To surprise in the gastro world of Madrid is complicated, but La Porcinería has achieved it. How? By using a host of parts of the pig making a mono–product restaurant with very original offerings and very little fat. And, on top that, in one of the most demanding foodie neighborhoods: the Salamanca district.
With this last branding project by Susana and Fabio, the guys from eat&love studio and also from the fantastic website eat&love, has hit the nail on the head. I’m not just saying that because they’re good friends of mine. I’m saying it because what they’ve done is not a simple task: Create a young and fresh concept, for all audiences, in the stately Salamanca neighborhood. Because pork is a raw material with (almost) infinite possibilities, many more than the typical “cochinillo asado” (“roast suckling pig”) of traditional grills.
One of the great successes of La Porcinería has been to make the most of the small space available. So much so, that on the upper floor the high tables are mixed with the work area of the restaurant. This creates a relaxed atmosphere for having cañas, raciones and dishes that should be eaten immediately upon being served. The low tables are relegated to the ground floor in a more reserved and intimate atmosphere, and for when the moments of leisure arrive, ready for a drink.
Deco was also done wisely because it uses light colored materials, giving a bright look and creating a sense of spaciousness. The walls are labeled with slogans and a hilarious drawing of a pig with the maxim of many Spanish grandmothers: “del cerdo, hasta los andares” (which means you eat every part of the pig, including its walk/gait).
Now that I’ve put you in the situation, I’ll tell you what can enjoy there. They know how to cook every part of the pig, giving it the best possible match. Roast pork, stewed or grilled; with frayed meat, in strips or solid. None of their dishes leave a fatty aftertaste on the palate, and they tend to have vegetable sides. The guys from La Porcinería squeezed their brains and the result is very interesting.
I started my meal with “fried artichokes with bacon and foie”, whose bacon is finished cooking on the table so that it melts like butter. Attack the fast dish before it gets cold, and notice that the plate in the photo is a half ration. I recommend you start your meal with a good bodied wine, like tinto de toro Matsu. If you don’t know how to choose, let yourself be guided by the waiter, who did right by me.
The “Thai-style pork treats with kimuchi and wakame” is a unique recipe from La Porcinería. First stew the meat from the back of the pig’s head. Afterwards, it’s finished cooking inside the treat ball, preserving all its juices and its spicy point. You bite it and the explosion of flavors takes place.
Then came my lagarto (“lizard”) plate. Yes, I know that in La Porcinería only pork is eaten. It’s a part of the pig that’s between the head and front legs, which is used very little in restaurants. The “Iberian lagarto marinated with fried yucca” is presented in well marked pieces on the outside, but juicy on the inside. I had never tried it before!
No, the dessert doesn’t have a pig, but it looks like it. It was a “chocolate salami with coffee ice cream”, the flagship dessert La Porcinería. Here there’s no pork, but there is a trompe l’oeil that wants to imitate the salami or fuet. Formed by bits of biscuit, united by chocolate and with the fresh touch of ice cream.
La Porcinería is a great little place in the Salamanca district of Madrid for casual, cheerful and well-priced meals. For those days when you don’t go to El Velázquez 17 or Ten con Ten, and you want to eat a good product with original preparations. They also have vegetarian dishes, so everyone is happy!
Translated by www.StoryOfMadrid.com, the podcast about Madrid in English.
La Porcinería
Phone: +34 910.33.38.74
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 12:00 to 16:00 h and 20:00 to 0:00 h, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 16:00 and 20:00 to 2:30 h, Sunday 12:00 to 16:00 h.
Address: Lagasca, 103, Madrid.
La Porcinería on our map
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