From a barbecue between friends was born the inspiration for what has just been proclaimed the best tapa in Spain: “Mondays in the sun”, by chef Íñigo Tizón, from the Bar Gran Sol restaurant, in Hondarribia (Guipuzcoa). The Basque creation was chosen this Wednesday as champion of the National Competition of Pinchos and Tapas of the City of Valladolid in its twentieth edition, which is why this Thursday he explained step by step the secrets of its preparation.
“It started as a tribute to colleagues, because in our kitchen the day of rest is Monday,” explained Tizón, who added that from there they moved on to the cinematic nod and what They prepared during their meetings: a good barbecue. Although the flavor of this way of cooking meat is well known, the Gipuzkoan restaurant team imagined a touch for this “olfactory and taste memory” that dinner can have.
Íñigo Tizón with his winning cover
Of course, meat is the fundamental ingredient of this miniature haute cuisine dish. Tizón says they looked for an edible bone and paid special attention to texture. They shape it with their hands then place it in a mold, always leaving the “bone visible”. The rib is left in the oven at low temperature for 36 hours, to which uncooked cassava is added.
This is where the pre-preparation takes place, since Tizón assures that they can reserve a large number of bites and quickly produce 300 tapas in a single service. This last section includes a passage in a mixture of flour or cornstarch and fry tempura style.
Then the sauce is designed to give the nuances and adds dehydrated lime to cause “different mouth sensations” and off you go. “in two bites, barbecued citrus fruits”. So, using a kitchen brush, we “paint” it on the piece of meat, then add oil and a grilled and crunchy touch.
In addition, the presentation is important in this creation, since it is mounted on a small tailor-made barbecue (made thanks to Igor, a blacksmith from the same town and friend of the house). It is smoked using a tablet of marine charcoal, frequently used in the Basque Country – according to the creator of the lid – and will maintain its heat for a few minutes… if no one has eaten it before!
