Argentine-Style Stuffed Flank Steak

Dr. Jenny's Note:

DH and I made this and thought it had great flavor, despite the fact we overcooked ours. So, be careful in Step 10....the original recipe says to cook about an hour until the instant-read thermometer registers 130F. After an hour, ours was way too well-done. DH suggests you check the meat with your thermometer at least every 15-20 minutes. Also, prep and cook time do not include time it takes to roast the red bell pepper. Finally, you will need kitchen string. From the Williams-Sonoma "Steak and Chop" book.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 (1 1/2 lb) flank steaks, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 lb prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch spinach, carefully washed and stemmed
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted (peeled and sliced)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaf
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup marsala
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Butterfly the meat by slicing horizontally, stopping about 3/4 inch from the other side. Open up the meat and pound with a meat mallet to an even thickness of 1/2 inch.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F
3. Mix together the vinegar, paprika, 1 Tb of the tomato paste, garlic, and 1 Tb of the olive oil. Stir to form a thick paste. Smear the paste on the open side of the steak, reserving 1 Tb.
4. Layer the prosciutto, spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and basil on top.
5. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, 1 tsp of the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle the mixture on top.
6. Roll the meat from the long end into a tight cylinder and tie with kitchen string. Turn it seam side down and rub with 1 Tb of the olive oil.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the remaining 1 tsp thyme.
8. In a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 Tb olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
9. Transfer to a flameproof roasting pan, seam side down, and roast for about 45 minutes.
10. Lift the meat and pour the white wine into the pan underneath to keep the meat from sticking. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 130F, 30 minutes to one hour.
11. Transfer to a board and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
12. Add the marsala to the roasting pan and place over high heat. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the stock, worcestershire sauce, and the remaining 1 Tb tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
13. To serve, remove the string from the meat and slice it thickly into rounds. Transfer to individual plates and ladle the sauce over.

Reviews

[JeannaLW]

I'm not sure I should give a star rating; I made so many changes (due to what I had on hand) that it was almost another recipe entirely. Still, it was delicious and the aroma was amazing!
I used super thin cut steaks instead of butterflying a thick flank steak. I didn't have wine, fresh basil or spinach, or prosciutto. I started by layering frozen chopped spinach, shredded carrot, chopped asiago cheese, dried basil, diced red onion, red bell pepper, dried thyme and bacon in a casserole dish; I baked it until the veggies were soft, cheese melted, and bacon cooked. Then I spread the steaks with the paste (made as described) and topped with the vegetable and bacon mixture. Rolled them up and they were juicy and huge. Topped with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and a little more thyme. I didn't brown the meat because they wouldn't hold together enough to tie... so I just placed them seam side down in the pan and roasted till they were done (about 45 minutes total). I checked halfway through and there was so much juice in the pan that it didn't need added liquid. Once they were done, I removed them from the pan and added beef stock and the rest of the paste and Worcestershire sauce. Simmered to reduce and it became a lovely brown sauce that was delicious over the stuffed steaks. We ate till we were stuffed! Thank you for the inspiration and for an extremely forgiving recipe! I'm sure they would be even better made as described.

[Chef #1559687]

This was amazing! It was tender and full of flavor. Will definitely make again.

[Gerry]

Delicious and one of the best stuffed Flank Steaks I have tasted! The aroma alone makes for a five. The meat so tender the stuffing just right for us. Makes for great presentation as well as taste. How good? I picked up another at the butcher shop today for a repeat!