Why does it have that name?
Although its name sounds quite unusual, don't you think? We can say it gets straight to the point, as it is made up of two words that give us an idea of its characteristics, "mata" and "hambre" (hunger). Quite effective, without a doubt.
However, this name varies depending on the country where it’s prepared. For example, although in Argentina it is known as "Matambre," in Spain, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador, it goes by the name of "falda" (skirt).
But in Chile and Peru, they reject this term and prefer to call it "malaya," once cooked. Meanwhile, Colombians call it "sobrebarriga," Mexicans "suadero," and Panamanians "falda blanca" (white skirt). What a tangle!
History
To understand the history of Matambre, we need to set our sights on Argentina in the 1800s, a time when the country supplied Europe with beef, especially a cut called "pistola," which was made from a hindquarter of a cow.
This was quite a popular cut at the time, so butchers had their hands full, as the cuts were made by hand.
And how were they rewarded? Precisely with leftover cuts of meat, which, as you might imagine, was the lower part of the famous "pistola": a layer of fine meat attached to the leather and ribs. That is, the modern-day matambre.
The same cut only needed a few minutes over the heat of the fire to be ready and satisfy the eater’s appetite. It was definitely not a bad reward for Argentine butchers. What do you think?
