The miracle of high mountain meat.

Asturian lamb, turned into an example of sustainability in the EU, is enshrined in haute cuisine.

Europe applauds and rewards the sustainability of the Asturian lamb while haute cuisine incorporates it into its offer. In just a few years, the sacrificial work of farmers, once forced to sell below the cost of production, has risen so much that the sale price of the offspring has doubled, providing them with the desired profitability, accompanied by certainty. One hundred percent of the merchandise “is sold and well sold” even before the season begins.

Working with that peace “is not paid for with money,” explains Braulio Roiz. He was one of the first to join the pioneering project developed by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture. The miracle of Peaks of europe resides in the essence of the environment itself, where wild species coexist for centuries with extensive livestock. So much so that its activity has been integrated into nature, becoming one more piece of the ecosystem.

Under this premise, the ecological organization, aware of the constraints of the ranchers and the risk of the survival of the profession in the high mountains, launched an initiative to return the effort of those who had given so much to the natural park. That is the summary, to majors, of the president of the foundation, Gerado Baguena.

The organization created the ‘Pro-biodiversity’ brand and eliminated intermediaries from the equation. It thus managed to expand the margins of the farmers. In return, it only imposes a responsible breeding that benefits everyone because the innocent happiness of the lambs transfers the quality of their meat and fills the diner who tastes the final product with joy. Succulent, juicy, tender.

The marketing process is assumed exclusively by the brand, with agreements with Alimerka, Lupa, and now also with the restoration of Paradores. “Waking up in the morning – early rises are common – knowing that you have everything sold makes you work in a different way. You can almost prepare the animals à la carte », acknowledges Roiz, one of the first to dare to say yes to the foundation.

The brand, with a waiting list, has eleven producers. It will not incorporate more until it has the guarantee of purchase and sale of one hundred percent of the meat. Rubén Remis agrees, accustomed to butchers demanding weight instead of quality, that excellence is well worth it.

In ‘Pro-biodiversity’ market trends do not influence the births of lambs. Among the demands of the brand, is to respect the natural processes of lambing. Animals come into the world when they are ready to do so, although that translates into 21-hour working days to “be at the foot of the canyon,” Roiz sums up.

Mothers have to spend at least half of the year – in most cases it is eighty percent – in mountain passes, giving birth indoors, to reduce the level of stress, and feeding only on herbs, without feed. The young are given a “dignified” death, quick and without anxiety, with just a few hours in the slaughterhouse and that peace is also transferred to the taste.

Baguena says that this year eleven tons of lamb will be slaughtered. The Parador of Cangas de Onís It was the first to incorporate it into its gastronomic offer, followed by Gijón and Corias. The project fits into the essence of the hotel chain, “committed to developing the environment and quality,” according to its director, Ignacio Bosch. “It is a very delicate, soft, tender product that melts due to its smooth texture”, sums up the chef Santos Vicente .

Lamb stew from Los Picos.

INGREDIENTS. For the lamb broth: lamb bones, 5 liters of water, a leek, two tomatoes, a red pepper, an onion. For the lamb stew: a leg of suckling lamb, 1/2 kilo of flour, salt, black pepper, EVOO, fresh thyme, two onions, a red pepper, a tomato, 5 dcl of white wine and two liters of broth of mutton. One kilo of potatoes, two liters of extra virgin olive oil and fresh sprouts of aromatic herbs.

PREPARATION. For the lamb broth, we roast the veal bones together with the vegetables in the oven. Later, we put them in a saucepan together with the water and cook for six hours. We strain in a Chinese and reserve.

-For the lamb stew, bone the lamb legs and cut into pieces, season with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of oil and thyme. We reserve cold.

-Then, in a casserole, we put the rest of the oil, the diced vegetables and poach. On top of them, we add the lamb and sauté the whole, sprinkling the flour and sautéing.

-Add the white wine and the lamb broth and let it cook until tender.

-To make the patatinos, first we peel them, then we season them and finally poach them in oil until they are almost done.

-To conclude, we bring the stew to the fire and add the potatoes, cook together and add salt if necessary.

-We present it in a deep dish. We place the lamb stew together with the patatinos and decorate with the fresh aromatic sprigs.

Shoulder of suckling pig from the Picos.

INGREDIENTS. Four shoulders, salt, black pepper, a garlic, fresh thyme, 75 grams of lard, a kilo of potatoes, an onion, a red pepper, 5 dcl of olive oil, salt, 1 dcl of white wine. For the sauce, 1dcl of EVOO, two shallots, 1dcl of white wine, 5dcl of shoulder cooking broth, 1 tbsp of xanthan, soy, milk, sesame and mustard.

PREPARATION. Season the shoulder with salt and pepper and place it in a vacuum bag, along with crushed garlic, a sprig of fresh thyme and a dice of lard. We seal the bag under vacuum.

-We cook in a steam oven at 90º for 4 hours, cool and recover the juice for the sauce.

-On the other hand, we clean and cut the potatoes 1 cm thick, the onion and pepper in julienne strips and put everything to poach in the olive oil. Season and, when they begin to crust, transfer them to a baking dish and add the white wine and fresh thyme.

-For the sauce, we put the chopped shallots with a drizzle of olive oil to poach. Once they are tender, add the white wine, let it reduce and then add the lamb juice.

-We let it cook so that all the elements are integrated and, if necessary, we thicken with xanthan. We go through a fine Chinese and rectify the salt.

-To finish, we preheat the oven to 220º and introduce the shoulder for 20 minutes. We heat the potatoes and the sauce. L

-We place the shoulder on a plate next to the potatoes, decorate with a sprig of fresh thyme and put the sauce in a separate jar to suit the diner.

Stuffed suckling pig rack, honey and hazelnut crust.

INGREDIENTS. For the lamb broth: lamb bones, 5 liters of water, a leek, two tomatoes, a red pepper, an onion. For the filling, a bunch of leeks, half a kilo of carrots, half a kilo of zucchini, 1 dcl of olive oil, salt, 250 grams of foie mousse. A rack of suckling lamb, black pepper salt, 4 garlic, fresh thyme, 5 dcl of white wine, 80 gr of pork butter, gr of honey, gr of water and 100 gr of toasted crushed hazelnut. For garnish, roasted apple wedges, roasted whole hazelnuts and herb sprouts

PREPARATION. For the broth, we roast the veal bones together with the vegetables in the oven. Then we put them in a saucepan with the water and cook for six hours. We strain and reserve.

-For the filling, we clean and cut the vegetables and poach them. Season and keep over low heat. Add the crumbled foie and mix. We withdraw ..

-We clean the ribs of excess fat without throwing away the crepineta. We scatter and season.

-Fill, roll, flange and place in a vacuum bag individually with garlic, thyme, white wine, and lard. Seal and bake for 2.5 hours at 90º steam.

-Mix the honey, water in equal parts and set aside.

-We remove the ribs from the vacuum, brush it with the honey and water mixture and put it in the oven at 190º 15 min.

-We passed it through the crushed hazelnut and cut it in two.

-We cut the apple wedges and grill.

-We place on a plate some apple wedges, the ribs, a splash of its sauce, hazelnuts and herbs.

Source:

https://www.elcomercio.es/gastronomia/lechazo-asturias-picos-europa-20210218104539-nt.html