“At La Perdida we cannot keep up with the demand for meat matured between 90 and 120 days,” says Sergio Martin de la Rosa , a graduate in Environmental Sciences, founder and CEO of the booming Sevillian company Energia Plus (a partner, therefore, of the president of Betis, Angel Haro) and, today, also an emerging breeder with absolute respect for the environment, the message of sustainability as the axis.
“One fine day I set out to see the new possibilities that could be opened up in cattle farming in Andalusia, and that project has taken shape with the Finca and Asador La Perdida , where the Charolais cow is the queen. It is a breed of meathighly appreciated for its flavor and fat infiltration, but unusual because of its delicate aging and its lower yield compared to more profitable ones”.
On November 1, this establishment opened, a typical Sevillian farmhouse , located at kilometer 2.4 of the road that connects Dos Hermanas with Utrera, which after the ambitious reform still smells like new, and the unmistakable fragrance of high-quality beef that has just been grilled
Charolaise and LYO beef delicacies at the grill
La Barra , which welcomes diners stocked with premium drinks, gives way to the lounges, in which the cameras, imported from Germany (about 6,000 euroscosts each) where the pieces of meat mature. “These are specific chambers to mature the meat, not traditional cold chambers, for any type of food, in which after 45 days the meat already deteriorates. Here we can keep them for up to 18 months in which their organoleptic properties improve , with absolute microbiological control”.
A huge ox steak from LYO , brought from Galicia, has been resting in one of the chambers since November 2017, according to its label. It is at its optimal point of consumption. And it’s like a great reserve: 130 euros per kilo. The superficial layer describes some greenish hue. But its interior is radiant red. Cut into thin slices, with a little maldon salt, it is a creamy delicacy, in which the resistance of the fiber has disappeared on the palate.
“In Andalusia , it is impossible to find meat with this degree of maturation,” Sergio Martin proudly points out. “You should already go to Madrid, or to the north of Spain, Galicia, the Basque Country…”. This commitment to exclusivity is reflected in the fact that, just six months after its opening, they fill up every weekend. And they still have to brand new the terrace, for which they are finalizing the details now that the warm spring nights are approaching.
The hand of the chef, Gonzalo Mancera, cuts and tempers the different cuts of Charolais beef: steak tartare, tataki accompanied by ajoblanco with pine nuts, loin, entrecote or steak, whose price varies according to the days of maturation: 65 euros per kilo those matured between 45 and 60 days; 70 euros (60-90 days) and 75 (90-120 days). The menu also offers other quality beef, such as German Simmental, Black Angus or Lyo beef. There are cold starters like Gilardeau oysters, marinated sardines with guacamole, anchovies from Santona. And hot starters arising from Mancera’s creativity, such as fried free-range eggs, boletus, leg and nose.
the offalIt is still present in a residual way in the menu, but Sergio Martin studies its progressive inclusion based on the concerns and tastes of the clients. The fact that noble cuts prevail today means that they are left with only 25-30 percent of the production: “If a specimen yields around 450 kilos, we retain around 90 kilos and sell the rest.”
La Finca La Perdida for exclusive events
The La Perdida estate, where the Charolaise specimens offered by the grill come from, is located next to Oromana, on the outskirts of Alcala de Guadaira. “It was a market opportunity that presented itself to me and I didn’t hesitate”, confesses the general director of Energia Plus. “Then, one thing led to another, to extensive cattle breeding…”. And that is why today 250 specimens of cows, castrated bulls at one year of age and calves graze placidly on the very verdant farm.
Only specimens that have reached eight years of age are slaughtered in a slaughterhouse in Santiponce. The farm borders the Guadaira riverand thanks to the irrigation concession that it enjoys, the animals can consume the ray-grass, which requires a lot of water, in addition to wheat, hay, alfalfa. Adult specimens eat about 10 kilos of food a day, an amount that doubles, and with more grain in the diet, two months before being slaughtered.
The offer of matured quality meat is not wide in the Sevillian and Andalusian gastronomic map. For this reason, La Perdida has not taken long to find its place. While Sergio Martin feeds a bitter orange to Gedeon , his four-year-old stallion ox weighing 1,200 kilos, the ideas continue to bubble in his head: “We offer experiences, more than lunches and dinners, and we will also offer private meals here, on the farm, by reservation and for groups of 15 to 30 people. Something very different and that will immerse the client in this environment of nature and absolute respect for the environment”.