Starter · Rolled, served cold

Matambre arrollado

Matambre arrollado is a thin sheet of beef, the matambre, spread with hard-boiled egg, carrot, red pepper and herbs, rolled, tied, poached or baked, then pressed and served cold in mosaic slices. Long, gentle cooking softens its connective tissue, which sets firm when cold and holds the filling; it is a fixture of Argentine and Uruguayan holiday tables.

Also known as: Rolled matambre · Matambre cuộnLast reviewed 25 Oct 20263 sources

A thin sheet, rolled with the grain

The matambre is a broad, thin muscle that lies between the hide and the ribs of the steer. Its shape, a flat sheet 1–2 cm thick, suits rolling: spread with a filling and rolled with the grain running along the length of the roll, it can be sliced across the grain into neat rounds. After long, gentle cooking the connective tissue softens and, when cold, sets into a firm slice that holds the filling in place.

The dish is a cold starter (fiambre), cut into slices about 1 cm / ½ in thick and served with salads. It is made in advance, often the day before, and keeps for several days in the refrigerator, which is why it has long been a dish for holidays, picnics and large family meals.

Doña Petrona and a summer Christmas

The matambre is a cut of Río de la Plata butchery, and the rolled matambre a dish of the region's criollo home cooking, with clear links to European rolled and stuffed meats such as the Italian rollata and braciola, common among immigrant families. Petrona C. de Gandulfo's El libro de Doña Petrona (1933), the reference home cookbook of 20th-century Argentina, includes it among the dishes of the festive table.

In the southern hemisphere Christmas and New Year fall in summer, and cold dishes that can be made ahead, such as matambre arrollado, vitel toné and Russian salad (ensalada rusa), became the standard holiday spread in Argentina and Uruguay. The name of the cut is popularly explained as mata hambre, "kills hunger", an explanation that is widely repeated but not documented.

Ingredients

Method

1. Lay the matambre on a board with the fat side up. Trim away excess fat and thin membrane, keeping the sheet whole. Trim it to a roughly even rectangle; even out thick areas by cutting them shallowly and opening them out.
2. Turn it over, lean side up. Note the direction of the grain: the roll will be made so that the grain runs along its length. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano and chili. Some cooks first marinate it for a few hours in a little vinegar or milk.
3. Cover the meat with the spinach leaves, leaving a 3 cm / 1¼ in border free. Lay the carrots, pepper and eggs in rows running in the direction of the roll, so each slice will cut across them. Sprinkle with the gelatine if using.
4. Roll tightly from one short edge, pressing as you go. Tie the roll with butcher's string every 3–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in and lengthwise, or wrap it tightly in a cloth or several layers of heat-resistant film and foil.
5. Poach in seasoned broth at a bare simmer, about 85–90 °C / 185–195 °F, for 2–2.5 hours, until a skewer slides in easily. Alternatively, wrap in foil with a little broth and bake at 180 °C / 355 °F for about 2 hours.
6. Let it cool in the liquid for 30 minutes, then drain, place it between two trays with a weight of 2–3 kg / 4–7 lb on top and refrigerate overnight. The pressing gives a compact roll and clean slices.
7. Remove the string and slice cold, about 1 cm / ½ in thick, with a sharp knife.

Ham and cheese, pork, a la pizza

Fillings vary by family: ham and cheese, green olives, peas, or grated carrot mixed with breadcrumbs and egg as a stuffing. Pork matambre, thinner and fattier, is rolled the same way and cooks in less time. Some cooks finish the poached roll on the grill or in the oven to brown it and serve it hot. A different preparation of the same cut is matambre a la pizza, softened by long cooking and topped with tomato sauce and cheese; at an asado the whole matambre is also grilled slowly over low embers.

Cold, in slices, with Russian salad

Matambre arrollado is served cold on a platter, in overlapping slices, with Russian salad, lettuce and tomato, or a green sauce; chimichurri or salsa criolla are common accompaniments. It also fills sandwiches. Wrapped, it keeps 3–4 days in the refrigerator below 4 °C / 40 °F. Common mistakes: rolling with the grain across the roll, so the slices come out stringy and tough; leaving holes in the sheet, through which the filling escapes; tying loosely, so the roll opens during cooking; boiling hard instead of simmering, which toughens and shrinks the meat; and slicing it warm, before it has set.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

3

1. Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina (IPCVA). Cortes de carne vacuna argentina — nomenclatura y usos. Buenos Aires. www.ipcva.com.ar
2. McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
3. Gandulfo, Petrona C. de. El libro de Doña Petrona. Buenos Aires, 1933.

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