NUMBERS DON’T LIE
Pending final clearance from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Spanish beef will soon be available for Filipino consumers to enjoy. It will compete head to head with beef imported from the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan, all of whom have dominated the premium segment of the market. Spanish beef promises superior quality across its entire range of cuts and grades at more competitive prices. With more options and greater value, this development is a win for the Filipino consumer.
Last week, member companies of PROVACUNO, the umbrella organization of the Spanish beef industry, was in Manila to meet with potential importers, restaurateurs, and select members of media. Spanish Ambassador Jorge Moragas hosted a dinner and briefed us about the unique characteristics of Spanish beef. It was an experience that was both delicious and educational.
For most Filipinos, good beef is marked by a high fat content (marbling), tenderness, and a distinct bovine flavor. This is why the Japanese wagyu variety became the gold standard for most. Spanish beef has other benchmarks of quality. For Spaniards (and Europeans), good beef must not only be juicy, it must have adequate muscle structure to make it firm to the bite and smooth to the tongue. Flavor-wise, the beefy flavor must be both present and pleasant, not overpowering nor gamey. Visually, the fat must be of a pale yellow color, the muscle fibers must be bright red (not matte), and the bone should be ivory with an absence of black stains. Good coloring should be consistent throughout the whole cut of meat. Proper juiciness is characterized by an explosion of meaty nectar in the mouth when bit into, not dripping wet even before biting it.
We were served rib eyes and prime ribs expertly prepared by renowned chef Iñigo Urrechu. Indeed, I found the beef different from Japanese wagyu. It delivered on its promise of being well structured, explosively juicy, and aromatically pleasant. The unique aroma of Spanish beef is a result of its feedstock which is primarily cereal and oilseed.
Beef from PROVACUNO producers adhere to the European Production Model (EPM). EPM is known worldwide for having the highest food safety standards. Each cut of beef is tagged with a traceable code that tells you where the cow came from, its sex, age, feedstock, manner by which it butchered ,and details of its cold chain. This labelling systems is tantamount to a health and commercial guarantee.
Controls against animal diseases and the use of hormones are ex