“It is a great honour to be invited by José Gordón to his temple of meat, El Capricho, in the heart of Spain, and to confirm that everything they have told you about the magic of his unique, unsurpassed ox steaks falls short of reality once you taste them. But above all, it is a great fortune to discover one of those figures who immediately becomes one’s hero…
…In the culinary world we say, ‘without fat there is no fun’, which refers to the unquestionable fact that in the kitchen, olive oil on pasta or salad, butter on a bread roll, the natural fat of a good meat, bacon or good ham, all guarantee great flavour. And boy, does El Capricho know it. They use this knowledge daringly, because to combine thin slices of rump cap shot through with fat with a cube of very fresh red tuna loin so as not to overdo the fat, and get a fabulous result, it is necessary to master the arts of culinary balance, which in the right quantity can bring together unlikely combinations and make a morsel magic…
…Congratulate Jose for the magic he has created in every flavour, every corner, every piece of wisdom, every moment and scenario in his world. It is an example for the world, in agriculture, in the environment, in culture, and in gastronomy as a space for general well-being...”
…In the culinary world we say, ‘without fat there is no fun’, which refers to the unquestionable fact that in the kitchen, olive oil on pasta or salad, butter on a bread roll, the natural fat of a good meat, bacon or good ham, all guarantee great flavour. And boy, does El Capricho know it. They use this knowledge daringly, because to combine thin slices of rump cap shot through with fat with a cube of very fresh red tuna loin so as not to overdo the fat, and get a fabulous result, it is necessary to master the arts of culinary balance, which in the right quantity can bring together unlikely combinations and make a morsel magic…
…Congratulate Jose for the magic he has created in every flavour, every corner, every piece of wisdom, every moment and scenario in his world. It is an example for the world, in agriculture, in the environment, in culture, and in gastronomy as a space for general well-being...”
Gastón Acurio
“I’d never heard of this guy, but when he served me the first chunk of red meat (an immense steak, with a colour and texture that took me back more than fifteen years to a lost landscape) I understood that I was in a different place, and above all, looking at a survivor. That meat was as different as the guy that served it... I am moved by the work of many simple chefs, far from the glitter of fame and reviews in the specialist press, to remain faithful to the product; this is something that is increasingly scarce and increasingly attacked by those who should be concerned about keeping it alive... The ox is one of those products that mark the end of an era, and with it, the end of a way of understanding gastronomy.”
De Ignacio Medina
“But you have to go further and differentiate your product. The restaurant El Capricho, for example, has managed to make a name for itself all over the world. There aren't many in the world with its exceptional quality.”
Ferrán Adriá
“José Gordón is an exceptional figure, one of those who combine genius, wisdom and good practice. He is a unique character, who has been able to take the experience of generations and export it from a corner of León to the whole world.
José feels proud of that land of clay and holm oaks where he was born, a land where unique specimens arrive to feed the fire of his masterful grill. Without a doubt, he is a virtuoso master grill chef, known all over the world, and he has turned his magnificent winery into a red meat paradise. People come here from all over the world, drawn by the legendary meats and wines that raise one’s spirits to paradise.
Simplicity, tradition, experimentation, study... Values that José Gordón combines to perfection to serve as a model, an indisputable role model and continuous inspiration and, above all, to turn his winery into an authentic caprice, pure and simple.”
José feels proud of that land of clay and holm oaks where he was born, a land where unique specimens arrive to feed the fire of his masterful grill. Without a doubt, he is a virtuoso master grill chef, known all over the world, and he has turned his magnificent winery into a red meat paradise. People come here from all over the world, drawn by the legendary meats and wines that raise one’s spirits to paradise.
Simplicity, tradition, experimentation, study... Values that José Gordón combines to perfection to serve as a model, an indisputable role model and continuous inspiration and, above all, to turn his winery into an authentic caprice, pure and simple.”
Alcalde de León, Antonio Silván
“I've known José for 13 years, since I started, and from the beginning I've had the feeling that his project was something different, something special. He was one of the 30 chef friends who got together to publish the book "Andrea e i suoi Amici" and this was when neither of us were well-known.
I chose my favourite white truffle product and José surprised me with his great knowledge of the ox and the quality of his products. He is a great professional and a great person. He is my friend and I am a fan of his meat and I consider it a privilege to have a piece of meat from his oxen ?.
The Truffle King kneels down before the Ox King! Congratulations José! And may you continue to give us pleasure for many years to come. Bravo!”
I chose my favourite white truffle product and José surprised me with his great knowledge of the ox and the quality of his products. He is a great professional and a great person. He is my friend and I am a fan of his meat and I consider it a privilege to have a piece of meat from his oxen ?.
The Truffle King kneels down before the Ox King! Congratulations José! And may you continue to give us pleasure for many years to come. Bravo!”
Andrea Tumbarello
“I got to know El Capricho in 2008 following the great recommendation of Ignacio Medina, who alerted me to the existence of a place in deepest León, barely known, where they served meat that was almost impossible to find in any restaurant. Since then I have returned there many times, drawn by the personality of its owner, José Gordón, and by the exceptional quality of the meat he serves. And I'm not the only one, for Jiménez de Jamuz, a town traditionally famous for its pottery, has now become famous in the last few years as a place of pilgrimage for carnivores from all over the world.
The creator of El Capricho’s success is a peculiar figure who learned a lot about cattle in his work as an agricultural engineer and who set out on the adventure of opening a restaurant in one of the traditional underground wineries that abound in the area. With astonishing perseverance, José makes a tireless quest through towns and villages, especially in Galicia and Portugal, in search of those animals which are almost extinct (working oxen, cows that are over ten years old), where he negotiates with the owners, and then buys the animals. These are beasts that belong to another age, sometimes 14 or 15 years old, that can weigh more than 1,400 kilos, many of which have spent their lives working in the fields. It has not been an easy task; there have been many obstacles along the way, but at last this revolutionary of the world of red meat has achieved the recognition he deserves. “
The creator of El Capricho’s success is a peculiar figure who learned a lot about cattle in his work as an agricultural engineer and who set out on the adventure of opening a restaurant in one of the traditional underground wineries that abound in the area. With astonishing perseverance, José makes a tireless quest through towns and villages, especially in Galicia and Portugal, in search of those animals which are almost extinct (working oxen, cows that are over ten years old), where he negotiates with the owners, and then buys the animals. These are beasts that belong to another age, sometimes 14 or 15 years old, that can weigh more than 1,400 kilos, many of which have spent their lives working in the fields. It has not been an easy task; there have been many obstacles along the way, but at last this revolutionary of the world of red meat has achieved the recognition he deserves. “