Constancia, Bermondsey/Southwark, London

[limster]

An Argentinian steakhouse that opened a while ago at 52 Tanner Street. http://www.constancia.co.uk/

Good earthy rich morcilla, rich without any rough metallic flavours. Served with piece of red pepper, softened by the heat of grill, revealing a tiny bit of its own sweetness and smoke, draped across the sausage like a striking scarf.

The Argentinian fillet was not bad, grilled rare as requested, flavours very slightly on a lighter side (not sure how long it was aged), but very tender with a medium beefiness. Went nicely with modest dabs of the piquant chimichurri sauce.

Chips were excellent -- very crispy on the outside, light and puffy on the inside.

A good dense eggy flan enlivened with dulce de leche.

A serviceable house red, an Argentinian malbec iirc, big, earthy and fruity.

[Simon Majumdar]

Went there tonight. Very enjoyable

As far as I can tell from talking to the owners, the steak here is not aged, but typically 'fresh" although vac packed for transport. That gives it a slightly more chewy texture and a more intensely beefy flavour

The Morcilla is from Andalucia

The sausages are house made with beef and pork

quite pricey but well worth a visit

S

[limster]

Many thanks, nice to hear more about this place.

BTW, dry ageing imparts a more intense beefy flavour than unaged beef, no? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/596666

[Simon Majumdar]

It seems to be a matter of opinion. The butchers I spoke to in Argentina said that "you should work as hard to eat the beef as the cow did growing it" and thought that fresh had more flavour. That being said, before I went for supper I had a lunch of a fifty day aged steak at Goodman which would be hard to beat. I suspect it is that "no man's land" in the middle of around 21 days where you get the benefits of neither school

[limster]

Coincidentally, another thread on another variable - grain vs grass fed - that's running on the General Topics board now: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/637732