Winners of the second edition of the Best Barbecue in Spain with Asturian Beef Competition

The participating chefs prepared their dishes live, using PGI Ternera Asturiana meat as the main ingredient. This year, thanks to the partnership with Sabor a Málaga, they include Malagueño Goat, in the form of chops.

Brasas de Brutus (Madrid), the winner of the competition, won 1,500 euros. For Carlos Granado, owner of the catering company, “achieving this recognition has been a very long journey, but seeing the effort and passion we put into our grilled dishes acknowledged drives us to continue offering the best.”

Antonio Zuasti, representing the Asador Iñaki restaurant (Málaga), took second place and a €500 prize. He emphasized that “the key to their success lies in their daily work and the quality of the products we use, from the exquisite Asturian beef tenderloin and the juicy acorn-fed Iberian presa, to the tender Malaga suckling lamb chops.”

David Ramos and Sonia Escribano from Asador Los Canteros (Mingorría, Ávila) took third place, with a €300 prize. Their proposal included ribeye steak, sirloin steak, and Asturian beef picanha, among other meats, with wild asparagus, garlic shoots, and onions. Chocolate, Honey, Salt, and Mushroom Sauce.

In the category of best pairing with a DOP Cangas wine, La Flaca Taberna Restaurant in Zamora won with a prize of 500 euros, recognizing the quality of these wines for grilling for several reasons. "It enhances the flavor, intensity, and complexity of meats served on a grill, and DOP Cangas wines pair perfectly with fine Iberian cuts and Asturian veal," commented its owners, Rafael Alonso and Cristina Fernández.

In the category of best Malagueño suckling goat, Latxaska Etxea (Madrid) won with a €300 prize for its "Okela Etxean" dish. Carlos Pérez and Rene Antonio Hernández combined Malagueño suckling goat with Asturian Txuleta, Gipuzkoa txistorra, white asparagus, and seasonal wild asparagus.

The technical direction of the competition was in the hands of Chef and Director of Gastronome 360, Juan Pozuelo. He highlighted the high level of the finalist restaurants and how they "demonstrated the quality of Asturian veal and Malagueño suckling goat, demonstrating the versatility of the most ancient cooking technique, with the current demands of haute cuisine. The twelve proposals achieved significant diversity and richness of nuances, even incorporating innovative elements, uniting the flavors of Spain in a single grill."

The participating chefs prepared their proposals live, using PGI Asturian veal and Malagueño suckling goat as the main ingredients, before a jury made up of food critics, renowned chefs, and leading professionals from the world of meat, such as Sergio Fernández, Ceferino Trabadelo, Pepe Ron, Ignacio Carmona, Jonatan Armengol, Miguel Sierra, and Víctor Pérez. The judges evaluated the technical execution, presentation (plating), handling of the embers, carving, flavor, quality, cooking point, internal temperature of the product, and the quality of the ingredients. the accompaniments, among other parameters.

“Today we have once again confirmed how high-quality raw materials can be flavored with charcoal in a simple, elegant, and delicate way, using exclusively an ancient technique, where timing, temperature, and observation of the reaction of the products lead to our being considered the best grill in Spain,” emphasized Nacho Sandoval, director of Nacho Sandoval Strategies and Marketing, after the awards ceremony.

Finalists

The twelve finalist restaurants are: Asador Iñaki (Málaga), Asador Los Canteros (Mingorría, Ávila), A Feira Pulpería Parrilla (Ourense), Chico Tarantini (Muñoveros, Segovia), Latxaska Etxea (Madrid), Restaurante Barrenola (Moralzarzal), and Brasas de Brutus (Madrid), from Madrid; La Flaca Taberna (Zamora), and Casa Maribona Gela (El Puente, Sanabria) from Zamora; Parrilla Bacus (Mieres), Sidrería La Montera Picona de Ramón (Gijón), and Parrilla Suiss (Cangas del Narcea) from Asturias.

Twinning with "Sabor a Málaga" (Twinned with the Flavor of Málaga)

This year, the Festival has partnered with the quality label for Malaga products; "Sabor a Málaga" (Taste of Málaga), where residents, visitors, and participants were able to savor the best of both regions, will foster an enriching cultural and gastronomic exchange in the coming months, thus celebrating the vast culinary diversity of Spain, where the Asturian grilling tradition has fused with the authentic flavors of the south, creating a bridge between the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean through the grill.

A gastronomic festival that will be repeated every year

At the end of the event, the Local Hospitality Board prepared a popular grill meal, based on meat from the region PGI Asturian Beef, where more than 800 diners were able to enjoy this unique raw material, accompanied by Cangas del Narcea wine, Tineo chosco, and Asturian honey, all endorsed by quality labels that guarantee the product's origin. These include Cangas del Narcea bread from Manín bakery, Reny Picott cheese, and Vaqueiro yogurt from Central Lechera Asturiana.

"Following the renewed success of this second edition, we are already working on the 2026 Best Barbecue in Spain with Asturian Beef Competition," confirmed José Luis Fontaniella Fernández, mayor of Cangas del Narcea.

The Brasas del Narcea Festival and the Best Barbecue in Spain Competition are an initiative of the Cangas del Narcea City Council, in collaboration with the Cangas del Narcea Local Hospitality Board and Nacho Sandoval Estrategias and Marketing, sponsored by PGI Asturian Beef.