Nightshade Free Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Capers
Raw beef tenderloin pounded to near-translucency and draped across a platter is one of those dishes that looks impossibly elegant but comes together with just a sharp knife and a little patience. The bright lemon dressing — built with fresh juice, zest, and a whisper of ground ginger — lifts the richness of the beef without leaning on any of the usual nightshade suspects like hot sauce, Worcestershire, or black pepper-heavy blends that sneak into so many classic versions. Peppery arugula, briny capers, and fresh parsley do all the heavy lifting in the flavor department, and every single ingredient here is naturally free of tomatoes, peppers, and their relatives. The brief freezer rest is the real trick: it firms up the tenderloin just enough to slice paper-thin without any special equipment. Because the beef is served raw, sourcing from a trusted butcher and keeping everything cold until the last second is non-negotiable — but that's the only real rule to follow. This is the kind of dish that makes a dinner party feel effortless, and nobody at the table needs to know how quickly it came together.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the carpaccio
- 8 oz beef tenderloin, trimmed of any sinew
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Wrap the beef tenderloin tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 25–30 minutes, until the exterior is firm to the touch but not frozen solid — this makes slicing and pounding much easier.
- 2
Remove the beef from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a very sharp knife, slice the tenderloin crosswise into rounds as thin as possible, about 1/8 inch thick.
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