What is Carpetbag Steak?

Question

TasteAtlas · Accepted Answer

Carpetbag steak is a meat specialty that couples the decadent flavors of boneless beef steak and fresh raw oysters. Rather than going on top of the meat, as is usually the case with other similar combinations, the oysters are meant to be tucked snugly into a pocket created in a thick end cut of a rib-eye steak (called scotch fillet steak in Australia).

Once stuffed, the pouch is either sealed with skewers or sewn up with twine, and the steak is then ready to be pan-seared, grilled, or broiled, usually until the meat is still rare. Despite its strong connection to Australia, a common assumption is that America has been the original birthplace of this delicacy, but still, the exact origins of the dish remain unclear.

Carpetbag steak gained an iconic status around 1950, in Sydney, Australia, which is probably how the link between it and Australian cuisine came about. Read more

There’s evidence, however, that the dish was a common menu item in US restaurants such as the Los Angeles-based Chasen’s - earlier than the 1950s, which sets back the Australian claim on it. According to one theory, Luis Diat is credited as the inventor of the dish since his book Cooking a la Ritz, published in 1941, contains what is generally accepted as the first printed recipe of this specialty.

Although the dispute over the origin of carpetbag steak may continue, the combination of beef and oysters is known to precede this invention. Historically, people often smothered steaks with oysters or threw them into a pot with meat, and they also made savory pies with a filling of beef and oysters.

Unfortunately, this once highly-prized meat delicacy has gradually fallen into oblivion, and nowadays there’s rarely a restaurant that offers it on their menu.