Matambre Recipes

MATAMBRE - ARGENTINE ROLLED, STUFFED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Butterfly the steaks by slicing them horizontally from one long side to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of the opposite side.
• Pound the steaks between plastic wrap to flatten them further.
• Trim of all sinew and fat.
• Lay one steak cut side up on a 12x18-inch jelly-roll pan.
• Sprinkle with half the vinegar, half the garlic, and half the thyme.
• Cover with the other steak, also cut side up, and sprinkle with remaining vinegar, garlic, and thyme.
• Cover and marinate for 6 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Lay the steaks end-to-end, in the direction of the grain of the meat, so that they overlap by about two inches.
• Pound the overlapping area to join them securely.
• Spread the spinach leaves evenly over the meat, and arrange the carrots across the grain of the meat in parallel rows about 3 inches apart.
• Place the egg quarters between the carrots.
• Scatter the onion rings over the meat, and sprinkle the surface with the parsley, salt and pepper.
• Carefully roll the matambre with the grain, jelly-roll style, into a thick, long cylinder.
• Tie at 1 inch intervals.
• Place the matambre in a large casserole or roasting pan along with the beef stock.
• Add enough cold water to come a third of the way up the roll.
• Cover tightly and bake at 375°F for one hour.
• To serve hot, remove the matambre to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Remove strings and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• Moisten with a little pan liquid, which can also be served on the side.
• Alternately, press the matambre under weights to until the juices drain off, refrigerate thoroughly, and slice as above.

MATAMBRE WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the flank steak: Prepare an outdoor grill for cooking over direct and indirect heat (if your grill has a thermometer, aim to keep the temperature at about 350 degrees F throughout grilling).
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring and finely crumbling with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
• Set the flank steak on a cutting board. Use a knife to score the steak down the middle against the grain, halfway through its thickness. Working from the center line, out toward the edges, cut thin flaps from the score to the edge, like a gatefold. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Chop the cilantro, parsley, olives, pickled jalapenos and garlic together on a cutting board to make a chunky paste. Brush the steak with the mustard. Spread the herb paste over the steak, leaving empty a 1-inch border around the edges. Pat to adhere the paste to the meat. Starting a third of the way in from the right, make 4 equidistant lines of egg. Between the egg lines, mound lines of chorizo, then carrots and then peppers, covering all but that first third of the steak's surface. Roll the steak around the fillings like a jelly roll, from the filled to the empty side. Tie closed at 2-inch intervals around the circumference with kitchen twine. Tie 1 more piece of twine lengthwise around the meat.
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the steak on the direct-heat side of the grill to brown all 4 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the steak to the indirect-heat side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally and testing the temperature frequently, until the very center reads 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, for a steak that is well-done on the outside and medium-rare in the center, 25 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the matambre to a cutting board to rest.
• For the chimichurri sauce: Finely chop the cilantro, parsley and garlic on a cutting board. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the red pepper flakes, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the olive oil.
• Untie and slice the flank steak into 6-thick slices on a slight bias. Serve with the chimichurri sauce for drizzling.

STUFFED FLANK STEAK (MATAMBRE)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a boning knife to butterfly flank steak: Working across the grain, make a cut down the center, but only halfway through meat. At the top of that cut, make perpendicular cuts, one in each direction, this time with the grain. Again, cut only halfway into steak. Repeat perpendicular cuts at the other end of the center cut. Cuts should resemble the letter H.
• At the top of the original center cut, hold the knife parallel to the meat and insert knife. Slice toward you, making a pocket. This cut should almost reach the outer edge, halfway through the meat's thickness. Repeat on other side. Open the flaps.
• Season meat liberally on both sides with salt and pepper, then place it cut side up, wide side facing you. Season with marjoram, cumin and garlic and cover it with a fairly even layer of parsley-cilantro mix. Then arrange carrots, olives and onions horizontally over the full width of the meat. Scatter a relatively even layer of watercress over all.
• Roll meat up from the bottom like a jellyroll; grain of steak should run length of roll. Tie in three or four places with butcher's twine.
• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to accommodate rolled steak. Deeply brown it on all sides, about 15 minutes total, then transfer pan to oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Or, put meat in a clean baking dish, weight it with a plate with something heavy on it and chill overnight. Take matambre from refrigerator and slice it into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces about an hour before serving at room temperature.

ARGENTINE STUFFED FLANK STEAK: MATAMBRE

Steps:

• Butterfly the steak by slicing lengthwise and opening it up like a book. Pound the meat gently with a mallet to flatten and even out the thickness; rub all sides with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper.
• With the steak lying lengthwise, scatter the spinach leaves evenly over the surface of the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Arrange the carrots in long rows across the steak, about 2 inches apart. Put the egg strips and olives between the carrot rows. Scatter the onion rings and cheese over the filling, sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Carefully roll the meat up over the filling, from bottom to top, into a long thick cylinder (jellyroll-style.) Tie with butcher's twine to hold it together, as you would a roast.
• Coat a large Dutch oven or pan with olive oil and put over moderate heat. Lay the stuffed steak in the hot oil and sear until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in the wine and enough water to come up almost to the top of the meat. Toss in the head of garlic, onion, and herbs to flavor the broth. Cover, and slowly simmer on medium-low heat until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning the meat over once halfway through cooking. Taste the broth before serving and adjust spices, if necessary.
• Transfer the matambre to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove the kitchen strings and cut crosswise into 1-inch slices ¿ the colors of the filling will look absolutely gorgeous spiraled in the steak. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve. Matambre is good hot, room temperature, or cold.

MATAMBRE - ARGENTINIAN STUFFED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Prepare grill: Prepare your grill for cooking over medium direct heat.
• Butterfly the flank steak: Using a sharp knife slice it and open it up like a book (see instructions above for how to butterfly a flank steak). If you want to make the meat thinner, you can pound it with a mallet to flatten it out and even out the thickness
• Make chimichurri: In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, cilantro, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
• Spread sauce over steak: Spread the cilantro and parsley mixture over the flank steak, and brush it evenly over the entire surface of the steak.
• Assemble matambre: Arrange the quartered eggs in 3 rows across the flank steak at different intervals. Repeat with the sliced peppers. Carefully roll the meat up over the filling, I did it from left to right, across the grain, jelly roll style. Tie with butcher's twine to hold it together. Season the outside of the roll generously with salt and pepper.
• Grill: The temperature on your grill should read around 400 F degrees. Place the roll on the grill and grill on both sides for about 4 or 5 minutes per side, about 20 minutes in total.
• Rest: Let the roll rest for 15 minutes before slicing into it.

CLASSIC MATAMBRE

Steps:

• Step 1: Butterfly the flank steak: Position the flank steak lengthwise at the edge of the cutting board. Place one hand on top to hold it flat. Using a sharp, slender knife, cut through the side of the steak to butterfly it (open it up). As you cut, fold open the top to help you see what you're doing. Open the meat up like a book. ShareTweetPin14 Shares Step 2: Place a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, 24 inches long, on your work surface, shiny side down. (It's okay to double up two smaller pieces of aluminum foil.) Arrange the strips of bacon on a sheet of aluminum foil, running parallel to an edge and leaving 1-inch spaces between slices. Lay the butterflied flank steak on top of the bacon, with the grain running parallel to the bacon and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and vinegar. ShareTweetPin14 Shares Step 3: Starting at the edge of the meat closest to you, arrange kielbasa, celery, carrot, ham, cheese, and bell pepper on top of the steak in neat parallel rows, alternating colors. Repeat this sequence until all the filling ingredients are used up. Leave the last 2 inches of meat uncovered. ShareTweetPin14 Shares Step 4: Starting at the edge closest to you and using the aluminum foil to help you, roll up the meat with the filling to make a tight roll. Wrap the foil around the meat, twisting the ends of the foil. Using the tip of a paring knife, poke holes in the aluminum foil at 1-inch intervals. Tie the meat in several places with butcher's string. The matambre can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. ShareTweetPin14 Shares Step 5: Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium. When ready to cook, place the roll on the hot grate and grill until cooked through and the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning with tongs every 15 or 20 minutes. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 24 to 30 fresh coals after 1 hour. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer: The internal temperature should be about 180°F. Transfer the matambre to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string and foil and cut the roll crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Serve hot or at room temperature. ShareTweetPin14 Shares

ROLLED FLANK STEAK (MATAMBRE)

Steps:

• Trim most of the fat. If there's any part that's thicker than the rest, slice and open it like a book so that the whole meat is more or less the same thickness. Place the meat, trimmed fat side up on the working surface and the part where you want to start rolling, nearest to you.
• Season the meat with some salt and black pepper.
• Leaving around 2 inches empty space, start by placing the roasted sweet bell pepper on the meat in a line, followed by the carrot strips. Leave some space between them. Continue making the vegetable lines until the end of the meat.
• Sprinkle chopped garlic and parsley evenly all over the meat, followed by grated parmesan.
• Place the boiled eggs in a line at the beginning of the meat, nearest to you. Grab the eggs with both hands, together with the meat and carefully roll it tightly into a log. Using a kitchen twine, start by tying one end of the rolled flank steak to secure it so the filling doesn't come out. Then continue tying the whole log tightly. Run the kitchen twine lengthwise also, just to double secure it. No matter how you do it, the objective is to tie the log tightly. Set aside.
• Fill a half a pot with water, vegetable bouillon powder, salt and bring it to a boil. Find a pot that's huge enough to fit the rolled flank steak without having to bend it. When the water is boiling, carefully place in the rolled flank steak inside the pot. Add more hot water into the pot until it covers the whole log. Cover the pot halfway with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Important note: The water level should always cover the whole log during the cooking time. Add more hot water as needed.
• After 1 hour, turn off the heat and fully cover the pot. Leave the rolled flank steak in the pot, in the broth, until it's completely cooled. This can take a few hours. Make sure the log is fully submerged in the broth. This will prevent it getting dry and turning dark.
• After it has completely cooled, remove from the pot and wrap it tightly with some cling films. Keep in the fridge overnight before slicing it. The next day, remove the cling films and slice the rolled flank steak in 3/4 inch thickness. Don't slice too thin as the filling might fall out. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

ARGENTINA SKIRT STEAK - MATAMBRE

Steps:

• Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish and set aside while you prepare the marinade.
• Combine the bell pepper, garlic, oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Pour over the steaks in the baking dish and toss well to coat. Add the bay leaves, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• Combine the ingredients for the spice mixture in a small bowl.
• When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Drain the steaks and place on the hot grate. Sprinkle the steaks with half the spice mixture and grill, turning with tongs, until medium to medium-well done, about 4 minutes per side, sprinkling with the remaining spice mixture after turning.
• Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let stand about 3 minutes, then cut into 1-inch squares and serve on toothpicks.
• Serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main dish.

MATAMBRE A LA PIZZA (ARGENTINIAN FLANK STEAK PIZZA)

Steps:

• Place the pounded steak into a large baking dish. Season the steak with salt and pepper and cover it with milk. (Add a little extra milk if the steak is not completely covered.)
• Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion and garlic, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, chile flakes, and salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 10-12 minutes.
• Remove the marinating meat from the refrigerator 1 hour before you want to grill it, to let it come to room temperature.
• Preheat grill to a medium-high heat.
• Drain the milk from the steak, discarding the milk. Pat the steak dry.
• Place the steak on your preheated grill and grill the first side for 5-7 minutes, uncovered.
• Flip the flank steak.
• Spread the cooked side with your prepared pizza sauce. Spread the mozzarella cheese over the sauce, and top with the tomatoes (and other toppings if desired).
• Cover the grill and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the steak is done and the cheese has melted.
• Remove the steak from the grill and let it stand for 5 minutes before slicing, to let the juices settle.
• Garnish the matambre a la pizza with oregano to serve (if desired). Serve with roasted (or grilled) potatoes and grilled bread.

MATAMBRE ARROLLADO (ARGENTINIAN STUFFED FLANK STEAK)

Steps:

• Place the flank steak on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, butterfly the steak by gently slicing it in half through one of the long sides so that you can unfold the steak like a piece of paper that has been folded in half. Leave one side connected, creating one large, flat steak.
• Once butterflied, pound the steak with a meat mallet until it is an even thinness throughout.
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil.
• Place the steak in a large, seal-able container (or Ziploc plastic bag). Pour the marinade over the steak, making sure it is evenly coated. Cover the steak and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Remove the steak from the marinade and place it on a flat surface so that the grain of the meat is parallel to you.
• Season the steak lightly with salt and pepper.
• Evenly distribute the chopped spinach, chopped parsley, and minced garlic over the whole steak, leaving a 1 inch edge (the edge furthest from you) free of filling.
• Lay rows of sliced carrots, pepper strips, and quartered eggs parallel to you (with the grain of the meat). Leaving a 2 inch edge at the end the steak.
• Carefully, tightly, roll the steak up around the filling, starting with the edge that is closest to you.
• Place the roll seam-side down on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
• Tie the roll in three places with kitchen twine or thread.
• Bake the roll at 350F for 1 hour.
• Once done, remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve hot or cold with chimichurri sauce (see the recipe below).

MATAMBRE

Steps:

• Place the meat in a glass dish. Mix together the vinegar, garlic and thyme. Pour over the meat and let marinate for 1 or 2 hours at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Wash the spinach under cold running water; drain and trim off the stems. Spread the leaves evenly over the meat. Lay the carrots, in rows, across the grain of the meat. Place the egg quarters between the rows of carrots. Scatter the onion rings over the eggs and carrots, then sprinkle the parsley, red pepper flakes and salt over all. Carefully roll up the meat with the grain, jellyroll fashion. Secure with toothpicks and lace up with string or tie with string at 1-inch intervals. Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Add the stock, cover tightly, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the matambre from the pan to a board and let rest for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, remove the strings and cut the roll into ¼ inch slices. Arrange on a heated platter and moisten with a little of the cooking broth. To serve cold: In Argentina, the matambre is poached, then removed from the pot and pressed under weights until the juices drain off. It is refrigerated until chilled, then served as a hors d'oeuvre, cut into thin slices.

MATAMBRE RECIPE

Steps:

• Butterfly the steak by slicing lengthwise and opening it up like a book. Pound the meat gently with a mallet to flatten and even out the thickness; rub all sides with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper.
• With the steak lying lengthwise, scatter the spinach leaves evenly over the surface of the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Arrange the carrots in long rows across the steak, about 2-inch apart.
• Put the egg strips and olives between the carrot rows. Scatter the onion rings and cheese over the filling, sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes.
• Carefully roll the meat up over the filling, from bottom to top, into a long thick cylinder or jellyroll style. Tie with butcher's twine to hold it together.
• Coat a large Dutch oven or pan with olive oil and put over moderate heat. Lay the stuffed steak in the hot oil and sear for 5 to 7 minutes until browned on all sides.
• Pour in the wine and enough water to come up almost to the top of the meat. Toss in the head of garlic, onion, and herbs to flavor the broth.
• Cover, and slowly simmer on medium-low heat for about 1½ hours until the meat is fork-tender, turning the meat over once halfway through cooking. Taste the broth before serving and adjust spices, if necessary.
• Transfer the matambre to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove the kitchen strings and cut crosswise into 1-inch slices. The colors of the filling will look absolutely gorgeous spiraled in the steak.
• Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve. Enjoy!