La Tropical, a restaurant in Murcia, has once again won the National Grilling Championship, held as part of San Sebastian Gastronomika – Euskadi Basque Country. The team from Murcia, which had already won the 2023 edition, took first place once again with a cut of meat supplied by the meat processor Trasacar.

The event brought together some of Spain’s best grill chefs and cuts of meat at the Kursaal, in a competition that served as the culinary highlight of this year’s San Sebastian Gastronomika. Participants traveled from across the country—Valladolid, Bizkaia, Murcia, Gipuzkoa, Pamplona, Donostia, Valencia, Girona, and Jaca—to compete for the national title.

The professional jury consisted of Xabi Gorrotxategi, Jon Ayala, Carlos Maribona, José Gordón, Benjamín Lana, Amaia Ortuzar, Juanjo Arratibel, José Carlos Capel, Julia Pérez, and Juan Antonio Carrasco. Alongside them, nearly 60 enthusiasts—most of whom were connected to the restaurant industry—served as the public jury and had the opportunity to taste the various cuts entered in the contest.

The competition once again brought attention to some of the major debates in the world of meat: the optimal degree of doneness, marbling, resting temperature, and the choice of knife. Among the experts present was José Gordón of El Capricho (León), renowned for his career as a cattle rancher and restaurateur specializing in meat, alongside professionals such as Jon Ayala of the Laia restaurant in Hondarribia, and grill masters and meat experts Xabi Gorrotxategi and Juanjo Arratibel.
During the event, the experts agreed on one point: there is no such thing as a perfect cow, nor is there a single breed that alone guarantees the quality of the meat. The characteristics of each animal—and, especially, the conditions in which it has lived—are decisive for the final result.

The winning txuleta was served by the team at La Tropical, led at the grill by Mohammed El Hamdy alongside Mariano García. After learning the result, El Hamdy expressed his excitement at repeating his victory: “Coming here and winning again has been incredible.”

The grill master explained that, upon cutting the cut, he could already appreciate some of its main qualities: “It had a very good texture, the three colors, and a good degree of marbling,” though he acknowledged that he hadn’t expected to be crowned champion again.

The winning cut was provided by Trasacar. Javier Trabadelo Pol, sales manager for the meat company, explained the choice: “We opted for a Frison cut, which we regularly serve and which undergoes a classic 22-day aging process.” In contrast to the current trend toward longer aging periods, Trabadelo advocated for a more moderate aging process: “Nowadays, there’s often a tendency to age the meat longer, but we believe that 22 days gives it a natural flavor rather than a mineral one.”
The event also featured a selection of wines from Viña Salceda, which accompanied the tasting with La Rellanilla and Pico Palomares—two wines chosen to pair with the different txuletas.

With this latest victory, La Tropical has secured its second title in the National Grill Championship, cementing its status as one of the competition’s leading names and repeating its triumph from 2023.