The Source
El Capricho by José Gordón
The story of El Capricho restaurant in the tiny village of Jimenez de Jamuz in Leon is the stuff of gastronomic legend. For the last 25 years, its proprietor, José Gordón, has devoted himself almost religiously to the pursuit of the very finest meat to serve in his restaurant. Little could he have ever imagined that his lifetime’s work would wind up in El Capricho’s steak being judged as the world’s absolute best by a series of renowned international publications. It all starts with the animals. José travels far and wide to find the finest oxen available, choosing mature animals whose meat has been sculpted by a lifetime of work in the open fields. He brings each ox to his natural, organic farm in order to fatten them before slaughter, a process that typically takes 5 years, during which time the meat becomes marbled with the characteristic fat and subtle nuances which lend the final product an unmistakable taste. After slaughter, the meat is hung to cure at low temperatures for 90 days – intensifying the already spectacular flavours. The result is meat unlike any other. Time Magazine called it “the perfect steak”. American Vogue food writer Jeffrey Steingarten described it as “probably the greatest steak I’ve ever eaten”. The guardian featured El Capricho as the best place to eat steak in the world.
