How Do You Like Your Beef: The Flank

Today’s primal cut of conversation is the flank. The flank can be found below the loin. and is the abdominal muscle of the animal. In the United States, this cut is regularly marinated prior to cook because it it a tougher, but flavorful primal cut. It is regularly grilled, but can also be braised or cooked using moist heat.

The flank is the only primal cut in the entire animal that  is an entire muscle.  Flank steak fibers run across the entire length of the cut and is regularly cut against the grain to maximize tenderness. There are other ways that people tend to tenderize this cut of beef. Along with marinating, the cut can be butterflied, a cutting term where the cut is directly cut in half through the middle, as well as pounded.

There are no bones in this primal cut, which lends itself to some of Argentina’s favorite dishes.

Here in Argentina, flank steak is known as vacio and is regularly served in Argentina asados.  The vacio is cut by butchers here in Argentina with the thin layer of fat on the outside. The asador, or master grill man, will place vacio fat side down. With all those nice coals beneath it, the layer of fat becomes crispy  and the meat inside soaks up all this juice and flavor, making it extra delicious.

Vacio can be eaten by itself, but is also a favorite for what many Argentines call vaciopan. With vacio meaning flank, and pan meaning bread, it is pretty easy to put the two together. Vaciopan is a big fat steak sandwich. These bad boys can be eaten by themselves, but they are also regularly given a nice spoonful of chimichurri, lettuce and tomato. This is as close to a salad as you’re going to get when eating meat in Argentina.

 

How Do You Like Your Beef: The Shanks

Continuing with our series of different primal cuts, today we are focusing on beef shanks, or osobuco as it is called here in Argentina.

Cow shank is the leg portion of the steer. And can be found on the front and hind legs of the animal. This muscle does a lot of work over the steer’s lifetime, making it extremely tough, sinewy and full of connective tissue.  It is commonly used in ground beef and outside of the United States and Argentina, it is called gravy  beef in Australia and stew beef in Great Britain.

The names that certain states give to this primal cut says it all, including Argentina! This primal cut is regularly used in stews because the connective tissue in the meat turns into gelatin when cooked slowly, making it extremely flavorful and more tender.  Beef shanks are extremely lean, making it perfect for low-fat ground beefs. Along with these, the primal cut is ideal for making the french dish, beef bourguignon, and the Italian dish, osso buco.

So why does Argentina call this primal cut of meat osobuco, the name of a famous and luxurious dish in Italy? The name has everything to do with Argentina’s history and serious italian heritage.

Up to 24 million Argentines today have some percentage of Italian descent. That is a big number for a country of 42 million people. The major wave of immigration to Argentina happened between 1880 – 1920. In 1914 alone, 25% of the population in Buenos Aires was made up of Italian immigrants.

Statistics like these make sense today. It is clear here in Buenos Aires that Italy has influenced this population. From the porteno accent, family customs, hand gestures and food, the Argentine culture definitely has a little Italian in it.

With all that, it makes sense that Argentina would adopt the name of this famous Italian dish, osso buco, and call it osobuco. It is a result of Italian emigration and and love for all things italian here. Just like in Europe and the US, this meat is regularly slow cooked here in Argentina or used as for stews, called guiso.