Rubia Gallega Tataki – Crispy Fat, Rare Centre, No Better Way to Eat Aged Beef

Описание: Rubia Gallega is one of the most prized beef breeds in the world—12 years old, grass-fed, and intensely marbled. In this video, we use a modified tataki method to capture its essence: slowly rendering the fat until crisp, while keeping the centre rare for maximum tenderness and flavour. We explain why sirloin is the best cut for this preparation, how to manage pan heat to avoid overcooking, and why this technique highlights the true character of aged Galician beef. No sauces, no distractions—just salt, and a great bottle of red.

0:00 - Introduction
0:26 - Explaining Modified Tataki
1:11 - Rendering the Fat
2:49 - Swiftly Searing the Steak
3:44 - Carving and Plating

Despite its name, the Galician Blond, Rubia Gallega, is primarily grass-fed, giving it these graceful yet robust flavours. Even with the mandatory 45-day dry ageing, a twelve-year-old grass-fed cattle can still be somewhat chewy, despite all the praise it receives. My butcher, Carl, used to offer me complimentary samples of the raw beef to taste before committing to an expensive cut, and I discovered that raw meat with a bit of salt is the best way to relish Rubia Gallega.

The only drawback of serving it simply as a beef carpaccio is that it overlooks the other incredible element of this beef - the grass-fed fat.

To enjoy the best of both worlds, the solution is simple - we prepare it as a beef tataki (a Japanese method of searing only the outer layer of the beef, then plunging it into ice water to cool) with two adjustments. 1) We begin by rendering the fat cap (that's why we opted for sirloin instead of ribeye) and searing the fat properly. 2) To maintain the crispiness of the fat, we skip the ice bath after cooking.

The end result, in my view, is the finest way to appreciate this remarkable cut of meat.

Ingredients
Rubia Gallega sirloin
Salt
Black pepper
Nothing else

Directions

1. Approximately 10 minutes before cooking (up to 30 minutes), place the steak in the freezer.

2. Trim the fat to create a single straight line, making it easier to render the fat. Place the excess fat in the cold non-stick pan.

3. Season the steak on all sides and add the steak, fat side down, to the cold pan, using a pair of tongs. Gradually raise the heat to medium (induction 6.5).

4. Continually press the fat down for even cooking. You should hear a gentle sizzle and see more oil in the pan.

5. Once most of the fat has been rendered (the fat strip should become quite thin), increase the heat to high (induction 8.5) to brown the fat side. At this point, it's advisable to maximise your ventilation and open a window.

6. Swiftly sear the steak on all sides. Turn it as soon as you notice significant browning.

7. Leave the steak to rest on the chopping board. Once it's cool enough to handle, slice it as thinly as possible. Remove any sinews.

8. Serve with Maldon salt and nothing else. Not even black pepper. Enjoy.

____

Follow us on Instagram:   / w2kitchn  


#W2Kitchen #rubiagallega #galicianblond