History

Pintxos de autor (signature pintxos) emerged in San Sebastian's Old Town in the late 1990s when chefs trained at Lasarte (Martin Berasategui) and El Bulli (Ferran Adria) opened small counters that served made-to-order plates instead of the bar-display cold pintxos that had been the city standard. La Cuchara de San Telmo (1999) led the wave with the carrillera al vino tinto; Borda Berri followed with the risotto de Idiazabal. A Fuego Negro brought avant-garde technique under chef Edorta Lamo. The Basque Culinary Center, opened in 2011, became the formal training pipeline for the pintxos de autor generation. The Pintxos competition has been run for several editions at Hondarribia; the autor concept now extends across the Basque Country.

Common allergens: Varies

Make it at home

Yield Makes 8 pintxosHands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g beef cheek (carrillera de ternera)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 300ml red wine (Rioja Alavesa)
  • 300ml beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • Sea salt, black pepper
  • 8 slices toasted baguette
  • Flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method

  1. Season the beef cheek with salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
  2. Remove the meat. Soften the onion, carrots and garlic in the same pot for 8 minutes.
  3. Return the meat. Add the red wine and reduce by half (10 minutes).
  4. Add the stock and rosemary. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Cover and braise in a 150C oven for 3 hours until the meat falls apart.
  6. Lift the meat out, shred with a fork. Strain the braising liquid and reduce on the hob to a syrupy glaze.
  7. Mound a tablespoon of shredded cheek on each toast, spoon over the glaze, scatter parsley. Serve hot.

Tip from the editors. Beef cheek is the canonical cut; the slow cooking releases collagen that gives the pintxo its silky texture. Use a Rioja Alavesa for the braising wine.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pintxos de autor

Pintxos de autor in San Sebastián

La Cuchara de San Telmo ★ 4.8

Modern Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja

La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, open since 1999 by El Bulli and Lasarte-trained chefs, cooks made-to-order modern pintxos with no display, just a blackboard.

Signature: Carrillera de ternera al vino tinto, Foie a la plancha, Pulpo a la brasa

Order: The carrillera de ternera in red wine; foie a la plancha with apple compote; pulpo a la brasa.

Tip: Queue before 13:00 or after 21:00; the bar is four-deep at peak. No reservations.

Calle 31 de Agosto 28, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

Borda Berri ★ 4.6

Pintxo and Txakoli bar

Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos off a tight blackboard menu, with a Txakoli pour and a single house red as the drinks list.

Signature drink: Txakoli with the risotto de Idiazabal

Food: Hot made-to-order pintxos

Tip: No counter display; read the blackboard. Closed Sundays.

Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

A Fuego Negro ★ 4.5

Modern Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja

A Fuego Negro on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, chef Edorta Lamo's avant-garde pintxo room, runs dark walls, indie music and inventive plates pulled from travel and comic-book ideas.

Signature: Black rabas, Makcobe with chips, Pastrami de Euskaltxerri

Order: The black-squid rabas and the Kobe-beef miniburger 'makcobe' with chips.

Tip: Closed Mondays. The counter is small; arrive before 21:00 or after 22:30 to skip the wait.

Calle 31 de Agosto 31, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian

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