Carpaccio of Lone Mountain Wagyu

Carpaccio of Lone Mountain Wagyu with Pickled Nasturtium Seeds, Wild Radish Pods, Shaved Beemster Cheese and Saffron-Mustard “Yolk” 

A few months ago I spent some time in the Belgian countryside looking for culinary inspiration.   I was amazed that most restaurants offered both carpaccio and steak tartare on the menu.   I had the opportunity to try several different local variations in Europe and was intrigued enough to create my own version here in Big Sur.

To make a great carpaccio you need to start with an incredible piece of meat.  Many chefs use beef tenderloin, but I prefer to use part of the sirloin as it is a far more flavorful cut, and equally tender when sliced paper thin.  Lone Mountain Ranch Wagyu is my preferred source for beef because of its high standards of production and product traceability.

Next you need to incorporate spice; arugula and mustard are the two most common ways.  Right now we have a number of spicy herbs growing in the garden and wild on property.  I chose to use wild mustard and radish flowers as well as pickled wild radish pods and pickled nasturtium seeds.  These ingredients add a potent heat to the dish that is balanced by light acidity and pleasant floral notes.

In a traditional carpaccio shaved parmesan adds saltiness and texture.  I decided to go with a super-aged gouda finely grated on the microplane.

You need crusty bread to enjoy the dish - so our baker made a rye baguette with black garlic and nasturtium petals folded into the dough.  Instead of raw egg, we created “yolks” out of Dijon mustard, saffron and local honey.