Monthly Feature: ARGENTINE-STYLE STUFF FLANK STEAK

The mess you see here actually turns out much prettier than it looks.

For this one, 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 or something blunt and dull (not a hammer) to an even thickness of 1/2 inch or so.

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Mix together the vinegar, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir to form a thick paste. Smear the paste on the open side of the steak, reserving a little for later. (You should actually double this, becuase there's never enough paste) Layer the prosciutto, spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and basil on top. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, thyme and sprinkle the mixture on top. Roll the meat from the long end into a tight cylinder and tie with some kitchen string. Watch out, as it may be hard to roll. You can see to the right how much crap I had in mine. Turn it seam side down and rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and more thyme.

In a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil, add the meat and brown on all sides (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a flameproof roasting pan, seam side down, and roast for about 45 minutes. Life the meat and pour the white wine into the pan underneath to keep the meat from sticking. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center register 130-degrees (about 1 hour, but watch out, it may still be overcooked). Take out of the oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Add the Marsala to the roasting pan and palce over high heat. Scrape up any browned bits from the nottom of the pan. Whisk in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and the ramining tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Strain the sacue through a fine wire or mesh sieve.

After removing the string, serve the meat by slicing thickly into rounds with sauce poured on top.

Makes 4-6 servings