matambre arrollado — Argentina

Matambre arrollado is a large, flat cut of beef — the matambre, taken from between the ribs and the hide — pounded thin, layered with a filling, and rolled into a tight log before cooking. Once cooked and rested, the roll is sliced crosswise into rounds that show a spiral of meat wrapped around a core of vegetables and egg, which is the dish's most recognizable feature on the plate. The dish is closely linked to Argentina and to the wider Río de la Plata region, appearing on family tables, at bakeries and delicatessens as a cold cut, and on asado spreads alongside grilled meats. It is eaten warm as a main course carved at the table, or cold and thinly sliced as a starter or picnic food. The flattened meat is spread with a filling that commonly includes carrots, spinach or chard, red peppers, garlic and whole hard-boiled eggs positioned so they land in the center of each slice, then rolled tightly and tied with kitchen string or wrapped in a cloth. It is browned first, then simmered slowly in stock or wine, or roasted in the oven, until the meat is tender enough to slice cleanly without the filling falling apart. What distinguishes this version from other stuffed and rolled meats found elsewhere is the specific cut of matambre itself, thin and well suited to rolling, and the standing habit of positioning eggs to create a visible cross-section when the roll is sliced. Fillings shift from household to household — some add ham or hard cheese, others keep to vegetables only — without any single combination being fixed as the norm.