If you’re looking for a show-stopper main dish that features steak, you’ve found it.
This Argentine-style recipe is a real treat. This is something to make on a special occasion, such as Father’s Day, or an anniversary, or, oh, who cares, this is good for any occasion, including dinner. The flavor profile is rich and the sauce puts this dish over the top. Serve it with best mashed potatoes or creamy polenta for an unforgettable meal
How To Make Stuffed Flank Steak
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The Tools and Ingredients You Will Need
You can adapt the fillings to your own liking, however, we highly recommend that you have the proper tools to ensure that stuffed steak is prepared perfectly.
The Tools You Will Need
Oven-Safe Skillet – A 12-inch cast-iron skillet works perfectly. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, sear the steak in a skillet and then transfer to a roasting pan.
Instant-Read Digital Meat Thermometer – We rely on the ThermoPro Lightning Digital Meat Thermometer. (Order NOW and get 30% off the regular price!).
A large sharp knife – This, along with a steady and patient hand, is critical to butterfly the steak properly. We love a top-notch Japanese Chef’s Knife.
Fat Separator – Some grease will render during the cooking process. A fat separator will keep that out of your sauce, but, there’s not that much, so if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it.
The Ingredients You Will Need
Steak – A 1-inch thick flank steak is perfect and can usually be found in the meat department of most supermarkets. Substitutes are flap, flat iron, or tri-tip.
Vinegar – Red wine is best.
Paprika – Smoked adds a serious depth of flavor.
Tomato paste – You’ll need this for the paste and then again for the wine reduction sauce.
Garlic – Minced.
Oil – Olive or extra-virgin olive.
Prosciutto – Thinly sliced. Pancetta or salami can be substituted.
Spinach – Mature, fresh is best. Washed and stems removed. Baby spinach can also be used. Frozen isn’t recommended because it’s too wet.
Carrot – Grated with a box grater or with the grating attachment on your food processor. Or, you could finely chop it.
Onion – Chopped.
Roasted bell pepper – Purchased jarred roasted pepper is perfectly fine. Chopped or strips is recommended.
Basil – Fresh is best, roughly chopped.
Breadcrumbs – Any type will work. Panko or Italian are both fine. Plain or seasoned both are good options.
Parmesan cheese – Grated.
Thyme – Dried. If using fresh, then double the amount listed in the recipe.
Wine – We prefer a dry white, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Fortified wine – Madiera or Marsala are both excellent choices.
Beef stock – Homemade or purchased.
Worcestershire sauce
EXPERT TIP: Take your time when butterflying the flank steak. Start in the middle of the long side of the steak and slowly move your knife back and forth. Once you’re about ½ to 1 inch from the edge, open it and then pound it until uniformly the same thickness. After adding the filling ingredients, slowly roll it up tightly. It’s okay if some of the filling falls out on the sides, this is normal.
Tips for Making a Perfect Stuffed Flank Steak
Season the Steak Liberally – After you’ve securely tied the steak up, you’ll need to season it liberally with salt and pepper all over. Brushing olive oil all over the steak first will help the seasonings to adhere. Don’t skip this step!
Don’t Skimp on the Fillings – The fillings are as important as the steak. It may feel like you’re adding too much, you’re not. Traditional Argentine stuffed steaks (called matambre) often also include sliced hard-boiled eggs. Add to your own tastes!
Searing Is Crucial – This step develops a rich, caramelized crust before finishing it in the oven and ensures a juicy and tender result.
Don’t Overcook the Steak – An internal temperature of 135°F will yield a medium steak, with a lightly pink interior. An instant-read digital thermometer is highly recommended. We use the ThermoPro Lightning Digital Instant-Read Thermometer.
How To Serve
While the stuffed flank steak is cooking, you can quickly and easily make the incredible wine sauce. Homemade chimichurri sauce is wonderful, too.
Once the middle of the stuffed steak reaches 130°F, about 30 minutes, it’s almost ready. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, and then cut into nice thick slices (1½” thick is perfect). Pour some of the sauce on a platter and then place the sliced stuffed flank steak on top. Pass the extra sauce at the table.
We love to serve the slices over our best mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
EXPERT TIP: After about 15 to 20 minutes of baking, remove the skillet/pan from the oven and use tongs or a spatula to lift the steak up slightly then pour the white wine so in so it covers the area underneath the steak. This helps to keep it from sticking to the skillet/pan.
Other Amazing Steak Recipes to Try
If you love a good steak as much as we do, then you and your family are going to love this collection of recipes:
Perfectly Cooked Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Seared Ribeye with Blistered Tomatoes and Bordelaise Sauce
Filet Mignon with Bordelaise Sauce
Bistecca alla Florentina (Italian Porterhouse)
Grilled Tri-Tip with Santa Maria Salsa
Steak au Poivre
Best-Ever Steak and Eggs
Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Standing Prime Rib Roast
These are all epic in their own way, without a doubt. But, in the meantime, isn’t this beef dish calling your name?
This Argentine-style steak entree is truly stunning in so many ways.
It is guaranteed to garner endless praise just in its gorgeous presentation as you bring it to the table.
But, then, after your guests dig in, the taste is what everyone will remember. And, flank steak is a very affordable cut of beef, so it won’t break the bank, either.
There is so much to love about this incredible dish.
Ready to make the best dish this side of Buenos Aires? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Stuffed Flank Steak
Video
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet or skillet and roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 1½ lb flank steak
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 4 strips prosciutto thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh spinach washed, stems removed, and roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and grated
- ½ cup yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup roasted red bell pepper roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil roughly chopped
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs Panko or regular, plain
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup fortified wine Madiera or Marsala (sweet)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Butterfly the steak by slicing it horizontally, stopping about ¾ inch from the other side. Open up the steak and pound it with a meat mallet to an even thickness.1 1½ lb flank steak
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, paprika, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to form a paste. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the paste and set aside.2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 3 tablespoon tomato paste, 3 garlic cloves, 4 tablespoon olive oil
- Smear the remaining paste on the open side of the steak.
- Layer the prosciutto, spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and basil on top leaving about ½-inch border along the edges.4 strips prosciutto, ½ cup fresh spinach, 1 medium carrot, ½ cup yellow onion, ½ cup roasted red bell pepper, ½ cup fresh basil
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine and then sprinkle over the top of the filling on the steak.¼ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoon dried thyme, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Roll the meat from the long end into a tight cylinder and tie every couple of inches with twine. Tuck in the ends of the rolled steak and then tie another strip of the twine lengthwise.
- Brush the meat all over with olive oil and then liberally sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Place the skillet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. (Or, transfer to a roasting pan)
- Remove the skillet (or pan) from the oven and then use tongs (or a metal spatula) to lift the meat and pour the white wine into the pan underneath the steak. (This will prevent sticking).½ cup dry white wine
- Place back in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 130 to 135°F, about another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Add the Madiera (or Marsala) wine to the skillet (or pan) over high heat, and simmer, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.½ cup fortified wine
- Whisk in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining 1 tablespoon tomato paste and simmer, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.1 cup beef stock, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Remove the strings from the meat and slice into ½-inch rounds.
- Transfer to individual plates and ladle some of the sauce over the stuffed steak rounds. Serve at once, with more sauce on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This post was originally published in June 2017, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in February 2024!
Kurt says
Kris,
Where’s the video!! 8 people for dinner this Friday. Can’t figure out how to cut flank steak – impossible. Trial run was very tasty but we simply pounded the steak into submission ☺️
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kurt!!! Our deepest apologies! The video is in the post now. To cut the steak, you’ll need a sharp, large knife, and then basically cut the steak in half, moving with a slow and back-and-forth slicing motion until you get to about 1/2 inch from the end of the steak. And then open it up and pound it with a mallet until uniformly thin and as smooth as possible. Hope this helps and we hope you have a GREAT dinner party. Let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Chen McGowen says
I made this tonight for dinner for my husband and I and it is absolutely delicious! I used a Tri tip since I couldn’t find flank and it was perfect! Thanks for another great recipe Loon!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Chen! Sorry for the delayed response! We are so so thrilled you made the stuffed steak and that you and your hubby loved it! And tri-tip is a FANTASTIC substitution (probably even better!). Thank you so much for sharing!! xoxo