Matambre is a traditional Argentine beef dish made by rolling vegetables, eggs, sausage, and spices into a flattened flank steak. It can be adapted to different ingredients and cooked slowly in broth or on a low-heat grill. The dish is usually served thinly sliced as an appetizer and can be served hot or cold. The name’s origin is disputed, with some theories suggesting it means “hunger killer” and others linking it to regional words for “shoe leather.”
Matambre is an Argentine beef dish that is prepared by rolling vegetables, eggs, and savory ingredients like sausage and spices into a flattened flank steak. Steak is usually cooked slowly, in a broth or on a low-heat grill, until the meat is just tender and the vegetables have softened. There are many matambre variations, many of which correspond to different regions and culinary traditions of Argentina and neighboring Uruguay. The dish can also be adapted for virtually any ingredient a cook has on hand.
There are no fixed ingredients for matambre. Likewise, almost all versions include hard-boiled eggs and various vegetables, especially peppers and onions. Most recipes call for raw vegetables, although some cooks sauté or heat the vegetables quickly before starting. All ingredients will have a chance to cook fully, but prepping the ingredients can enhance the overall flavor.
The defining feature of any matambre is the flank steak. A long, thin piece of meat usually works best, and cooks often tenderize the steak with a meat mallet or other blunt object to ensure it’s a smooth, even texture throughout its surface. The meat is usually done after it’s evenly flattened, but many cooks choose to rub it with olive oil or other marinades to add tenderness and seal in the moisture.
After preparing the meat, cooks begin layering the other ingredients in the center. The idea is usually to create an even spread of vegetables, cheeses, eggs and other meats, especially bacon and sausage, on the surface of the flank steak. After this is achieved, the steak should be rolled, jellyroll style, to create a thick log. To keep the filling from falling apart during cooking, cooks typically secure the block with butcher’s twine or other secure string.
Matambre has to cook for a long time – usually at least a few hours – for the flavors to cook together. The most traditional way to cook rolled stuffed flank steaks is over a fire. Cooks typically wrap the rolls in foil or place them in a deep, flameproof pot to simmer over the flames. Most modern cooks use barbecues for similar results.
Cooking steak in a savory broth is another popular means of preparation. Here, the tied roll is dipped and simmered, often in a beef broth, until the meat is cooked through and the flavors are set. Regardless of how matambre is prepared, it is almost always served the same way: thinly sliced, usually as an appetizer. It can be served hot or cold.
There is some controversy as to how the dish was named Matambre. One theory is that the name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words matar, meaning “to kill,” and hambre, meaning “hunger.” According to this school of thought, the dish is a “hunger killer” both for its richness and for its role as an appetizer. A less popular saying is that the word “matambre” is a variation of some regional Argentine words for “shoe leather,” which is supported by the tough, flat nature of the core flank steak.
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