Turmeric Free Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Capers
Raw beef carpaccio is one of those dishes that looks impossibly elegant but comes together with just a sharp knife, a little patience, and genuinely good ingredients. Thin-pounded slices of beef tenderloin are draped across a platter, dressed in bright lemon and olive oil, and finished with peppery arugula, briny capers, and fresh herbs — it's the kind of plate that makes a dinner party feel effortless. Many spice blends and restaurant versions of this dish sneak in warm, earthy seasonings that can be hard to identify, but here every ingredient is straightforward and clearly listed, so there's no guesswork involved. The dressing leans on lemon juice, lemon zest, and a touch of ground ginger for its gentle kick, keeping things clean and vibrant without any hidden additions. The technique of briefly freezing the tenderloin before slicing is the real secret — it firms up the meat just enough to get those paper-thin rounds without any special equipment. Because the beef is served raw, sourcing a fresh, high-quality tenderloin from a trusted butcher is the one step worth taking seriously, and the recipe makes that point clearly. The result is a showstopping starter that tastes as refined as it looks.
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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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