There’s a misconception when it comes to cooking beef that every roast needs to be braised. We’ve all become so accustomed to brisket—the long, slow cook, lots of liquid, meat that practically falls apart when you look at it—that sometimes we forget there’s a whole other way to cook a roast.
And honestly? Some cuts are even better when you don’t braise them.
Tender roasts can be dry roasted low and slow, almost like a giant steak. Instead of cooking them until they fall apart, you cook them gently just until they’re beautifully medium rare, then slice them thinly against the grain. French roast, ribeye roast, London broil and silver tip can all work beautifully with this style of cooking.
For this recipe, I took that idea one step further and turned a shoulder roast into my take on beef carpaccio—except instead of serving the beef raw, I gave it a serious pepper crust, seared it hard and then roasted it low and slow at 225°F until the center was perfectly rosy.
Once chilled, I sliced the beef as thinly as I could. I don’t have a deli slicer at home, and if you don’t either, here’s a little trick: place the slices between parchment and gently pounded them thinner with a meat mallet. It gives you those beautiful, delicate slices that you want from carpaccio while still keeping the beef cooked (I skipped this step because I cut it pretty thin with my knife!).
I layered the beef across a big platter and finished it with a drizzle of silan, juicy pomegranate seeds, micro arugula, crispy capers and shallots that I quickly pickled in red wine vinegar. The silan brings sweetness, the shallots bring acidity, the capers bring that salty crunch, and the pepper crust keeps the whole thing savory.
It’s festive and dramatic enough for a Yom Tov table, but what I love most is that it shows just how versatile a good roast can be.
Because sometimes you don’t need another braised brisket. Sometimes you just need a really good piece of beef, a lot of cracked pepper, and a meat thermometer.
Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef Carpaccio
Pepper-Crusted Beef
1 (3 lb.) shoulder roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarse butcher-grind black pepper
2 teaspoons medium ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil
For Serving
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
½ cup red wine vinegar, or enough to cover
Pinch of kosher salt
Capers, drained and dried well
Oil, for frying
Good quality olive oil, for drizzling
Silan, for drizzling
Pomegranate seeds
Micro arugula
Smoked flaky salt
Pat the roast very dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and peppers. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned and crusted.
Transfer the roast to a 225°F oven (uncovered!) and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F for medium rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
Meanwhile, place the thinly sliced shallots in a small bowl. Add red wine vinegar, season with a pinch of salt and allow to pickle for at least 20–30 minutes. Drain well before serving.
For the crispy capers, heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet. Add the well-dried capers and fry until they open slightly and become crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
Once the beef is thoroughly chilled, slice it against the grain as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife. If the slices are thicker than you’d like, place them between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until thin and delicate. Cut particularly large slices into smaller, organic pieces as needed.
Arrange the beef over a large serving platter.
Drizzle lightly with silan and olive oil. Scatter the pickled shallots, pomegranate seeds, micro arugula and crispy capers over the beef. Finish with flaky salt and serve.
Depending on the size of your roast, this can make 2-3 platters, adjust topping amounts accordingly. Reserve any extra meat for roast beef sandwiches.
Related Recipes:
Muhammara Carpaccio
Smoked Salmon Carpaccio
Spring Eggplant Carpaccio
Tomato Carpaccio
Simanim Carpaccio
Melon Carpaccio