Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio (Bo Tai Chanh)

This carpaccio is so simple and yet so fresh and flavourful. Though, I would probably call it a ceviche more than a carpaccio, because the citrus juice slightly cooks the beef, whereas in a carpaccio, we would be searing the outside of the eye of round before slicing it. This would be wonderful on top of a simple green salad or tossed with some watercress. Notice in the pictures above the difference in the colours of the raw beef vs. the marinaded beef.

Ingredients:
1 lb of beef eye of round
5 tbsp chopped cilantro
5 tbsp chopped chives
3 tbsp chopped thai basil
1 shallot, sliced thinly
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
3 tbsp fish sauce

Method:
1. Place the beef eye of round in the freezer for about 30 minutes before slicing. This makes achieving thin slices much easier. If your slicing skills aren't quite up to par and you end up with thick slices, you can places the beef slices inbetween two sheets of saran wrap and pound the slices out with a mallet or even the bottom of a saucepan.
2. Marinade the beef slices in the lemon juice, orange juice, and fish sauce for 20 minutes, or until the beef becomes slightly light brown.
3. Drain the citrus and fish sauce from the beef.
4. Add the chopped cilantro, chives, basil, and thinly sliced shallot to the beef and mix.
5. Serve immediately!