Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio (Bò Tái Chanh)

 A fiery, fragrant Vietnamese take on carpaccio — paper-thin slices of raw beef “cooked” at the table by lime juice and layered with herbs, peanuts, shallots, chilli and fish sauce. It’s the kind of dish you eat once and instantly crave again: bright, fresh, crunchy, aromatic.

Ingredients

Beef tenderloin very thinly sliced (freeze 30 min first)

1 lime (juice + a little zest)

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 small shallot finely sliced

1 garlic clove minced

Fresh chilli sliced

Small handful cilantro roughly chopped

Small handful mint leaves (optional but authentic)

1 tbsp roasted peanuts crushed

Crispy fried shallots

A splash of sesame oil

Black pepper

Method

Lay the beef slices on a cold plate.

Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic and a touch of sesame oil.

Spoon the dressing lightly over the beef so the acid starts to “cook” it.

Scatter sliced shallot, chilli, cilantro, mint and black pepper.

Finish with crushed peanuts and crispy shallots for texture.

Serve immediately while the beef stays tender and bright.

Notes

You can also add: shaved onion, a pinch of toasted rice powder (khao khua), or a few drops of nuoc cham to boost umami.

I recommend making this fiery and pairing it with an ice cold Saigon beer.

You enjoyed this? is another raw meat recipe:

Lebanese style tartare