Writes: David Ruipérez, author of the Happy Carnivore
Discover the roasted lamb
La mutton it is not for everyday consumption like chicken, veal or pig. It represents only 4,4 percent of the fresh meat consumed in Spain. According to the data of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment, its price is 80 percent higher than the average for meat products.
It has always been reserved for special occasions, which gives it a certain status good gourmet food. It is the classic meat that we can cook in a domestic oven, but most prefer to taste it in the wood oven of a restaurant.
Good lamb areas in Spain, with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) included, are Navarra, Aragon, Extremadura and both Castiles. But one of the most representative varieties of an area, with a lot of personality and that goes hand in hand with tourism and culture is, without a doubt, the lamb of Castilla y Leon.
The many towns and cities that draw masses of tourists every weekend, especially at the national level. They have in their traditional grills one of the attractions for the visitor.
In addition to the meat, the oven and the grill master are main
El roast lamb Castilian and Leonese is less than 35 days old at the time of sacrifice. It belongs to the Churra, Castilian or Ojalada breeds or to the crosses of these. Its fat is white and the color of meat white, pearly or pale pink.
On the palate it is distinguished by its tenderness and juiciness. It is a very soft meat, but it is best used when cooked in a professional wood oven. There is no cheat or cardboard here.
In its traditional preparation the roast lamb It has so little seasoning. This causes that the determining factors for him to succeed at the table are only his own quality of meat. Also the master's degree with which the rotisserie handles the oven and the fire.
The key to the perfect roast lamb it could be summed up in the word stability. So that the meat is at its point once it is located in crockpot, covered with your own omentum (web of fat). Likewise, with a little water at the base. It is necessary that during all the time that the oven is in operation it does not suffer changes in its temperature.
A typical Castilian dish
La ash wood It is the one that many steakhouses bet on, although they also work with Holm oak, as in the grills. Firewood cannot be added during grilling. That is why it is essential that the rotisserie master perfectly calculates the oven ignition times depending on the number of pieces to be grilled.
As well as the amount of firewood that is going to be used and neither go over nor fall short. Calculate well that equation between amount of meat and firewood y cooking time it is essential. To get the roast lamb the maximum game. That is why these types of establishments request the order in advance.
Overall we enjoy good steakhouses
Fortunately, in the lamb field Good practices and quality reign in the face of this scourge of giving the visitor substitutes. Products made in any way such as when offered to a foreign citizen on the coast Paellas or low-quality seafood.
Because you may not know the dish well enough to know that you are being ripped off. No, the roast lambs in the different corners of Castilla y LeonEven with their nuances, they tend to respond to what the customer expects. At least one PGI so settled and recognizable.
A delicacy whose smell while roasting already makes you salivate. It always offers a good excuse to get lost in the narrow streets of any Castilian town.
