© Miguel Angel/Shutterstock

This Is How the Mediterranean Grills: Spain

By no means is the meatless grill the rule in Spain – quite the opposite.

Sardine skewers are so simple. Sometimes people in this country have no idea how simple it is to create great taste experiences. Spaniards, in this case, "malagueños", show that you don't need half a dozen sauces, five salads and loads of meat to enjoy them wholeheartedly. A handful of ingredients is enough for the "espetos de sardinas", which have become a landmark in Málaga: skewered sardines roasted close to the embers. Traditionalists like Don Manuel from the »Taberna El Mentidero« in Málaga carves the skewers himself from bamboo canes, which he cuts into quarters and sharpens. He sticks small, fresh sardines on them across the skewer. A handful of coarse salt is sprinkled on top, and then the skewers are rammed into the ground next to the embers. Within a short time, the fish skin caramelises and blisters; after a few minutes, the fish are cooked through and crispy. Nothing more than a squeeze of lemon juice on top, and the feast is ready.

Only the outer leaves char and the inside of the vegetable onions cook gently. Romesco sauce is the ideal accompaniment for »calçots«.
© Shutterstock
Only the outer leaves char and the inside of the vegetable onions cook gently. Romesco sauce is the ideal accompaniment for »calçots«.

Steaks and kebabs

In Spain, regional influences play a more critical role in grilling than here. While in the Basque Country, hardly any barbecue can do without massive beef steaks (»txuletón«), in Andalusia, fish and seafood almost always belong on the grill. In addition to sardines, you will find prawns and cuttlefish on the skewers, and larger fish such as sea bass and gilthead are also grilled. Bread is sometimes enough as a side dish for this delicious Mediterranean treat; boiled potatoes with aioli are also suitable. A chilled young red wine does the rest.

Catalans also like to start a barbecue without meat, with »calçots con salsa romesco«. These are spring onions that are grilled directly over the embers until the outer layer of leaves are charred black. The inside of the onions are dipped in romesco sauce, which is made from peeled peppers, tomatoes, garlic, almonds and breadcrumbs. A real delicacy.

The cut of secreto from Ibérico pork has a similar tender bite to fillet but is juicier thanks to the marbling.
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The cut of secreto from Ibérico pork has a similar tender bite to fillet but is juicier thanks to the marbling.

Marbled Ibérico

In case you've got a different impression so far: by no means is the meatless grill the rule in Spain; quite the opposite. For the aperitif, sausages, such as chorizo or morcilla, a type of black pudding, are often put on the grill on the Iberian Peninsula. Steaks follow for the main course, but they don't necessarily have to be beef. Marbled meat from Ibérico pigs is popular, which remains juicy because of its intramuscular fat: The fire melts the fat and ensures a tender mouthfeel.

The »secreto ibérico“, also known as »secret fillet«, is perfect. It is intensely marbled and similarly tender to a fillet but juicier thanks to the intense marbling. Considered the best (and most expensive) is the »secreto de cruceta«, located between the rib, belly and shoulders. Incidentally, outdoor cooking on a hot steel plate, which is gaining popularity here too, has its origins in Spain: Grilled food of all kinds can be cooked gently and without smoke. However, the latter is a shortcoming that purists will not like.


Philipp Elsbrock
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