SERVES 4
This dish appears as the first course in the Meat Lover’s menu (here). Be particularly choosy with your meat in this recipe, as carpaccio is, plain and simple, raw beef (“cooked carpaccio” is an oxymoron), pounded to tenderness to turn it into a delicacy. Get out your sharpest chef’s knife to cut your beef super-thin; freezing the tenderloin briefly beforehand makes slicing easier. (Alternatively, you might ask your butcher to slice your beef for you.) The pickled vegetables served alongside cut the richness of the meat, and yuzu dressing adds a sour note to this Hell’s Kitchen take on classic Italian carpaccio. Yuzu is a tart citrus fruit common to Japanese cuisine; its flavor is similar to grapefruit with notes of mandarin orange. The fruit is rarely found fresh in this country, so look for yuzu juice in Asian food stores. If unavailable, grapefruit juice may be substituted. Note that the pickled vegetables must be set up a day ahead.
6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2½ tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 radishes, thinly sliced, on a mandoline if you have one
1 large carrot, thinly sliced, on a mandoline if you have one
½ small fennel bulb, thinly sliced, on a mandoline if you have one, plus fronds for serving
1 small garlic clove, smashed
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (remove the seeds if you prefer it less spicy)
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 tablespoons yuzu juice or 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1–1½ tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon minced garlic
Zest of half a lemon
¼ cup canola or grapeseed oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces beef tenderloin from the tip end of the roast
IN a small saucepan, heat the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, and salt, mixing to dissolve. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and cool slightly.
COMBINE the radishes, carrots, fennel, garlic clove, black peppercorns, and jalapeño in a bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, mixing to combine. Fold in the cilantro. Transfer to a jar fitted with an airtight lid.
IN a small bowl, whisk together the yuzu juice, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, and lemon zest. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
WRAP the tenderloin in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours.
UNWRAP the meat and thinly slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Lay the meat onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Top with another sheet of plastic wrap and gently pound the meat with a meat mallet until paper thin.
DIVIDE the carpaccio among four plates. Top with pickled vegetables, fennel fronds, and drizzle with yuzu vinaigrette.