From Mendoza to La Rápita: the grill as a destination

Maury Lucero is a descendant of Basque and Aragonese immigrants who left for Argentina after the Civil War. His grandfather, a butcher in Bilbao, managed to open and run several butcher shops. Maury, originally from Mendoza, inherited one as the first grandson, but at twenty-two he sold it to start a new life in Argentina. "It was the time of the playpen"around 1999. My friends who had emigrated before told me that there was work here and I needed a change of scenery."

He left all his transfer fee with his family and came to Barcelona with one hundred and fifty dollars. The first few days weren't easy, but he was soon able to reunite with his friends, who lived in Salou. His first job was in construction, until the 2008 financial crisis hit. That's when he returned to the meat industry, his world. First as a butcher in a supermarket; later, as a salesman for a meat distributor, until he met Jesica Rallap, an immigrant from Buenos Aires, who became his life (and work) partner.

The Maury's Brasa adventure began on St. John's Day in 2020. The pandemic provided an opportunity to adapt the restaurant, located next to a gas station on the N-340 highway, to Maury's new ambitions. "Both Jesica and I invested heavily in this project, and despite the initial difficulties, now, five years later, we are reaping the rewards. We have been recognized as the best grill restaurant in the province of Tarragona for two consecutive years, we have a Repsol Recommended Award for 2025, and we are working on a number of projects that I believe will be very successful."

Maury greets us. The concept is clear and unpretentious: everything revolves around meat. We start our meal with beef croquettes. They're not easy to find, and when you're lucky enough to get them, you have to savor it. We order snails grilled over coals with a preparation of rosemary, cognac, and other spices that gives them a wonderful flavor. We continue with the dried meat of wagyuIt's very good, almost better than some of the best Iberian ham. We also tried a sirloin tartare with bone marrow, a version of the recipe by Argentinian chef Gustavo Arévalo. Highly recommended.

The grand finale

Now it's time for the grand finale: a classic Argentine barbecue with skirt steak, pork belly, ribs, sweetbreads marinated with lemon, salt and pepper, black pudding Catalan sausage made in Camarles the old-fashioned way, Creole chorizo, and Morella salchichón. Incredible. We finished this carnivorous feast with one of the restaurant's stars: the fifth rib. It's the first rib of the forequarter, where the skirt steak begins and the tenderloin starts. It's the most prized. The one Maury served us was from Miguel Vergara, a breeder ofAngus From Valladolid. Wonderful.

The wine that accompanies us throughout lunch is Bona Nit, from the Terra i Vins winery, an easy-drinking Montsant that pairs perfectly with all the meat dishes. The desserts remind us that the ending should always match the quality of the main courses: flan, crema catalana, and a Santa Teresa toast are the stars of a truly magnificent finale.

Maury, Jesica, and their team have transformed a roadside restaurant into a gastronomic destination for meat lovers. A story of perseverance, talent, roots, and grilling that burns brightly today in La Rápita.