Cows and calves of the Encarna Group graze across expansive green fields on a Madrid-area farm in Colmenar del Arroyo. Over the last six months, these carefully selected animals feed on a 50-hectare pasture where water and lush grass provide the foundation for finishing before harvest.
“Caring for our animals in a natural, stress-free environment is our priority”, states a senior R&D leader in the Gourmet brand. The farm focuses on consistent quality meat across all products, which are now distributed under a trusted Barn seal.
Tradition-oriented butchers, the Jiménez Barbero brothers, oversee a meat company that selects prime examples from several breeds, including Retinta, Avilena, Hereford, Holstein, Charolais, and Angus, to yield superior beef cuts.
In the final six months, cows and calves are nourished with a blend of grass and grain, primarily corn, barley, soybeans, and wheat, to develop optimum carcass quality.
The goal is to offer top-tier carcasses and cuts such as txuleteros, high and low loins, sirloin, and a full range of beef portions. The program also produces custom-ground blends for burgers with varying thickness, cured meats, and processed items like sausages and bacon. Ready-to-serve bites, along with easy options like carpaccio or steak tartare, are all part of the portfolio.
One flagship recipe showcases a beef steak tartare served with a cured egg yolk sauce designed for four servings.
For the cured egg yolk sauce, four egg yolks are left in a soy marinade in a bowl for 24 hours, kept refrigerated.
- 400 grams center-cut sirloin. (Special cuts can be prepared by the butcher in small 5-millimeter squares, or prepared at home, or sourced from Casa de Vacas to simplify the process).
- 100 grams shallots, finely chopped
- 10 grams pickles, chopped
- 50 grams parsley, chopped
- 50 grams mustard
- 3 drops Tabasco
- 25 centiliters cognac
- 20 grams chives
- 100 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
- 4 egg yolks
- Salt and pepper
Detailing:
All ingredients are mixed in a bowl, with extra virgin olive oil added gradually to emulsify the sauce.
The pre-cured yolks are removed from the refrigerator, passed through a strainer to yield a delicate gel-like texture, and used to decorate the steak tartare.
The steak tartare is shared and plated with toasted bread for a complete serving experience.