What is Carpaccio
In common parlance, carpaccio is a recipe based on raw meat (bovine or equine), lean and poor in connective tissue, cut very thin or beaten to a thickness of about a millimeter; associated seasoning and side dish vary depending on the single recipe.
NB . The preparation of carpaccio does not necessarily include the use of chemical cooking in lemon juice or white vinegar, sometimes mistakenly called "marinating".
Types
Carpacci could be divided into several categories according to various criteria. The simplest regards the nature of the food: meat, fishery products, eggs, cheeses, vegetables and fruits; of the same, carpacci can be differentiated: fresh, preserved, raw and cooked.
As for meat carpaccio, the most famous are undoubtedly fresh veal and beef (fillet and sirloin), but also roast beef, salted meat or bresaola, suppressed ribs, breast baked goose, corned tongue etc.
With regard to fish, the most famous are: fresh tuna, sea bass, amberjack, sea bream, croaker, salmon, lobster or lobster etc; but also swordfish and smoked tuna, steamed lobster or lobster carpaccio, octopus suppressed carpaccio etc.
The carpacci of eggs concern only those cooked hard, while those of cheese affect products with elastic dough, like some pecorino, emmental, fontina, etc.
The carpaccio of vegetables and fruits tend to be used to add a touch of class to the menu. The most famous examples are: the melon carpaccio (which marries with prosciutto), the citrus carpaccio (which sometimes accompanies fish crudités), the summer fruit carpaccio (to be included in fresh fish carpaccio dishes), the tomato carpaccio or those of cucumbers, courgettes and peppers (as a side dish in salads or decoration of dishes).
Condiments
As mentioned, the raw carpaccio of meat (but also that of fish) does not necessarily have to be chemically cooked in lemon juice or white vinegar. This middle ground between a marinating and a chemical cooking is quite aggressive and, although it increases the digestibility by protein denaturation, it totally compromises the taste of the food.
Lemon juice or vinegar should instead be used, together with oil, salt and spices, for the definitive seasoning; citrus fruits are very suitable for fish and raw meat, while white vinegar gives a very pleasant acrid note to cooked or semi-cooked meats. Both can be part of a semi-emulsion with extra virgin olive oil; the two versions are called vinegrette and citronette.
Some carpaccio, especially those of meat accompanied with dried fruit or other seeds or cheeses, are enhanced by the addition of balsamic vinegar.
Salt and pepper (ground black or white, green or rose grains) are almost always present, unlike aromatic herbs and spices, which change depending on the season and the main ingredient. The most well-known: parsley, basil, fresh oregano, marjoram, lemon verbena, mint, citrus fruit peel etc.
As far as sauces are concerned there would be a great deal to say. Obviously, this is a condiment so personal and specific that it would be impossible to mention them all. The most general and widespread ones concern: mustard sauce, shrimp or balsamic vinegar glaze, pickled vegetables in vinegar, stewed onions, green sauces, compotes and jams etc.
Octopus carpaccio
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeNutritional Features
The beef carpaccio is a food that mirrors the nutritional characteristics of the main ingredient. The only significant difference concerns the addition of seasoning fats, or extra virgin olive oil. The following will be the nutritional translation of a typical and very simple, mildly seasoned carpaccio of beef (85g of beef sirloin, 5g of extra virgin olive oil, 5g of chopped parsley, 5g of lemon juice; salt and pepper QB).
Nutritional composition for 100 grams of seasoned Beef Carpaccio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Beef carpaccio is a food that can serve as an appetizer and / or dish.
It has a medium energy supply, supplied almost equally by lipids and proteins; carbohydrates are almost absent, as are fibers. Cholesterol is present in significant quantities.
The fatty acids of the carpaccio of beef are mainly monounsaturated and the peptides have a high biological value.
Among the mineral salts, the most indicative of beef carpaccio are iron and potassium, while for vitamins it is especially niacin (vit. PP).
Beef carpaccio is suitable for most diets, except for the nutrition of pregnant women. This is due to the hygienic implications of the food; to learn more about this aspect of raw meat carpaccio can be useful reading: The risks of raw meat.
Background
The first traces of the carpaccio can be traced back to the 20th century. In fact, only in the middle of the 1900s, the famous chef Giuseppe Cipriani developed this recipe to satisfy the needs of Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo. She could not eat cooked meat, which is why the cook designed the dish based on beef sirloin cut so thin that it looked like a sheet. The dish was finished only with the addition of a sauce.
The name "Carpacio" was chosen in honor of the painter Vittore Carpaccio, who used very bright colors in his works (just like the red of raw meat).