Matambre De Cerdo – Pork Flank Steak
By Asado Argentina on May 18, 2006 in Pork
If you love pork or I should say if you really love grilled pork, matambre de cerdo is a definite must on the meats to cook list. This thin cut of meat is basically a pork flank steak. Matambre de cerdo sucks up that smokey flavor from cooking over hot coals like a sponge. For this part I’ll explain how to prepare the meat solo, but there is another fantastic method of cooking it called “a la pizza” that I’ll cover later.
Buying:
Whether cooking the meat alone or along with other meats, factor in the usual 1 pound (1/2 kilo) of total meat per person calculation. The meat is most often sold well-trimmed, therefore little needs to be done before cooking.
Cooking:
Before placing on the grill you will need to score the meat with a knife or else the meat will curl while cooking. Lay out the meat on a cutting board and with a sharp knife lightly score both sides in a crosshatch pattern. The meat is very thin so try not cut all way through.
I like to season with salt right before cooking and I have never had any problem with the meat ending up dry. If you are in the other camp of salting later, well, do as you please. Matambre de cerdo cooks rather quickly therefore you should place it on the grill shortly before everything else is almost ready. Most average-sized pieces take about 20 minutes in total to cook. The area of the grill needs to be quite hot in order to seal in the juices and create a nice golden exterior. Flip the meat when the juices start to flow on the top and the meat starts to take on a whitish color. Once the flipped side toward the grill is golden, remove and serve.
Suggestions:
Squeeze some lemon halves over the meat before and after flipping to add a little zest to the flavor.
Matambre de cerdo is typically quite tender. Place a small piece between some bread and enjoy!
Love your sight. And the matambre de cerdo is my favorite. Have played around with different preparations and my fav is first marinate it in honey, then when on the grill salt it. The honey turns it a beautiful yummy color and gives it a bit of sweet. If you serve it with a lemom its has a great tangy flavor.
elizabeth | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
Great site! I’ve tasted many an asado and the time will shortly come for me to prepare one myself.
I wondered if you’ve tried cooking a Bondiola de Cerdo. I tried one a while back and it was delicious! But people here tell me that it takes ages to cook on the parilla. Have you got any bondiola tips?
clickArgentina | Jan 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi clickArgentina and thanks!
I keep meaning to do piece on a whole bondiola but they always end up in the smoker
. Typically for the parrilla, I slice it into thick bifes so it cooks quicker. Not as good as a whole slow roasted one but it works.
The thick vains of fat that make bondiola deliciously tender and juicy also act as minor heat shields to various sections of the cut. So, it takes a while for the heat to reach the inner most sections. Look at the little oval strip of muscle on the mid-left here for example. Totally surrounded by fat.
In my opinion, for an open-air parrilla, the best method would be to rotate the meat enough so that all sides receive an equal amount of cooking time, if possible. Look again at the fat pattern in that photo and you’ll see why. (Also why bondiola cooks much better in an enclosed environment where heat hits all sides at the same time)
Asado Argentina | Jan 8, 2008 | Reply
Great, thanks for the advice – that Bondiola Ahumada looks mightly delicious!
Maybe I should start with something a little easier, especially since it will be difficult to rotate the meat on the parilla I’ll be using.
clickArgentina | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Nah, if you have the time, give it a try. It is seriously hard to screw up. I learned that recently when people commented to me on leaving it in the smoker as long as it takes until the internal temp reached a certain point for pulled pork. Even when I had to finish the first attempt in the oven with foil, it still came out good.
Asado Argentina | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
that looks delicious…I’d love to make a sandwich out of that!
Erica80 | Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
I have not been able to get ANY butcher to get me this in the USA… any ideas where I can get it? thanks.
David | Aug 24, 2008 | Reply
GREAT website. It truly can be confusing trying to “convert” US cuts of meat to Argentina cuts and your site is of enormous help. I have a couple questions. (1) I live in an apt. in Rosario and BBQ is almost out of the question. Have you tried the Bondiola in a slow cooker to get pulled pork for sandwiches? Any ideas? (2) Any stores that you are aware of that sell US style BBQ sauce, it is very difficult to find here in Rosario. Thanks again, love the site.
Mark | Jan 26, 2009 | Reply
@Mark Thanks!
No slow cooker here–though I do want one–just a smoker so that’s the only route I go. (bondiola ahumada) Just search for pork shoulder/boston butt slow cooker/crock pot recipes. Bondiola is pretty much the Boston butt cut and with a slow cooker should make great pulled pork sandwiches.
Carrefour carries Hunt’s and Bulls-Eye brand sauces. I mean they carry them at the stores way down here so I’m sure they have them up there. If not, there are a ton of great recipes online. If you have a hard time finding molasses and brown sugar just pop into a dietetica store.
Asado Argentina | Jan 27, 2009 | Reply
Muchas gracias! I will let you know how the slow cooking goes. Luckily we do have a Carrefour only 4 blocks from me and yes the occasionally have Hunts here but never found bullseye. I will go online for recipes as well. Now if I could only get my building to allow a small parrilla on my balcony I would be all set! thanks again!
Mark | Jan 27, 2009 | Reply
Hola, me encanta su sitio, muchas gracias!
Mi pregunta es que yo aveces quiero hacer asados al palo, pero no se que carne comprar. Todos los lugares latinos que hay aca donde vivo son negocios Mexicanos. Como se dice, en Ingles o en “Mexicano” el nombre de la mejor carne para un asado al palo? Muchas gracias!
Marcos Giraldi | Mar 19, 2009 | Reply