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The III Brasas del Narcea Festival will have more of a Malaga flavor

  • Display table featuring a variety of raw beef cuts, cured meats, wine bottles, olive oil, and regional food products at a Ternera Asturiana promotional event.

Malaga and Asturias seal their gastronomic alliance at the presentation of the III Brasas del Narcea Festival, which will have more of a Malaga flavor.

LinkNacho Sandoval

The renowned Asador Iñaki restaurant in Málaga hosted the official presentation of the 3rd Brasas del Narcea Festival, held from June 19th to 21st, culminating in the exciting final of the "Best Barbecue in Spain with Asturian Beef" competition. This event celebrates the gastronomic excellence of Asturias and the vibrant culinary culture of Málaga.

In this third edition, following the partnership established last year between the Málaga Provincial Council's quality brand, "Sabor a Málaga" (Taste of Málaga), and the Brasas del Narcea Festival, several Málaga-based agri-food producers will travel to Cangas del Narcea for an exhibition, tasting, and sale of their products, thus promoting exchange and the diversity of Spanish gastronomy.

Close-up display of raw goat cuts and other meats arranged on serving platters at a food promotion event, with olive oil, wine bottles, and a sign promoting Málaga milk-fed goat in the background.

The gastronomic event of the Best Barbecue in Spain competition, featuring Asturian Beef and Malaga Suckling Goat, on the 20th, will conclude with a communal barbecue for 800 seated guests. The event will be catered by the Cangas del Narcea Local Hospitality Association and will also include the famous "Locas" pastries from the Malaga-based bakery Obrador Tejeros. These traditional sweets consist of two layers of puff pastry filled with custard and topped with an orange-colored egg yolk glaze.

Attendees included Leonor García-Agua Juli, director of Sabor a Málaga; Nacho Sandoval, organizer of the Brasas del Narcea Festival; Ignacio Carmona, chef, gastronomic advisor, and technical director of Sabor a Málaga; chef Diego Gallegos of Sollo restaurant, which boasts one Michelin star, one Michelin Green star, and two Repsol Suns; and chef Diego René of Beluga restaurant, which also holds one Repsol Sun and is a Michelin Recommended restaurant. These last three acted as judges, sampling various grilled meats and cuts of meat. Also in attendance were Javier Escalona from Caprisur, Alvaro Ávila from the Cervantes group, Gustavo from Pampa Grill, Sergio Redondo from RUB Smoke House, and Daniel Salomón from Asarte.

The event at Asador Iñaki served to unveil all the details of the third edition of this festival, which is centered in the Asturian municipality of Cangas del Narcea. The event highlighted the importance of Asturian Veal as a superior quality product and the central focus of the competition. Cangas del Narcea boasts the largest number of registered Asturian Veal farms: 700 livestock operations raising around 23,000 head of cattle of a breed that produces the highest quality meat in Europe, renowned for its tenderness, juiciness, and high nutritional value.

On June 20th, in the Prao del Molín, where the famous "Descarga" (fireworks display) takes place every July 16th during the El Carmen festivities—a pyrotechnic spectacle in which more than 80,000 rockets are launched in just a few minutes—the grand final of the Best Barbecue in Spain with Asturian Beef competition will be held. The competition will put to the test the offerings of 12 restaurants from across the country.

During the presentation event in Málaga, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a tasting of different cuts of Asturian Beef, accompanied by other emblematic products of Asturian gastronomy, such as the exquisite Chosco de Tineo PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), wines from the Cangas PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), bread from Manín, an artisan bakery in Cangas del Narcea, and Asturian honeys from places like La Puela, El Sastre, and El Tío Ángel. Also delighting the guests were Caprisur's suckling goat from Málaga, the goat cheeses from Agamma, Cabraline, and Santa María del Cerro, and Málaga wines such as those from Bodega Cortijo la Fuente, Huerto de la Condesa, and Bodega A. Muñoz Cabrera, as well as the award-winning extra virgin olive oils from Málaga, like Finca La Torre, La Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, and Ardales. This tasting offered a preview of the quality and flavor that will define the main competition.

The Brasas del Narcea Festival will kick off on June 19th with the opening of the Cangas del Narcea and Sabor a Málaga agri-food market, with whom the festival partnered last year. The official opening will feature a spit-roasted beef demonstration by master grill master David Montes. The big day, Saturday, June 20th, will be a magical night with a drone show that will fill the Cangas sky with light and color.

The Brasas del Narcea Festival is establishing itself as a national benchmark in the art of grilling, promoting high-quality local produce and culinary mastery. The collaboration with "Sabor a Málaga" underscores the festival's commitment to the diverse and rich gastronomy of Spain.