Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Boozy Traveling Foodie Extraordinaire
Beef from Spain: On Tuesday 22nd April 2024, PROVACUNO organized a promotional Spanish Food event at UNA at the Alkaff Mansion, in which two Michelin Star Chefs showcased the best of Spanish beef in a delightful culinary evening. Spanish Chef Iván Cerdeño (2 Michelin stars) and ChefJavi Estevez (1 Michelin star) cooked top quality Spanish beef to elaborate this lean-in to Spanish beef (did you see what I did there? lean-in, get it?). Anyhoo, this was some cracking Spanish food Singapore!!! Let’s get moo-ving…
Beef from Spain Contents
And, I was there with my mucker and business partner Spencer, SciFi + none other than SIX of our Chef mates from our writings for Eat Spain Drink Spain, and the Restaurants of Spain accreditations, namely: My Little Spanish Place (newest joiner to this prestigious club), Gaig, Asador, Next Door Spanish Cafe, and an ‘outsider’ Italian, but great mate Chef Drew from Cenzo.
This was the second beef promotion for Spanish food event hosted at UNA by PROVACUNO, after the first one celebrated last 14th November 2023. This event is a continuation of that first massively successful one, in the efforts that PROVACUNO and Europe are making to promote European quality food in Singapore, under the campaign “Enjoy, It’s from Europe”. PROVACUNO expects to continue promoting Spanish beef for the next 3 years in the city-state.
Hopefully Islifearecipe.net is there at every step grazing and writing about our grazing of Spanish Food Singapore. I tell you, some quality produce was crossing our big fat hairy lips this evening: as you will see…
What is Provacuno? Why are they promoting Beef from Spain?
PROVACUNO is the Inter-professional Agri-Food Organization for Beef in Spain, representing the country’s beef sector. Committed to promoting Spanish beef domestically and internationally, PROVACUNO ensures high standards of quality, sustainability, and animal welfare in the production process. Through innovation and collaboration, PROVACUNO strives to showcase the rich heritage and superior taste of Spanish beef to consumers worldwide: these are the guys bringing you Spanish Food Singapore.
Given the recent approval by the Singaporean health authorities (SFA), AKA the ‘green tick’, and the transition into a new procedure for exporting Spanish beef to Singapore, a tasting day was held as part of the promotional of PROVACUNO association, the inter-professional association for the beef meat in Spain. Come on. Listen to the words… Spain and Beef, how can you not be excited. I grabbed my first Estralla and was salivating at the thought of what was to come…
The event hosted around 70 professionals of the Singaporean Food and Beverage and meat market, including restaurants, meat importers, distributors, influencers (that would be us: islifearecipe.net cough cough!!!), and government authorities, such us the Spanish Ambassador in Singapore, Ms. Mercedes Alonso and the head of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Singapore, Ms. Olga Baniandrés.
The Spanish Ambassador gave a speech in which she highlighted the efforts made by both Spanish and Singaporean Governments to get the Spanish beef approved for imports into the country, as well as recognizing the efforts made by PROVACUNO to make this happen.
She also highlighted the top quality of Spanish beef, positioned as one of the best in the world and produced under European regulations, which ensures the most ethical and sustainable possible meat products and bringing in Spanish Food Singapore.
Spanish beef in my humble opinion, is an underappreciated delicacy that deserves far more recognition on the world stage: hence this series of events. What sets it apart is the renowned quality and flavor that comes from Spain’s traditional breeding and rearing practices. Spanish cattle are primarily grass-fed on the rich pastures of the Iberian Peninsula (also whre a certain pig and pork comes from), allowed to roam freely and develop intramuscular fat and marbling. This results in beef that is incredibly tender, juicy, and full of intense beefy taste. Yeah, baby, now we’re talking.
Compared to mass-produced beef found in many countries, Spanish beef is in a class of its own. The care taken during every stage of production is evident in every bite: and we had a lot of bites this evening. It has more in common with the celebrated beef of Argentina, where similar climate and terrain allows for cattle to be raised in a natural, free-range environment. However, Spanish beef also has its own distinct terroir infused by the local grasses, climate, and centuries-old traditions. It’s like Japanese Wagyu with a Spanish accent…
From lean cuts like the lomo to the incredibly marbled pluma, Spanish beef offers the full range of textures and flavors beef lovers crave. Whether grilled over live fire, my personal favorite this evening, for a perfect vacio steak, slow-cooked into hearty stews or even served raw as we had today in the stunning tartare, this beef has the rich flavor to stand up to bold spices and sauces of Spanish cuisine. For those who think all beef is the same: think again, Beef from Spain is a transformative experience that will change your moo’d and perception forever. Get into it!!!
After conducting extensive research and tasting of Beef from Spain washed down by many a glass of icy cold Estralla and delicious red wine: just for you, folks, , Islifearecipe.net can confidently conclude that this premium meat offers a seriously good culinary experience. It’s got some chew, that’s a given, but that was highlighted by our Chef mates as a Beef from Spain trait, but the flavour profile is seriously intense. Just add a little dab of salt and the chargrilled beef angels are a singing…
The depth of flavor, tenderness, and overall quality of Spanish beef is truly remarkable, setting it apart from other varieties. It really is one you need to get in your life at some point, so we’re really hopeful it all goes well with importers and distis so that Restaurants from Spain start to stock up on this beef beauty.
Through our rigorous evaluation process: aka eating, we discovered that the unique climate, farming practices, and time-honored traditions of Spain culminate in beef that is simply more-ish. The meat’s marbling, texture, and robust taste profiles captivated our littel taste buds and some, leaving a lasting impression and for some beef juices all down their shirts.
Whether grilled, roasted, or incorporated into Chef’s favorite dishes, as we had this wonderful evening, Spanish beef elevates the dining experience to new heights: Spanish heights. Its versatility allows it to be used in a variety of culinary applications from chargilled steaks to tartare and delicate tongue, making it a must-have for any discerning beef-meister or professional Chef. WOOF!!!
