You may be forgiven for thinking that the only item allowed on an Argentine grill is beef, usually in a combination of lomo, bife de chorizo, tira de asado and perhaps some pork and beef sausages. While it’s certainly true that these cuts feature prominently in any asado, there certainly is room for choice pork cuts, especially the crowd-pleasing kind such as matambre de cerdo.

The term matambre literally refers to “hunger-killing”, the “de cerdo” is added to clarify that this cut is not the same as the straightforward beef matambre, which is in fact a variant of a flank steak, cut from the area between the ribs and the skin. Beef matambre is common in Argentine cuisine but rarely makes it to the grill as it can be quite tough and benefits from oven braising. In contrast, matambre de cerdo, translated as pork flank steak, does brilliantly on the grill as it is a thin roughly rectangular cut, no more than 5 centimetres thick that can extend to 20 com long and has a shape resembling a sheet. Think of it as an even more literal version of pigs in a blanket. The matambre de cerdo has a very (un)healthy layer of fat spread on both sides which can be removed with a sharp knife and some patience, but purists will insist that it be kept as is. It is a boneless cut and easy to manipulate, so some recipes call for the matambre de cerdo to be rolled up and stuffed with all sorts of ingredients, including vegetables and cheeses. This is up to each parrillero of course.

Raw Matambre de Cerdo

The preparation for this cut is a little different as Argentine customary law permits fussing over pork in ways that are forbidden for beef cuts. The typical approach is to flood the matambre de cerdo with sal entrefina, lemon juice and a good amount of black pepper before grilling. The thinness of the cut allows for the flavor to really seep through in ways that beef doesn’t allow.

Also in contrast to most beef cuts, the best approach to grilling matambre de cerdo is to blast it with high heat for a short period. This approach removes the outer fat and also cooks the meat quickly, guaranteeing that it doesn’t dry out. As this is a pork dish, it is almost universally served well done, though the idea is that it still be juicy. The high heat means that each side requires less than 10 minutes and more lemon juice is added throughout the grilling, with care required to not leave any bitter lemon seeds on the meat.

Matambre de Cerdo ready for serving

Once the matambre de cerdo has been flipped and cooked through, it is removed and served either as a main dish, as an accompanying part of the mains in an asado or as a starter. I personally prefer it is a starter cut into small pieces and enjoyed by the grill along with some provoleta and mollejas. Certainly not a light cut by any means, but very tasty and the perfect way to start a long night of eating and drinking. I must confess that I tend to avoid pork but I will never say no to a well-prepared matambre de cerdo. If you see it on a menu, try it, it will hardly disappoint and you can still have your bife de chorizo and flan for dessert.