Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Carne al Desarreglo -

Carne al Desarreglo is a dish comprised of beef, stewed in tomatoes and white wine and is typical of Madrid or more specifically, Colmenar de Oreja. Colmenar is a municipality of the autonomous region of Madrid and is about a 45 minute drive from central Madrid. 

Carne al Desarreglo is traditionally served in the summer (as that is when tomatoes are in season) and in Colmenar, it is also frequently served with Patatas Chulas which is potato slices which are fried and is served with a dressing of garlic, parsley and sometimes vinegar.

There is an interesting tale behind the name of Carne al Desarreglo. As it is a stewed dish, preparation of this dish would take the majority of the day (especially in the past) and the men who worked in the fields
would often smell the delicious aroma and be tempted to sneak away a piece of the meat. By the end of the day, there would be far less meat in the stew compared to originally in the morning and the wives would lament about how everything is in disorder, hence, Desarreglo.

As this dish is from Colmenar de Oreja, which is a short journey from Madrid, there is very little reason not to try this dish from its source, as it were. One restaurant to go to would be El Casinillo, which was once a tapas bar but within the last few years, became a traditional restaurant and serves all of the classics of Colmenar, including Carne al Desarreglo, Patatas Chulas and Pisto Vaquero.

Another restaurant to go to is Restaurante Crescencio, also located in the village of Colmenar. This restaurant opened in the winter of 1996 and ever since, has been a local favourite. The atmosphere of the restaurant is cosy and the food plentiful (some of my companions even 'complained' that the portions were too large, but I disagree, you can never have too much food). What more could you want? 

To sweeten the deal, Colmenar is also known for their good wine (due to their high quality grapes) and if you are there in May, chances are you will be able to explore the annual wine fair held there which holds many events such as wine tasting and more.