Roaming Monkey

Filet de Bœuf en Croûte, a.k.a. Beef Wellington.

Matambre is an Argentinian dish of butterflied flank steak rolled up with various herbs and vegetables. The name is a portmanteau of “matar” and “hambre”, and the loose literal translation is “kills hunger”, or “hunger killer”.

After butterflying the flank steak with a sharp boning knife, the inside is coated with salt, pepper, marjoram, and finely chopped garlic. Next, a layer of chopped parsley and cilantro is added, followed by neat rows of carrots, onions, olives, hard cooked eggs, and finally a layer of watercress.

The whole steak is then carefully rolled up and tied with butcher’s string, and then browned on all sides in a hot skillet. After browning, the roll is transferred to a roasting pan and roasted in the oven.

After roasting, the roll was transferred to a clean baking sheet, and a weighted plate was placed on top. It was allowed to rest in the refridgerator overnight before serving.

A simple but very tasty beef stew.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb Beef Stew Meat
• 1 lg White Onion, chopped (appox. 2 c)
• 3-4 stalks Celery, chopped (approx. 2 c)
• 5 med White Potatoes, chopped (approx. 2 c)
• 1 c Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
• 4 cloves Garlic, halved
• 3 med Bay Leaves
• 4 c Water
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Corn Starch (optional)

Beef Stew

Chop the onion and celery coarsely, sprinkle with salt, and sweat until translucent in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Once sweated, remove from the pan and set aside.

If it is not already, cut the beef into 1 inch cubes. Add salt and cracked black pepper and brown the cubes in the heavy-bottomed pot. Once the edges of the meat have browned and the juices begin to carmelize to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with 1 cup of water. After deglazing, add the rest of the water and stir in the onions and celery. Bring the pot to a low boil.

Once the pot has begun to simmer, chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add. Also add the halved garlic cloves, peas, and bay leaves. Stir, cover, and allow to simmer.

Simmer for 75 to 90 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add salt to taste, and thicken the broth with corn starch before serving, if desired.

Yields 6 - 8 one cup servings

Quartered romaine heart dressed with olive oil and seasoned sea salt then put under the broiler until wilted.

The flank steak was rubbed with salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes, then pan seared until well browned. After resting, it was cut into thin strips.

To finish, the pan was deglazed with white wine, and the stock was poured over the plated lettuce and steak strips.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb Beef flank steak
• 1 large Romaine heart
• 2 tbsp Sea salt
• 2 tbsp Seasoned salt (Penzey’s 4/S or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt)
• 1 tbsp Cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp Crushed red chili flakes
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 c White wine

Grilled Romaine

Quarter the romaine heart lengthwise and drizzle each piece generously with olive oil, making sure to coat all sides. Sprinkle the seasoned salt over each piece and rub into the leaves.

If using a grill, place the hearts over high heat and grill for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Heat until the fleshy heart is tender and the leaves are wilted but not burned.

If broiling, place the hearts on an oiled baking sheet and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once.

Yields 4 servings

Flank Steak

Mix the sea salt, cracked black pepper, and chili flakes. Rub this mixture into the flank steak well, until both sides are covered.

Preheat grill or heavy cast iron skillet on high heat until very hot, then quickly sear both sides; approximately 1 minute per side. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, or until desired level of doneness is achieved.

Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. If using a skillet, deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce until volume is halved. Reserve and pour over hearts and steak after plating.

Since flank steak tends to be tough, slice the steak thin on the bias to minimize the stringiness.

Yields 4 - 6 servings.