What are Rubia Gallega

What are Rubia Gallega?

Rubia Gallega is a breed of cattle indigenous to Spain, more specifically from Galicia in the North West part of Spain. The breed has influence from Simmental, Swiss Braunvieh, British Shorthorn and Portuguese Barrosã. A herdbook was established in 1933, the current herd size according to the registry in 2015 was just under 40,000 head. The breed was first brought to North America in 2019 by Reserve Cattle Company.

What makes Rubia Gallega beef so special? Why are the most Exclusive Restaurants and Award Winning Chefs searching for it?

Rubia Gallega beef has been to the World Steak Competition competing against the best breeds and beef in the world and was Awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals. It has been served in the most Exclusive Restaurants in the World, many which have Michelin Stars. It is exceptionally tender beef with great depth of flavor. When dry aged you will experience a sophisticated concentration of beefy and succulent flavors with undertones of summer meadows, hints of blue cheese and a rich buttery taste. The more mature the animal at harvest the more concentrated the flavors while the tenderness the breed is known for remains the star.

It’s extremely rare to come across a steak from a Rubia Gallega unless you are traveling through Spain or other major culinary destinations like Paris, London or Hong Kong. The breed itself is rare consisting of only 40,000 animals with the majority residing in Galicia, Spain.

Benefits of the Breed

Rubia Gallega beef is often harvested at 12 months of age and can reach a staggering 1,200 to 1,400 pounds. Even at that age the beef gives a strong beefy flavor and is ultra tender. The longer the breed is aged on the hoof the more desirable it becomes. In Spain the luxury grade Rubia Gallega is often aged on the hoof for years with live weights up to 4,000 pounds.

For the cattleman, the breed offers explosive growth, very high yields and harvest ready steers within a year without compromising quality and retaining the tenderness the breed is known for. The unique and breed specific ability to age on the hoof gives the cattleman an opportunity to convert a cow who’s become infertile later in her life into the premium luxury beef that can command thousands of dollars.