Matambre – The Argentine Hunger Killer

Matambre is basically a hearty meat roll of flank steak stuffed with eggs, carrots, and other ingredients. This roll is then boiled in water or milk then roasted.  Matambre is a traditional dish in Uruguay and Paraguay, but it is most commonly associated with Argentina with its abundant supply of beef.

How the Meat Roll Evolved

In Hispanic Kitchen’s Matambre, a Meaty Argentine Delight, Norma Torres gives a short narrative of how this meat roll has evolved through the centuries.

“Matambre is a cut of meat that we know as flank steak. The meat that covers the ribs under the hide. This is a typical Argentine cut and preferred by the Argentine cowboys, or gauchos. The word matambre is in fact two words: matar and hambre. Meaning “mata el hambre,” kills the hunger.

“As time went by, the way to prepare this cut of meat evolved from simply grilling it with some salt to the rolled matambre, which is eaten as a cold cut or as an appetizer at parties and special occasions, usually served with Ensalada Rusa.

“Matambre is cooked in different ways. Grilled, prepared with cheese and tomato like a pizza, broiled, or marinated and then stuffed and rolled and cooked — stove top or in the oven — and turned into this marvelous cold cut for which there are as many recipes as cooks, chefs, homemakers, etc, are in Argentina and all over the world…”

In Wise Geek’s What is Matambre?  C. Mitchell describes the preparation of this Argentine delight.  It all begins with pounding the flank steak with a meat mallet until it is uniformly flattened.

“After the meat is prepared, cooks begin layering the other ingredients in its center. The idea usually is to create an even spread of vegetables, cheeses, egg and other meats, particularly bacon and sausage, across the flank steak’s surface. After this is achieved, the steak should be tightly rolled, jellyroll style, to create a thick log. To keep the stuffing from coming loose during cooking, cooks typically secure the log with butcher’s twine or other bake-safe string.

Matambre must cook for a long period of time — usually several hours, at least — for the flavors to simmer together. The most traditional way to cook the rolled stuffed flank steaks is over a fire. Cooks typically wrap the rolls in foil or place them in a deep, flame-proof pot to slow cook them in the flames. More modern cooks use barbecue grills for similar results…”

In Food Network’s Matambre (Rolled Flank Steaks), Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse gives his still hearty but rather more elaborate version of this dish. He first browns the roll in bacon fat. Then he removes the roll and adds onions, garlic, bay leaf and thyme to the pan. He makes the broth for simmering by deglazing the pan with red wine and beef stock. The roll is then simmered in this mixture until the meat is fork tender.  Later, this liquid is reduced to a sauce; bacon bits are added to it, and the sauce is spooned over the sliced matambre.

Wines that Go Well with Matambre

As a rule, red wines work best with matambre. David Crowley writes about what wines he tried with matambre in Cooking Chat’s Wine Chat: Food and Wine from Down Under.

“We had an ample of array of full-bodied reds to choose from to accompany the beef dish. The 2007 Layer Cake Malbec and the 2006 Jean Bousquet Malbec were particularly fitting matches for the Matambre, an Argentine rolled flank steak preparation with a filling of spinach, provolone and sausage. Malbec originated as a blending grape in France but has really come to shine in its own right in Argentina–it seems made for hearty beef dishes like Matambre. Though from another continent, the 2004 Tintara McLaren Valley Shiraz from Australia also paired well with the beef…”

Truly, the matambre has been transformed from cowboy fare to a dish fit for kings.