Carpaccio of Beef with Avocado, Pine Nuts, Parmesan and Lime Dressing
This is a simple variation on the theme of the classic carpaccio of beef, combined with mild and buttery avocado and a fine dusting of my seasoned salts and ground chili flakes. There really isn't that much more to say to this one now, is there?
Being as I was only going to be preparing one portion, I had my butcher slice the meat for me- there would have been no way to manage it myself. Even half-freezing it like so many
people do is not the best solution. The best way to do the carpaccio, is to take your thin slices of meat and to smooth them out flatter still, using the back of your knife. Do not pound the meat flat, as it only ruins the delicate structure of the meat.
I chose an avocado that was not fully ripe, as I wanted to cut it into the finest slices I could manage. I then sprinkled them very lightly with salt and squeezed the juice of a lime onto them, which "tenderized" the avocado by the time it was ready to be served. To form the rose, simply wrap the slices of avocado around one of your fingers- it's as simple as that!
To assemble the dish, lay out a bottom layer of meat and then put the avocado slices on top to form a circle. Then add a smaller layer on top and set the avocado rose in the middle. Decorate with some toasted pine nuts, a few shavings of Parmesan and freshly chopped chives for that hint of mild onion flavor. I seasoned it with my own made seasoned salt (see my blog entry called "Salt of the Earth") and a little ground chili, another good squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil... so simple and so delicious!
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