Matambre is a traditional rolled beef recipe from Argentina. The name literally means “hunger killer”. It’s easy to make, but looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen preparing it. Basically, it is a rolled flank steak filled with things like vegetables, eggs and herbs. It can be roasted or barbequed.  I prefer to serve mine warm as a main course dish, but in Argentina it is usually served cold as a deli-style appetizer. When sliced into pinwheels, the stuffing makes a pretty design.

Let me take you step-by-step through my favorite All-American Version of this popular South American Dish. One of the best things about it is that you can prepare it all ahead of time and just stick it into the oven right before dinner. I guarantee your dinner guests will be impressed with your culinary skills. 

1 bunch fresh spinach leaves

 2 large baking potatoes

 Cheddar Cheese

 Bacon

 Flank Steak (about 2 lbs)

 A roll of Twine

 Bottled Barbeque Sauce (optional)

 You may also want to pick up a bag of salad greens, some fresh green beans, and a bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon compliments the dish nicely.)

Since flank steak is a tough cut of meat, you have butterfly it and then tenderize with a mallet. “Butterfly” is method of splitting a piece of meat almost in half lengthwise to speed cooking, prepare for tenderizing or to make it easier to stuff. The meat is split almost, but not completely through, to the opposite edge. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly shape. It’s not very hard to do – but if you’d like, just ask you butcher to “butterfly” your flank steak for you. Here’s how to do it yourself:  

Method One Single butterfly: Lay the meat on a cutting boat with the grain of the meat running vertically. Using a long, sharp knife, cut the meat almost in half from one side to the other, but stopping before you cut it all the way through. Open it up like a book – your piece of meat will be twice big and half as thick. Tenderize steak by placing between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet. I omit this step if I cut the steak really thin using a double-butterfly; it still is tender if you serve it rare to medium rate.

Method Two Double butterfly: Note: If you place your steak in the freezer for five to ten minutes, it’s easier to slice. Score the steak down the middle being careful not to cut it all the way through. Now fold the flank steak in half, along the cut you’ve made. Starting above the fold, slice the top half of the meat, making a flap. Do not cut it all the way through. Next, flip the steak over and make another slice above the fold. Fold it open and your steak is now three times the original size and one third as thick. Here's a link to a video that shows you how to do it: http://www.cuisineathome.com/main/videos/50-butterflyingFlankSteak.php 

Peel the potatoes. Boil the potatoes in water until tender, so that you can easily pierce them with a dinner fork. Mash into the potatoes into small chunks.

Grate one cup of cheddar cheese. Stir into potatoes.

Fry five or six slices of bacon until crispy. Crumble bacon into potato mixture then season it with salt and pepper.

 The filling tastes good enough to serve as a side-dish or nibble away at while you are cooking – but keep you paws out and you won’t have enough left for stuffing the flank steak. 

Season the meat with salt and pepper.  Wash and dry spinach leaves, break of stems, and lay leaves all over the surface of the flank steak. Next, spread the potato mixture on top of the spinach leaves.  Starting from the short side, roll meat over filling all the way to the end like a jelly roll, tucking in any filling that falls out. Tie with kitchen twine in five or six places. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Using a large skillet, sear steak roll in oil over medium heat - brown on all sides. Brush with BBQ sauce (optional) and place seam side down in pan. Roast 30 minutes (for rare) or until inside temperature is 140-150 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.  Slice into round pinwheels and serve.