Matambre Arrollado (Argentinan Stuffed Flank Steak) Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (2024)

Matambre Arrollado is a flavorful Argentinian Stuffed Flank Steak that makes a unique and beautiful main dish or appetizer.

What is Matambre?

Matambre is a cut of beef that is commonly found in the cuisine of Argentina and Uruguay.

Literally translated from Spanish, the word “matambre” is a combination of two words: “matar” and “hambre”.

“Matar” means “to kill”, and “hambre” means “hunger”. Therefore, “matambre” is literally a “hunger killer”.

It is thought that this thin cut of meat was so named because it cooked quickly on a hot grill, making it the perfect appetizer to serve while the other meat is cooking.

The matambre cut comes from the bottom of the ribs, and while it’s near impossible to find in the States, a flank steak makes for a great substitute.

What Is Flank Steak?

Flank steak is a lean and flavorful cut of beef taken from the flank, under the loin.

Like matambre, it is a thin cut that is great for marinating and grilling. This is the way it is traditionally used in Colombian cooking, where it is a very common cut of meat on the menu.

How To Make Matambre Arrollado: Argentinian Stuffed Flank Steak

Matambre arrollado is an Argentnian preparation of matambre where it is rolled with vegetables, eggs, and herbs. After rolling, the cut is grilled or roasted, bringing all the flavors together in one beautiful presentation.

There are many variations on matambre arrollado. Some marinade the meat before rolling, some don’t worry about a marinade and simply go straight to rolling.

Some spread the meat with a tangy, herbed chimichurri sauce, others opt for a layer of chopped spinach greens, and still others stay away from the green layer and go straight for the more colorful ingredients.

As for the other filling ingredients, the more colorful the better.

Red peppers, carrots, and hard boiled eggs are some of the most common additions. Their lightly sweet, smooth flavors blend well together and work as a perfect complement to the meat.

How To Butterfly Flank Steak

The key to matambre arrollado is a large, thin piece of flank steak.

While traditionally trimmed specifically from the flank, you won’t find the cut in many stores outside of Argentina.

To achieve a similar cut, it is necessary to butterfly the flank steak, making it thinner and larger.

Your goal in butterflying is to carefully slice through the side of the steak, so that it opens up like a piece of paper that has been folded in half. (We like to use a narrow, sharp knife, so that we don’t have to apply too much force as we carefully slice through the meat.)

If your butterflying job isn’t perfect, don’t worry, because after your cut is made, you are going to pound the steak to get it to an even thickness.

Just remember to leave one edge connected to act as a hinge! We’re trying to make one large steak, not two! smaller ones

Our Argentinian Stuffed Flank Steak Recipe

For our stuffed flank steak, we opted to marinate the flank steak overnight in a mix of vinegar, oil, and lime juice.

These acidic ingredients worked to tenderize the meat, ensuring that our arrollado would be incredibly tender and flavorful.

The important thing to keep an eye on when laying out the ingredients for your roll is the direction of the grain of the meat. You want to lay your filling ingredients in rows that go with the grain of the steak.

This way, you will be rolling the steak up with the grain as well, ensuring that when you slice the roll you are properly cutting your slices against the grain.

The nice thing about the flank steak is that it is incredibly easy to tell which direction the grain is running!

Serving Matambre Arrollado: Argentinian Chimichurri

Matambre arrollado is often served with a fresh Argentinian condiment called chimichurri.

Argentinian chimichurri consists of finely chopped parsley that is mixed with minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. These ingredients are made into a sauce with the addition of olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Chimichurri is an incredibly satisfying tangy, smooth, and herby sauce that gives an extra POP of flavor to grilled or roasted meats, particularly beef.

It’s quick to make too! And, it’s a great way to use up the extra parsley that you’ll have on hand from the matambre filling!

And, if you’re looking for a side dish to go along with your matambre arrollado, the widely-loved potato salad ensalada Russa is often an accompaniment.

Go Forth And Make Matambre!

It’s time to get into the kitchen and get your matambre started!

While this dish requires a bit of a longer prep time (with the overnight marinade), after you get your steak butterflied, the work is pretty minimal.

And, the result is an impressive dish that would make a beautiful dinner centerpiece or a fun and colorful appetizer.