MACELLERIA ELVETICA DI LUGANO
Day by day, our butcher Giorgio Campora selects, butchers and prepares the specialities that you find in our shop window.
We decided to give value to Swiss meats without excluding the excellences coming from the rest of the world. You can choose both the cut and the weight of your favourite meat and our Chefs will be glad to serve it respecting the cooking and resting times required by every specific aging type.
DRY AGING
Meat that undergoes the “dry aging” method gets very colourful on the outside and it loses weight compared to its initial state because of the dehydration. This process intervenes directly on the structure of the meat in two different ways.
In the first place, humidity evaporates from the muscle.
The desiccation process that comes from it creates a higher concentration of taste and flavour in beef and veal.
In the second place, the action of natural enzymes of beef brings down the connective tissue in the muscle, thus resulting in more tender cuts of meat.
For every animal, cut and dimension there are a different time and a different method of aging. And this is how a necessity turns into art.
THE MARBLING
This characteristic of the meat concerns the distribution of fats inside the muscle tissue. According to the quantity and the shape of the fat that infiltrates into the fibres, meat can have a texture similar to marble’s (this is why we say “marbled meat”), or patches similar to tiny parsley leaves (which in Italian is “prezzemolo”, word from which we say “carne prezzemolata”).
Typically used in gastronomy, this feature is an index of quality of the meat (that is evaluated on a scale from 1 to 12).
The quantity of fat comes from the state of health and the kind of feeding of the animal. The higher the marbling degree, the more outstanding the cut of meat.
During the cooking procedure, the finely distributed fat melts down, adding taste, fragrance and softness to the meat.
THE TIME - REST PERIOD
One of the most precious goods for us and, even more, for the meat: TIME.
For each and every moment of its preparation, meat deserves the right time and a meticulous attention.
After the butchery, meat needs the appropriate time for aging and, before the cooking, there is also an oxygenation amount of time that is required and which varies according to the duration of the aging.
After the cooking it is important to let the meat rest. This step is called “Rest period” by the great masters of BBQ and it allows to redistribute the liquids and to melt the connective tissue in a more effective way, so that the fat passes all its flavour to the meat.
COOKING METHOD
Charcoal oven is perfect for an exquisite grilling of meat, preserving the taste and flavour of a real barbeque. A process even more special because of the coal we use: Quebracho and Canutillo of Mongrovia, purchased straight from South America.
THE ORIGIN OF OUR MEAT
Our meats are selected by the love for tradition of Butcher Giorgio Campora from Bioggio CH, who everyday butchers and prepares them for Braceria Elvetica. Years of work to find and select the best cuts for his customers, searching for the original purity of true meat.
SWISS BLACK ANGUS
Min. 30/40 days of aging – marbling lev. 3/6 – flavour intensity 7.
Angus meat can be recognised at first sight and, of course, at first taste.
Swiss Black Angus cattle grow up according to nature, with no hurry. Over 18 months, their flesh develops its typical full and fragrant taste. For this reason, it’s marbling is so well-pronounced. A difference that you can feel in its taste. The portion of intramuscular fat, finely distributed in the meat, is the most important feature to recognise a first-quality meat.
Braceria Elvetica offers Swiss Black Angus entrecôtes and fillets.
TOMAHAWK
FIRST-QUALITY SWISS BULLOCK
Min. 30/40 days of aging – marbling lev. 5/6 – flavour intensity 6.
Its name comes from the ancient axe used a few centuries ago by native Americans in their first clashes with white settlers. A Tomahawk steak originates from the front part of the beef sirloin. It's a very rare beef cut. This meat is intensely fragrant and tasty and it presents a light “core” of fat. Its fine fibres and strong marbling are typical and they made the meat tender and juicy. These features turn this cut into a real butchery jewel.
PICANHA
PRIME SELECTION SWISS HEIFER
Min. 30/40 days of aging – marbling lev. 3/6 – flavour intensity 6.
Picanha certainly is a first-level cut of great taste, which comes from the back part of the animal, where the buttock is. In Italy it is known as “codone”, “punta di sottofesa” or “copertina dello scamone” (rump cover). The meat of this cut comes from a muscle that works intensely, thus it is not very tender. Nevertheless, when perfectly cooked, it turns into one of the best and tastiest preparations to serve.
BRACERIA HAMBURGERS
Our hamburgers are entirely of our own production and their selected meats are 100% of Swiss origin, all from exquisite cuts. Hamburgers are masterfully seasoned by our Chefs and served in wonderful hand-made bread, made according to our own recipe. The meat grilled in our charcoal oven will make you live a unique experience.
Braceria Elvetica menu offers: Elvetico, USA, Italia, Lugano Pit Beef, Vegano and the Tris of mini Braceria hamburgers.
