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--> --> Oct. 1: Argentine Matambre By Jeff Cheek I try to avoid using family stories in this column but there is no way to introduce "matambre" without giving the source, my granddaughter, Elizabeth Cheek. Beth graduated high school on 1 June. On 5 Aug., she left for Punta Arenas, Chile, as a Rotary International Exchange Student. She will return in August 2003 to enter college as a pre-vet student. In September, I received a short letter. She is fine. Her Chilean family is warm and friendly. It is cold as Punta Arenas is the southern most city on earth and it is winter down there. She included a recipe for Argentine "matambre." The name Argentina is from the Latin "argentum" (silver), and the river which drains the northern half is the Rio La Plata or River of Silver in Spanish. Unfortunately, when the boundaries were drawn, Bolivia got the rich silver mines at Potosi, while Argentina got the name. However, her wealth is in the vast plains (pamas) of the country. These fertile plains support huge herds of cattle, sheep and wheat fields. Argentina is a major exporter of beef, wool and wheat. Until the arrival of railroads and automobiles, the only way to cross these pamas was by stagecoach. Villages were rare so a traveler would cook a beef roll, a "matambre" to eat on his journey. One would last for several days. Ingredients: 2 two pound flank steaks 1/2 cup wine vinegar 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1 teaspoon thyme 8 medium carrots, cooked 4 boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise 1 large onion, sliced into rings 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/2 pound fresh spinach 1 teaspoon crumbled chili pepper 1 tablespoon salt 3 cups beef stock Preparation: Butterfly the steaks, leaving half inch uncut. Place between waxed paper, pound until flat. Sprinkle first steak with half the vinegar, garlic and thyme. Repeat with second steak. Marinade overnight. Lay the two steaks end to end, cut side up, with a 2 inch overlap. Pound the joined ends together to seal them. Wash spinach and remove stems, spread over meat. Lay the carrots across the meat at three inch intervals, place egg slices between carrots, then spread onions, parsley, salt and pepper evenly. Roll the matambre like a jelly roll, tie securely at one inch intervals. Place in a large roasting pan, add beef stock to half cover the beef roll. Add water in necessary. Cover and roast at 375 degrees for one hour. Remove and press to remove excess water, then chill until you are ready to catch the stagecoach. As I have never crossed Argentina by stagecoach, I can not evaluate this recipe but Beth reported that her Chilean family promised to make one, then take her on a picnic when Spring comes in November! Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing