Meat cuts in Spain: Pork, Lamb and Beef - Page 2

Thanks Kim that’s well worth knowing 👍

That's a good post, Willy. I did at one time think about joining Talk Quesada, but saw what Marcliffe contributes and decided not to bother. I'd like to add a couple of comments.

Ternera and cordera in Spain - veal and lamb - use a different timescale to the UK. If I remember correctly, UK veal is up to six months old and lamb is up to one year old. In Spain, the definitions cover up to a couple of years at least. I have no hesitation at all about eating Spanish ternera and cordero, as the older the beast is the more flavour the meat has. We used to love Barnsley chops in the UK, bur have to say that Spanish Barnsley chops have much more flavour - to the extent that good English butchers like Bells at La Marina now do and recommend them.

Ref beef, the big problem with Spanish butchers is that meat is put on sale as soon as it's slaughtered. You can tell this because beef, especially, is red. This means that it is tough and lacking in flavour. Every time we go to Casa Harry at San Felipe Neri, if we hear bashing noises coming from the kitchen, we know that someone's ordered ternera and Harry is trying to beat it into submission, to try and make it a bit more tender. 

Beef, of any age, should be kept in the fridge (hung) for three weeks. During that time it matures, develops flavour, becomes more tender, and darkens in colour. The darker the colour of beef, the better. If you must buy beef from a Spanish butcher, ask if they can vac pack it, or just buy it in and put it in a plastic bag and suck all the air out with a straw. Then stick it in your fridge for three weeks before you cook it.

If you don't believe me, try what I say and I promise you won't be disappointed.

The only thing I have against Spanish beef is that cattle in this area are often confined indoors. Apart from not liking this treatment of animals, it means that they aren't eating fresh grass, and aren't exercising so, from a selfish point of view, the meat is lacking in flavour.

So far, and I have lived in Spain for several years and visited for many years before that, I have only seen cattle grazing in fields down near to Gibraltar.