Write: David Ruipérez, journalist.
The PGI Cow and Ox from Galicia. The renowned chef from Donostia Martín Berasategui, with eight stars Michelín to his credit, he has secured it on the Hora 25 program on Cadena SER. This happened while sharing a microphone with the authors of the book The Happy Carnivore.
The best meat beef Its the Galicia. With the excellence of the meats that are raised in their land, the Basque Country, and where steak -the chuletón- is sanctified. Some may be surprised that the cook looks to the northwest of Spain when you have to serve meat dishes.
It is clear that the north is a good place for cattle breeding. Wherever families worshiped oxen. They provided food with their work and treated them like a member of the family.
Following in the footsteps of Galician beef
In fact in Galicia meat has been produced for 3.700 years. The green mantle of the ground always well watered by clouds and other living conditions create the perfect setting. Thus, it has become the benchmark for veal.
La Galician Beef Protected Geographical Indication is recognized in Europe for a couple of decades. It covers the main breeds of cattle existing in Galicia. They are Galician reddish, Galician brunettes, Asturian from the valleys, limousine, Aquitaine reddish, Alpine brown and Friesian. As long as the animals are born, raised, fattened, slaughtered and scrapped in this community.
PGI Cow and Ox from Galicia
But after this journey, the history of Galician meat writes a new chapter with a new Protected Geographical Indication. The PGI Cow and Ox from Galicia, which was recognized just a few weeks ago. After being published in the Official Gazette of Galicia the order of the Ministry of Rural Affairs.
In it, the favorable decision is adopted in relation to your registration. Through this decision, the quality seal it is approved at the national level. Therefore, it can begin to be marketed once the temporary national protection.
And in parallel, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will process the application for registration to the European Commission. Thus, we also want to achieve this recognition at the community level.
La PGI Cow and ox protects fresh meat and offal from cows and oxen from Galician lands. It is marketed in all types of cuts and belongs to the main breeds of cattle existing in Galicia. They meet the same standards that you follow Galician beef and the rest of IGP of Spain.
Rules of this Protected Geographical Indication
With the IGP quality seal Cow and ox an attempt is made in passing to put some order in the massive and fraudulent denomination and labeling. This appears on the market as “Galician” or “Galician” meat, ox or cow. It is exhibited by many meats with different origins.
This meat must be matured and presented refrigerated to comply with the standards of PGI Cow and ox. Without being able to be frozen at any time throughout the process of obtaining and marketing. The cows must be females that have had at least one gestation before slaughter. Whereas the oxen will be castrated males with less than one year of life and that exceed 48 months of age at slaughter.
According to Regulatory Council of Galician beef, It is expected that in the medium term they will take advantage of this PGI about 10.000 livestock farms. Also that around 30.000 channels are certified and more than 10.000 tons of beef higher quality.
