Independent Scottish restaurant group Rusk & Rusk is set to open the first Edinburgh iteration of The Spanish Butcher on Friday 10th May.
Famed for its distinctive ‘Galicia meets Brooklyn’ proposition, The Spanish Butcher arrives at 58A North Castle Street preceded by the reputation of its sister restaurant in Glasgow, which was crowned as one of the best new restaurants by CNN.
The new 90-cover addition to the capital’s dining scene will offer the same Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired flavours, married with the very best homegrown produce from Scotland’s larder.
Taking centre stage on the menu is The Spanish Butcher’s selection of cuts from the Rubia Gallega breed of cattle native to north west Spain. Also known as Galician blondes, these ex-dairy cows are left to graze freely on pasture, and enjoy a longer life – typically between 8 to 12 years old.
This difference in the maturity of the cattle produces the more intense flavour of Galician beef. Added to this is a long dry-aging process of up to 50 days for some cuts, which is claimed to make for an ‘amazing flavour explosion’.
The Spanish Butcher’s Galician cuts to share include Galician prime rib, with different grade levels of fat and colouring being produced depending on the age of the cattle; the Galician Porterhouse, which combines the best of both worlds with a buttery slice of fillet and chunky piece of sirloin; and the deliciously lean celebratory classic Chateaubriand.
But The Spanish Butcher also has Scotch beef on offer, with a full selection of dry-aged sirloins, rib-eyes, fillets and the big Scotch Tomahawks made famous 14 years ago at The Spanish Butcher’s sister Scottish steakhouse, The Butchershop in Glasgow’s west end.
Based around simple well curated ingredients, restaurant offers a range of steak toppers, like Grilled Bone Marrow or Prawns with garlic and paprika, and a quintet of knockout sauces, like Picos Blue, Romesco or Mojo Verde.
Other mains include Whole Roasted Suckling Pig to share, roasted Shetland Monkfish tail on the bone, whole baked Seabass, Galician fillet burger, or grilled Cauliflower ‘Steak’ & Mojo Verde with Potatoes ‘A La Pobre’, Caperberries, and Piquillo Peppers.
James and Louise Rusk, co-founders of Rusk & Rusk, said: “We are dedicated to sourcing the world’s best steaks from across Scotland and Northern ‘Green’ Spain and proud to have been the first to introduce a unique breed of cattle ‘Rubio Gallega’ to Scotland seven years ago.
“Served alongside our renowned dry aged, grass-fed Scotch beef, guests can experience the best of both worlds.
“We are excited to be opening our doors in two weeks’ time, on Friday 10th May, on North Castle Street. The response from patrons existing and new has been incredible and we really hope everyone loves the food, and The Spanish Butcher, Edinburgh as much as team Rusk & Rusk does.”
