef Carpaccio
Ingredients -
1 lb beef tenderloin
1 cup torn arugula leaves
1 oz crumbled queso fresco
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 limes
8 broken tortilla chips
1 sliced red chili pepper
1 sliced green chili pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Remove any tendons or fat from the beef tenderloin and slice it very thinly.
Arrange it over a large platter. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the lime juice and olive oil over the meat, and then decorate the dish with arugula, chili pepper slices, tortilla chips, and queso fresco.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
You can see from the picture how this classic Italian dish (which is also incredibly popular in France) can be given a Mexican flair, with the use of chilies, tortilla chips and lime juice. Carpaccio is a wonderful appetizer and if you enjoy Mexican flavors, you will love this Mexican beef carpaccio recipe. Carpaccio recipes vary a lot and parmesan is the typical cheese used on them but switch the parmesan for queso fresco and you will find that this tangy Mexican cheese goes just as well with the beef taste as parmesan does.
