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The La Tropical restaurant in Los Alcázares has won the National Grilling Championship at San Sebastián Gastronomika for a second time, adding a shiny new trophy to the one it first claimed three years ago.

 

The competition, now in its 17th edition and held as part of the San Sebastián congress, is dedicated to one of the Basque Country's most iconic dishes, the best grilled ribeye steak. This year's contest used a 35-kilo loin from a 5-year-old Holstein Friesian cow, matured for around 25 days by the Asturian supplier Trasacar to bring out the natural flavour of the meat without masking it.

 

La Tropical's first win in 2023 caused quite a stir, as grill master Mohamed El-Handy, a Moroccan national, beat seven rivals from across Spain, most of them from the Basque Country, when chef David de Jorge announced the result. This time the restaurant came up against eight other steakhouses with plenty of experience and tradition. Only one other winner has taken the title twice, San Sebastián's La Txuleeta, which did it in 2012 and 2013.

 

Owner Juan Carlos Méndez struggled to find the words afterwards.

 

"We're ecstatic, overjoyed, this is incredible!" he said.

 

He explained that one of the congress founders, who sat on the jury, had told him in person that the Murcianos were making history and that their ribeye was the best. Mr Méndez thanked his team, his suppliers and the Region, adding that "it was very difficult" against such experienced rivals.

 

La Tropical wasn't the only Murcian name on the programme, as the Region sent 25 professionals to the congress to take part in 20 showcookings, four tastings and three presentations.

 

Rosalía Bastida of the Felymar restaurant in Cehegín filled the Muka Room with a talk called "Our Essence", which included a Murcian take on the gilda made with red tuna and lemon zest.

 

Juan Azorín of the Estirpe restaurant in Yecla took to the main stage to show how garum can be made from fruit and vegetables rather than fish, and Cayetano Gómez of the Casa Tomás Group in Cartagena presented dishes that celebrate the city's Mediterranean and Andalucian roots.

 

 

Image: La Tropical