In quest of the world's best beef, InterContinental Hong Kong's chefs are sourcing exclusive specialty beef from artisanal farms around the world, which are showcased bimonthly at the hotel's popular STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill. If you're a beef lover you will not want to miss the latest discovery, Spain's El Capricho by José Gordón. Our Executive Chef Maxime Luvara travelled to Spain earlier this year to personally discover the “world's best beef” and experience a true farm to table experience with the famed owner, farmer, chef and restauranteur of Bodega El Capricho.

Now through October 31, experience the globally acclaimed beef from Spain's El Capricho by José Gordón.  Available for the first time internationally, the selection of cuts are all dry-aged by José Gordón for 70 days and grilled to perfection on our charcoal grill, plus à la carte menu items inspired by the regional Spanish cuisine.

José Gordón is the owner, farmer, chef and restauranteur who has gained international praise for the top quality beef which he produces from a carefully selected variety of breeds in his native Spain. His Bodega El Capricho has been featured editorially in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, TIME, the Telegraph and Stern as “The World's Best Steak Restaurant” and “The Best Beef”.  

The incredible success of El Capricho in the beef world can be attributed to José Gordón himself. He has dedicated his life in pursuit of perfect beef. As the owner, farmer, butcher and chef, he personally selects specific animals from the different native breeds, transports them to a beautiful natural spot in the tiny village of Jimenez de Jamuz (a three hour drive from Madrid). Then with patience, he waits for the optimum time for each creature. Unlike most farmers, he doesn't slaughter the animals when they are young. Instead, he lets them roam his fields for up to 15 years. He then individually chooses the aging time for each piece of beef. The resulting meat – known as buey in Spain, is exceptional.

Amongst the diverse breeds are Rubia Gallegas, a Galician breed with a creamy coat, tan Barossas from Portugal and the Sayaguesa, from the nearby province of Zamora. This is a mammoth animal with a rich black hide and enormous curled horns.

José believes that good husbandry and care are the keys to perfecting the texture, rich marbling of fat and the sheer quality of the meat.

He works with almost 100 farms around northern Spain to source the best animals, often rare breeds of oxen. José then personally cares for the animals – ensuring that the animals lead relaxed and stress-free lives. He refines the flavour and fat content of the beef by giving his animals a diet that includes cereal grains, oak sprouts, acorns, and grass from the high mountains around Leon. He waits for the optimal time before slaughtering each animal. Then he separates the cuts and dry-ages each individually. Smaller cuts of younger animals may only need 60 days of aging, while some of his oldest buey are aged for up to 200 days.

Learn more about El Capricho from José Gordón

“It is more than twenty years since I was first seduced by the elegance and nobility of these animals and their meat, and this passion is expressed every day in my work….My search from hamlet to hamlet for specific animals increased my knowledge…, about the livestock and the importance of integrity – in terms of character, climate, land, pastures, good husbandry and, above all, the communion of these two species: Man and Ox.

I came to realise that the ox is much more than just a working animal: it is a companion, another member of the family, to the point where alongside preparations of a meal for the family there would also be a pot of potatoes, turnip greens, flour and other vegetables for the ox. And when it was very cold, they would even warm up the water for it to drink. I saw that this care and pampering had a very positive influence on the beast's nobility of character and, subsequently, the quality of its meat.

Thus our work consists of selecting specific 'individuals' from the different native breeds. Our aim is to recover certain breeds and ensure that others do not become extinct. We transport them to a beautiful natural spot, free from noise and interference. And then we have the patience to wait for the optimum time for each creature.

We believe a particular sensitivity is important to be able to distinguish the quantity and quality of accumulated fats. And we believe even more strongly that good husbandry and care are returned to us a thousand-fold in the form of the texture, the rich marbling of fat and the sheer quality of the meat. We look after every detail right up to the end; and we are absolutely meticulous about the ageing process. We make an individual assessment of every animal based on the parameters of age, character, work, accumulated fat, breed, etc. in order to determine the ideal ageing time for each piece. Later on, the factors of craftsmanship, fire and technique come into play.

In my oxen-world, I try to escape from convention to seek the essence that transports us back to our origins. Though we have lost so many other things today, the ox in some way inspires us with his curiosity, his nobility and the slowness of his walk.”

José Gordón

About Bodega El Capricho

José Gordón's steakhouse, Bodega El Capricho, is located about an hour outside of León in Northwest Spain where José Gordón quietly raises and ages his beef. Just a short distance away from La Bañeza, a municipality in the province of León, is the pottery-making village of Jiménez, with a population of around one thousand people. It is located along the River Jamuz from which it takes its name. This land has witnessed the passage of Asturians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors. It is from these last visitors that the town inherited the art of pottery-making; with up to thirty furnaces used for the hundred workshops which first opened in the 19th century. Men have gathered here around the warmth of the fire for centuries, dreaming of bison beneath the clay vaults.

The Romans brought with them the art of winemaking, which still exists today in the riverside meadows in more than thirty ancient 'caves' that people use for their own production. “Master broiler”, José Gordón, keeps his treasures in one of these caves. The story of El Capricho and its landscape is ingrained in the clay, the regional wines, and the holm oak charcoal that feeds the flames and provides the finishing touch on the grill.

The cuisine of El Capricho maintains these evocative, time-honoured flavours with simplicity and tradition. Its expertise in cooking red meat has made the restaurant a temple for meat lovers, with people from all over the world seeking out this establishment in search of the finest meat.

www.bodegaelcapricho.com

El Capricho Beef Exclusively at THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill
Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the acclaimed beef of El Capricho at THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill from September 3 – October 31 with a selection of three cuts – all dry-aged by José Gordón for 70 days and grilled to perfection on our charcoal grill.

70 Days Dry-Aged Beef Tenderloin: 6 oz HK$1,110 / 8 oz HK$1,430
70 Days Dry-Aged Bone-In Striploin:  25 oz HK$2,110
70 Days Dry-Aged Prime Rib: 30 oz HK$2,420

The special menu also includes:

STARTER:
Cecina De Leon: Cured Beef, Tomato Tartar, Charcoal Flavoured Bread & Arbequina Olive Oil – HK$328

SIDE DISHES:
Spanish Potato Tortilla: Chorizo Sausages, Brown Onion, Fresh Parsley – HK$98
Charcoal Grilled Pimiento: Manchego Cheese, Home-cured Anchovies & Garlic – HK$98

DESSERT
Crème Catalane: Citrus Segments and Crunchy Biscuit – HK$138

Click here for the special STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill “El Capricho” Spanish Beef Menu.

About THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill
THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill is a haven for meat lovers with prime cuts of the world's finest meat, seared to perfection on Hong Kong's only charcoal grill. The restaurant also has an elaborate garden fresh salad bar and an eclectic selection of condiments including twelve specially blended mustards and eight exotic rock salts. An intimate winebar features over 480 superb international wines.

THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill is open daily for dinner and on Saturdays and Sundays for the Weekend Semi- Buffet Lunch.

For reservations, please call +852 2313 2323 or e-mail: fb.hongkong@ihg.com

InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
www.hongkong-ic@intercontinental.com

Please click here for images of El Capricho Beef and José Gordón.
Please click here for images of THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill.

For further press information, please contact:
Carole L. Klein
Executive Director of Public Relations & Communications
InterContinental Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2313-2335 / Fax: (852) 2721-5964
E-mail: carole.klein@ihg.com