Why It Works
- The hint of browned or smoky flavor from a chilled seared steak adds depth to the other flavors in traditional steak carpaccio.
- Serving the carpaccio as a dressed salad delivers optimal flavor in each bite and makes the dish easier to eat.
Despite finding a second home for the steak I cooked with Adam Savage in the form of this easy seared steak tataki with cucumbers and ponzu, I still found myself with leftover, refrigerated, perfectly seared rare steak, with no place to go. My wife, Adri, is a huge lover of carpaccio, though we manage to order it only once or twice a year. That's partly because meat is a rare order for us (no pun intended) at a restaurant, and also because it's become so darn difficult to find a good version.
Most restaurants serve flavorless frozen beef, sliced thinner than you'd actually want it (carpaccio shouldn't have the texture of wet tissue paper) and presented in suboptimal ways. Typically, carpaccio is served by tiling a plate with thinly sliced beef; drizzling that beef with olive oil; scattering it with capers, Parmesan shavings, and onion slivers; and perhaps placing a little pile of arugula in the center, along with some lemon wedges.* Eating it becomes an exercise in balancing capers on the beef, trying to make sure that enough lemon gets on each bite, and dragging undressed arugula through the olive oil in an attempt to dress it. It's not ideal.
*I don't want to even get into the places that squirt massive amounts of mayo-like dressing or—god forbid—balsamic vinegar over the surface. This exists, and it is not pretty.
To solve those issues, instead of simply slicing and topping, I decided to thinly slice my steak and use it to make something more like a salad version of carpaccio.
This way, you ensure that everything is dressed and seasoned properly before it even gets to the table. Chopped capers worked into a vinaigrette lend their flavor to each bite. Lemon juice is suspended in an emulsion that coats greens evenly (and, for the sake of tradition, you can even leave a few lemon wedges on the plate for anyone who likes their carpaccio extra lemony). A small dollop of whole-grain mustard enhances the brightness of the capers and helps with the emulsion. Beef, arugula, cheese, and onions can all be picked up in one forkful. It just makes more sense to me.
In fact, I liked this salad so much—including the little hint of smokiness that the grilled steak gave it—that I don't think I'll ever order regular carpaccio again. Does anyone else want to join me in my Make Carpaccio 3D movement?
July 2016
Recipe Details
Steak Carpaccio Salad Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (25g) capers, drained, rinsed, and chopped
2 teaspoons (10ml) whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon (15ml) juice from half a lemon, the other half cut into wedges
3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula leaves (about 3 loosely packed cups; 85g)
1 1/2 ounces (45g) red onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion), very thinly sliced
4 to 6 ounces (115 to 170g) leftover cooked steak, sliced as thinly as possible
1 ounce (30g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Directions
Whisk together capers, mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add arugula and red onion and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving dish, arrange steak and Parmesan shavings on top, and drizzle with any dressing remaining in the bowl. Sprinkle steak with a little salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.
Special Equipment
Whisk, sharp chef's knife or slicing knife, vegetable peeler
Read More
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
428 | Calories |
36g | Fat |
8g | Carbs |
21g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 2 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 428 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 36g | 46% |
Saturated Fat 9g | 46% |
Cholesterol 67mg | 22% |
Sodium 854mg | 37% |
Total Carbohydrate 8g | 3% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 21g | |
Vitamin C 14mg | 70% |
Calcium 213mg | 16% |
Iron 2mg | 12% |
Potassium 427mg | 9% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |