So at this point it’s fair to say that the two things Argentina is really known for include beef and wine. Duh. I mean what’s the first thing people want to do when they come to this country? Go golfing…I don’t think so. I can say that 86.4587% of the time (fair waring I completely made that figure up in order to help prove my point) people that come here instantly start craving beef from Las Pampas to coincide with the fruitlicious glass of malbec that they’re planning to guzzle down. Well that’s all fine and dandy. I happen to be one of those people myself but, there are many other delectable delicacies here a la parrilla that sometime get overlooked because steak is just so darn good.
Today I’m going to educate you. Today is the day I introduce you to one of the most amazingly juciy cuts of meat that exists here in Argentina. It’s called matambrito de cerdo which translates to pork flank steak. If you’re looking to literally translate it you’d end up with something like ‘hunger-killer from pork’ which is exactly what it does. This one is always a huge crowd pleaser at our asados. Now surely part of this comes from Luis’ expertise at the grill but another part of it simply has to do with the fact that it’s so darn yummy!
It’s a thin slightly rectangular shaped cut that comes from the area between the ribs and the skin. It’s typically no more than 5cm thick and about 20cm longs. On one side there is a good layer of fat that helps to add to the flavor of the cut. It’s boneless and easy to manipulate so it can be made in several different ways and stuffed with all sorts of goodies. The classic method of preparation though is to salt the matambrito de cerdo on both sides with a fine salt. You can also add lemon juice and black pepper to your liking but that’s up to you. Due to the fact that the cut is so thin the flavor of the salt and lemon will really seep into the meat unlike thicker cuts of beef. Another important element in cooking pork flank steak is that you hit hard with the heat. It cooks the meat quickly which is good for pork as you want to avoid it drying out. Each side will probably require less than 10 minutes of cooking on full blast. When serving the dish most asadores will cut it into thin strips and serve with some lemon alongside. It’s a delicious addition to the achuras section of any asado.
Steak Buenos Aires 