For those in the U.S. and Canada looking for humanely-treated bovine products from start to finish and grass-fed beef, I found this great resource via Serious Eats via The Kitchn’s Good Beef: How to Find Local Meat. Eatwild Directory of Farms has an extensive list of farms that is, according to them, “the most comprehensive source for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States and Canada.” Browse through your state or province to see what’s close to you. Also, I like the one minute tip on how to cook grass-fed beef on that Kitchn page, low and slow. Just like how they’ve been doing it here in Argentina since grass-fed cattle have roamed the Pampas.

Grab yourself a chunk of bife ancho. Have it? Good. Now slice off the spinalis dorsi, longissimus costarum, and multifidus dorsi. Please be careful with the spinalis dorsi, that’s special. Ask any beef aficionado and they’ll tell you that it is one of “the” most tender muscles off of our beloved beef providers. Now, if you did everything right, you should have on your cutting board a nice slab of ojo de bife, the Longissimus dorsi muscle. Well that’s the official ojo de bife cut according to SENASA [PDF Page 2]. For some, ojo de bife is hardly any different than bife ancho.

If you’ve read anything on this site then you probably know I’m a bit loose with the term favorite. Much to your displeasure, I’m going to drop the word again. Ojo de bife is one of my favorite cuts. In fact, I like it more than bife ancho. But wait, how can I like ojo de bife more when it’s missing all that dorsi-whatever that is actually prized by beef lovers? Bife ancho has its place deep in my heart, but ojo de bife is so much more versatile without all of that surrounding fat and membranes. Although rib eye does not shine much past medium rare, at well done it is much more palatable than say tenderloin. And, while I’m comparing tenderloin, rib eye has so much more flavor. For those reasons, I will more often than not, choose rib eye for any recipes calling for tenderloin.

Cooking ojo de bife is not much different than lomo or bife ancho as steaks or whole, so check out those posts for tips.

(Cooked for about 25 minutes per side over a medium fire.)

If it were not for travel guides, acquaintances, or menu translations, I wonder how many first time visitors to Argentina would bypass bife de chorizo thinking it to be some sort of Argentinean sausage version of the hamburger steak. Instead, moving on to other unfamiliar names that for some reason scream beef of which Argentina is famous for and what these visitors want to devour. However, that is not the case and this juicy steak is probably one of the most popular requested parrilla items by visitors and locals alike off of many menus throughout Argentina.

So where did the chorizo part come from? Well, one story offers that the whole cut–where the steaks come from– resembles a chorizo due to its somewhat cylindrical round shape. Any truth to that? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Like lomo(tenderloin) and ojo de bife/bife ancho (rib-eye cuts), bife de chorizo is one of the cuts of meat that is similarly cut the same elsewhere around the world as in Argentina. It is the same cut as what you may know as top loin, sirloin steak, strip steak, N.Y. strip, and a few others that I can’t think of off the top of my head. The steak of steaks. They are just meant for the grill. Rich, meaty, juicy, and you need a steak knife to cut through it. Because of all this, bife de chorizo acts as a great litmus test for those who care to sample and compare Argentinean beef to the beef they consume in their own locale.

(2 2-inch(5cm) thick bifes, about 1lb(.5 kilos) each)

Buying:

As I mentioned above, there is hardly any difference between bife de chorizo and what are known as sirloin strip or top loin steaks in other parts of the world–if any, it boils down to the trimming of surrounding fat and sinew. Typically bife de chorizos are not as well trimmed, however that is not written in stone. It all depends on what’s popular in your area or what mood the butcher is in.

Avoid those little thin skimpy steaks that come in a plastic-wrapped styrofoam tray–well unless they are really thick. Go to the meat counter or a butcher and ask for at least 2-2.5″ (5-6cm) thick cuts. Come on don’t be cheap, you are trying to replicate those gargantuan bife de chorizos you find in parrilla restaurants. Also, by going to the butcher you can most likely have them leave on a decent layer of that fat on one side.

Cooking:

If you are familiar with grilling steaks you should have no problem here. Unlike many other parrilla meats that need to be cooked nice and slow, bife de chorizos are cooked fast or slow depending on personal preference. Toss them over a hot fire to quickly achieve a rich juicy rare steak with some nice looking grill marks on the outside. Cook slowly over a medium fire to produce a tender medium-done steak with a deep brown somewhat crunchy exterior–although you can also do a near rare steak with this method as well. Just follow the thumb test that I mentioned in the tri-tip post for the level of doneness.

Note:Boneless is the most popular in Argentina but bone-in is offered as well at times.

Colita De Cuadril is known in English as tri-tip, sirloin bottom, or tip roast. The exact same thing, not one of those cuts that are similar yet cut differently like vacio and flank steak. You can roast it, grill it, or smoke it. Slice it up for stir-fry. Grind it up for hamburger meat. Cube it for kebabs. The meat sucks up spices and marinades like a sponge. Pound for pound (or kilo for kilo) the cut is not that expensive. Let me say last but not least, I mean just look at the shape, is that not perfect for creating a magnificent stuffed roast? I am proud to say that this is one of my favorite cuts simply because of all this versatility.

Buying & Preparing

When buying, look for tri-tip that has been well trimmed but not overly so. You want a little extra fat around the outside so that there will be some self-basting going on. I find that most places trim the meat well enough that hardly any extra trimming is needed before placing it on the grill. Otherwise, if the meat has a large amount of surrounding fat and/or silverskin ask the butcher to trim it up a bit, or as always, if you have the skills, do it yourself. The tri-tip in the above photo was perfect when bought and all I had to do was trim a little silverskin near the tip on the underside.

Cooking

For this cut, I prefer to use fine salt instead of coarse. Sprinkle all around and rub it in well. Place fat side up on the grill.

One problem with semi-large boneless chunks of meat, such as tri-tip, is that they tend to ball up a bit while cooking; thus increasing thickness. How much so varies and that really makes it quite hard to give a time table or indicators on when to flip or when the meat may be ready. At least for those who like their meat close to being fully cooked yet still juicy. I find that over a low to medium-low heat, your average 1.5 kilo tri-tip will take about 30 to 45 minutes on each side to reach a medium level of doneness. (I cooked the meat in the photo below for 1 1/2 hours total) Also, with thick cuts you can sometimes flip the meat 90º on each side in order to have it more evenly cooked. Not always easy to do, but no problem if there are other meats to lean on. And there should be other meats on that grill. Baste with a light brine during the whole process. If you are not sure of whether or not the meat is ready, I find that the thumb test for doneness works great.

When ready, slice into 2.5 to 4cm slices (1 to 1.5 inches).

Suggestion:

Although colita de cuadril truly shines when cooked whole, it also does remarkably well when cut into steaks or butterflied(lengthwise from the wide end to the tip) before grilling. However, like tenderloin, the meat can get quite tough when cooked to well done.

(The fat just rendered out perfectly, leaving behind a thin crunchy layer. mmmm mmmm!)

Click Here For The Matambre Challenge Overview

Reminder
Remember this is half fun and half research. The results of this challenge may not be indicative of whether or not these methods of preparation do what they are supposed to do. Sometimes you just get a poor quality cut of meat that nothing can defeat yet may work wonders for a high quality cut.

The Challenger In Round Two Is:

• Vacuum-packed Wet-aged Matambre

Alright, here we are at round two of The Matambre Challenge. The matambre I used in this round has been sitting tight in a vacuum-packed plastic bag, packed by the supermarket chain La Anonima, for 29 days. Ernest, in the comments section of the Round One post, suggested this so I thought I would give it a try. Another commenter suggested a nice slow cooking might do the trick, and I wanted to do that, but figured I should get the wet-aged meat out of the way first with the cooking style I’ve used before.

As with all wet-aged meats I’ve come across, I gave a good whiff and inspection upon opening the bag to make sure I didn’t have some rancid piece of garbage. I could only detect the typical good smell associated with aged meat(not something that can be easily explained) that has been packed properly, so I was good to go.

This time I cooked the meat alone without any regular plain un-aged matambre to act as the control. Since I was heading into this challenge with the idea of following the typical heat and cooking time I have used before, I just figured that there was no need.

First I scored the meat and seasoned with fine salt, then I cooked it over a medium-low fire for about 30 minutes on each side.

The Results:

Meat that has been aged is typically much more tender than a freshly butchered cut and it definitely showed here. Overall this matambre didn’t damage my teeth too much. The super thin sections were extremely chewy but that is typical for matambre–literally looks like a piece of leather. Now the thickest part actually came out quite good. Slightly chewy but not to the point where there would be any major complaints–well unless someone had some really bad teeth. The rest of the meat, on the other hand, was about half as chewy as the matambres I’ve cooked before. Good sign! The aging had a lot to do with that but perhaps the meat was of a better quality as well.

If I can find a way to tackle that un-aged poor excuse of a meat that is sold all around me and apply it to a wet-aged cut of matambre, then I think we’ll have a winner.

Click Here For The Matambre Challenge Overview

Reminder
Remember this is half fun and half research. The results of this challenge may not be indicative of whether or not these methods of preparation do what they are supposed to do. Sometimes you just get a poor quality cut of meat that nothing can defeat yet may work wonders for a high quality cut.

The Challengers In Round One Are:

• Marinated in milk
• Simmered in milk

Plain:

Scored, seasoned with salt, and cooked on medium-low fire for about 20 minutes each side.

Marinated In Milk:

“That’s because you have to let it sit overnight in milk.” The reply I’ve received on occasion when mumbling to myself out loud about any tough piece of meat. Also, I’ve seen the direction to marinate matambre in milk from a few recipes out there in web world. I’ve used milk a few times to marinate calamari and sweetbreads and that worked wonders, but now is the time to see how it affects matambre. The meat is beef and the milk is from a cow so what the hay?

Low-fat milk was chosen. Better to just hit middle ground. Tossed it into a Ziploc® bag and let it sit for almost a day in the fridge. Upon removal from the milk I noticed that the meat retained much of its outer color compared to the grayish hues you get from other liquids–acidic or not. “Haha you can’t defeat me Mr. Milk.” I gave the meat a quick rinse and patted it down with some paper towels. Tossed it on the grill right next to the plain in order receive the same amount of heat and cooking time.

Simmered In Milk:

The 5-star milk bath spa treatment. I was never offered this method by word of mouth, however I did find it in a few recipes out there, particularly for matambre a la pizza (matambre that is topped like a pizza). Actually a commenter in the first challenge post pointed out this method for the pizza style as well.

I had an idea of what I was going to get into with this before actually trying it out with matambre. In the U.S., I sometimes did the quick and dirty way of boiling/simmering to create tender ribs slathered in bbq sauce when there wasn’t much time for a long smoke. (Purists, before you say anything, I know. I know. But remember I said quick and dirty. Not the right way.) With this method the bbq sauce helps in two ways. First, you keep the meat from drying out which can happen very quickly with boiled meat. Second, you can partially disguise the fact that you boiled the meat first. You won’t have that great smoky taste achieved by slow cooking, but you’ll have decent ribs that are at least tender and some people probably won’t know you boiled them first.

Ribs have bones and typically a good amount of fat all over the place. That keeps the meat moist in most parts no matter how you cook it. With matambre, you have an outer layer of fat on one side that is separated from the meat by a thin membrane. Also, there are no inner layers of fat or fat marbling. I knew that if this meat wasn’t going to be topped or basted with anything, I’d be in trouble. But, I wanted to try it anyway. No basting brine was planned for this round but maybe in the future.

In the pot I put 2 parts milk and 1 part water. I did this to prevent the pan from getting scorched on the bottom and that is not fun to clean when it happens. Even though I scored the meat, I was afraid the simmering might still cause some drastic curling. I decided to give it a nice simmer for an hour. Some recipes called for thirty minutes while others said 2 hours. Middle ground again. Fortunately curly did not happen much, only around the corners. However, as with all boiled meats, I ended up with a hideous, let’s not leave out grotesque, grayish-brown slab of stewed meat. As I moved it to the grill I thought to myself that this could become seriously parched. The meat needed a quick blast of heat on both sides to crisp it up a big notch in order to somewhat hide the fact that any precooking occurred. So this slice ended up with its own special area on the grill with an abundant amount of coals. About 8 minutes on each side.

The Results:

Plain
The muscle fibers were making popping noises while chomping. Too bad, because the meat had a lot of flavor and was super juicy.

Marinated In Milk
The meat was much lighter on the outside than the plain. Looked almost like grilled pork. There wasn’t too much of a difference in taste compared to plain but I did detect a slightly richer flavor; that was a nice improvement. The marinating hardly took a bit out of the toughness. If plain was 0 and what I was looking for was 10, I’d give this method a 2.

Simmered In Milk
The parrilla performed a few magic tricks, just a few mind you, and gave our cranky ol matambre a slight makeover. The fatty side crisped up nicely while the other side did away with the gray and and achieved a nice brown. The meat was dry, no very dry, like eating sawdust. Pork tenderloin that has been overcooked is what I’d compare this to. The rubbery texture was defeated but juiciness was totally sacrificed.

Although the challengers failed to impress me, I won’t rule these two methods out for future use. The marinated in milk cut was just slightly better so it is possible that some tweaks can be made. Also, maybe if I basted the cut that was simmered with a brine solution the end result might not have been so dry. Some say to marinate and simmer in milk, so maybe I’ll give that a try too.

My wife asked me to me if I was going to give up. No no no, the fun has just begun. Till next time…

Matambre translated into English means shoe leather. Some might try to convince you that it is a word mash up of mata (to kill) and hambre (hunger) to equal matambre (hunger killer). Pay no attention to them.

I imagine hunger killer was chosen because your jaw will be in so much pain after eating this flavorful yet chewy meat that the slightest thought of food will never enter your mind. Nor will your system be able to digest that rubberized strip that you just consumed.

There is a matambre post sitting around and collecting dust somewhere around here. I decided to keep it there until I defeat the dragon that is known as the cut matambre de vaca. Often translated as thin beef flank steak, the cut is basically belly meat that runs from the chest to the flank. Not to be confused with the “other” flank steak known as vacio. When matambre de vaca is used to prepare matambre arrollado, or rolled thin beef flank steak, you get this slow cooked succulent tender meat rolled around vegetables, spices, and a sort of bread stuffing mixture. More into the whole matambre usage thing when I dust off the other post. The actual matambre cut that is grilled by itself is another story.

Matambre a la parrilla, or grilled thin flank steak, can end up other end of the spectrum–shoe leather–if not prepared properly or if the quality of meat is poor. You see, I’ve enjoyed some tender matambre that was cooked quite rapidly but that happened once every blue moon. In many other instances each morsel of meat took at least a minute to chew, sometimes more. You really don’t know what you’re going to get when you toss that meat on the grill. I’ve ruined a few meals with what I thought would be tender matambre yet ended up with something that would have sent us to the dentist for false teeth if fully consumed. This is probably why you won’t see it on many restaurant menus.

With many other meats you know what to expect and how to handle them. Rib meat and brisket always should be cooked slowly. Tenderloin is super juicy and tender when you cook it rare, cook it too long and you get a dry sawdust texture. When you look up recipes or advice for those types of meat, what I just said about them is typically consistent with what others say. Matambre, on the other hand is quite unique. Everyone has their own version and many of those vary extensively. I want to find a sure-fire way that works every time whether or not the meat is of good quality.

I’ve decided to create The Matambre Challenge. Think of it as a contest, a reality show of sorts, where the contestants are different methods of preparation and cooking. I will search the web, cookbooks, ask around, and create my own experiments. The winner will be included in my main matambre post that has yet to be seen. Simply because I don’t want to be one of those out there that say, “Oh you have to cook it this way,” yet that way still produces shoe leather.

The rules are simple:

- With each challenge the contestants will face off against a plain jane control: a scored piece of matambre that is not even seasoned with salt.

- Preparation needs to stay true to what is consistent with the style of cooking, preparation, and ingredients used around various locales in Argentina.

- Each contestant will be sliced from the same cut, but in a way where each portion will have similar properties such as the thickest and thinest parts from the same area.

This is not a scientific experiment. I’m not going to test ten different variations at once. Sure there are flaws but the main objective is to beat the control and discover a method that really stands out.

One of the most prized and expensive cuts of meat on the market is the tenderloin. In Argentina, the tenderloin is known as lomo. Pork tenderloin is called lomo de cerdo but for beef it is simply lomo; beef country remember. Tenderloin is a long tube-shaped cut of meat that runs along the spinal section. This muscle section of the cow does not get much of a workout , therefore the meat is extremely tender. Cook it right and you will be rewarded with a meat so succulent and tender you will feel like it is melting in your mouth.

Around the world, well where beef is popular, you often see tenderloin treated with luxury. Sliced medallions, also known as filet mignon, topped with creamy rich sauces. For true meat lovers, perhaps they are just wrapped in bacon on laid on a hot grill. In Argentina, it is not uncommon to see lomo treated in the same manor except at some asados you may see a whole slab of lomo cooked on a grill.

Now let’s get back to the topic of cooking lomo on a parrilla. Lomo is grilled either whole, sliced, or cubed. The latter is typically only for use on skewers, known as brochette de lomo and I’ll cover that later. No matter how the meat will be cooked, the outer part should be well trimmed of any fat and muscle membranes. Lomo is a very lean cut of meat and therefore will end up dry, tough, and chewy if cooked for too long. Therefore, you should not cook lomo past a medium. This is my personal opinion but if you are going to cook for a crowd who wants their meat cooked medium well to well done, use another meat. Tenderloin is just too expensive and too good to waste for that sort of nonsense. Would you buy a $100 bottle of wine just to guzzle it down like water?

Buying:

Lomo is offered in a variety of forms such as sliced, whole, trimmed, or untrimmed at the local butcher or market. Also, supermarkets or butchers allow you to buy lomo in vacuum-packed bags which have a longer shelf-life in the refrigerator yet are untrimmed. When purchasing a whole lomo, unless you are experienced in trimming, you should ask the butcher to do it for you. Slicing the meat on the other hand is quite simple, and therefore you can do perform that task yourself.

Preparing:

• Whole - You can leave the lomo as is or butterfly it. A whole slab of lomo has a thick end and a thin end, therefore some prefer to butterfly the meat at its thickest part. This will allow the meat to have an overall even thickness and also allows you to cook the meat faster. A medium-depth cut is made along the length of the meat and then the area is spread open. Many may argue that you should never butterfly a meat along the grain, which is what is done in this case, because the meat will lose juices and result in becoming less tender. This is another argument I’ll let others fight over. If you want nice round medallions then leave it whole and if you want a more flat-type steaks then butterfly it.
• Steaks - For your standard filet mignon type cuts, slice perpendicular to the length of the meat, which in this case is across the grain, to create portions that are a least 2 inches (5 cm) in thickness. To create large portions, often what you will find in parrilla restaurants, you’ll need to create a butterflied slice. Basically you create one large slice at least 4 inches (10 cm) thick. Then with that slice you cut across the grain as if to create two steaks out of one, except you only cut about halfway into the meat and spread it apart. (See image below)

The cut on the left is a medallion that has been butterflied while the two on the left are just plain medallions.

Cooking:

As you can probably tell by now I prefer to salt most meats before cooking, however with the tenderloin I will only salt the meat either right before pulling it off the grill or at the table. Whether cooking steaks or a whole lomo, you’ll want to cook the meat over a hot fire with the rack fairly low. If you are going to cook a whole un-butterflied lomo, place more coals underneath the the thicker part. Now here’s the trick for good lomo. You want the side facing the grill to have nice charred stripes, not too too much mind you, before flipping. But, you want that to happen before any juices start flowing on the top. If the juices start flowing and you want to char the other side, the meat will be at least medium-well by the time you are finished. Remember that if you want your meat to be cooked above medium. For steaks, since they will be quite thick, expect about 5-6 minutes per side. For butterflied whole lomo just a tad bit longer. For whole un-butterflied lomo, you should cook each side for about 10 minutes. I’m tossing out times that work for me on average. Every grill, coal amount, thickness of cut, etc varies therefore, try to use your best judgment.

Suggestions: It is not uncommon to find restaurants offering lomo a la parrilla topped with demi-glace loaded with mushrooms or peppercorns. Some even offer creamy cheese sauces. Give it a try.

One of the least expensive cuts of meat used in an asado, entraña is what many know as the skirt steak. The cuts are exactly the same. The meat is rich in flavor and extremely juicy, but can be at times be rather chewy and tough. If you are familiar with skirt steak then you will know that it usually comes with a slightly thick layer of fat and muscle membrane; similar to what coats the cuts of vacio. Although trimming the surrounding membrane will make the meat easier on the teeth, it is typically left on. Leaving it on will help to keep the juices inside with a tasty crispy exterior.

Buying:

Since this is a cut of meat, factor the amount you need with the weight of the other cuts you will be cooking so that you have half a kilo, or one pound, of meat in total per person.

Cooking:

A good rub of coarse salt is all that is needed for the entraña. However, a generous rubbing of chimichurri can also do wonders. The cuts are usually quite thin and therefore should be on the grill near the end along other meats that do not require lengthy times. Flip when the side facing the grill is golden and crunchy. Cooking time usually only takes about 20-30 minutes over a hot grill.

Update:
A couple readers thought that I blew it and burned the meat upon seeing the first photo I posted here. View it here. As you can see with the photo below, the true original, there is a bad blue shadow and glow going on due to bad lighting. The meat had no charring whatsoever. I tried my best to edit it out while keeping the meat true to the original color. The meat ended up looking burnt in some areas and I made a bad judgement to upload it until I could get another photo. I should have posted an disclaimer but didn’t. My apologies.

Bife ancho is similar to what is known as the rib eye steak and is offered boneless or bone-in. The meat is well marbled with fat and, thus, is a very tender and flavorful cut.

Buying:

Although many supermarkets carry packaged bife ancho steaks, custom slices from a butcher is recommended. Packaged slices are tend to be a bit too thin for the parrilla and are better suited for a grill pan or frying pan. An ideal cut for each steak should have a thickness of 1.5 to 2 inches.

Cooking:

Coarse salt is all that is needed for these thick steaks. Rub it in on both sides at least 30 minutes before cooking. The area of the grill where these will be placed should be nice and hot with an abundant amount of coals underneath to help sear the meat quickly. When juices start flowing out of the upper side that means it is time to flip. Remember to only flip once. When the other side is seared well and the juices flow again, they should be ready.