← Nouns Cooking · Brazilian & Peruvian

Ingredients

• 1 kg Flank steak (matambre cut), butterflied to an even 1 cm sheet
• 60 ml red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• ½ tsp Chilli flakes
• 100 g baby spinach
• 2 Carrot, cut into long thin sticks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 4 Eggs, hard-boiled and halved lengthways
• 1 l Beef stock
• 1 Onion, halved
• 2 Bay leaves
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Lay the steak flat, grain running left to right, and rub it with the vinegar. Leave for 1 hour in the fridge to tenderise (or overnight).
2. Pat dry, season both sides, then spread the cut side with the garlic, parsley, oregano and chilli. Cover with the spinach, leaving a 3 cm border at the far edge.
3. Lay the carrot and pepper strips and the egg halves in rows across the meat, at right angles to the grain, so every slice gets a bit of each.
4. Roll up tightly from the near edge, away from you, and tie with kitchen string every 3 cm. Wrap the ends with string too so the filling stays put.
5. Put the roll in a snug pot with the stock, onion and bay leaves and add hot water to just cover. Simmer gently, covered, for 1½ hours, turning once, until a skewer slides in easily.
6. Lift out and leave to cool for 1 hour, then wrap and chill, ideally under a light weight, so it firms up. Snip off the string and cut into 1 cm slices. Serve cold with chimichurri or warm with salad.

Tips

• Ask the butcher to butterfly the flank steak; patch any holes with the trimmings before filling.
• It also roasts well: brown the roll, then bake covered with a little stock at 180°C (350°F) for 1¼ hours.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

196 flavors Curious Cuisiniere My Colombian Recipes