OT Wagyu beef

avatar for shadowcat
shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
For Fathers Day my son gifted me 2 14oz rib eye Wagyu steaks shipped frozen from an outfit in Nebraska. I did a Google search and determined that the cost was $65 a piece. Not sure if shipping was included.

I had heard of Kobe beef when I was stationed in Japan and had since heard from a lot of sources that it is considered the best there is. It is valued for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture.

I have now cooked the second one over charcoal to a medium rare. In my opinion it is over rated and I would never pay that kind of money for another. Truthfully I wouldn't buy one at any price. Unless you like eating fat and gristle, which I don't, be prepared to cut away half of the meat. The meat was render and flavorful but I have had prime rib roasts and rib eye steaks that were just as flavorful without all that extra fat.

I'm sure that freezing it for shipping does remove some of the flavor but it does not remove the fat content and yes I know that fat increases flavor. I use a higher fat content when grilling burgers for that reason.

So the Japanese can keep it.

14 comments

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avatar for JimGassagain
JimGassagain
4 years ago
This needs to be posted in the politics section. This is a strip Club website for talk about pussy in the front room, or for commenting on our fondness for RonJeremy!

Bacon!!
avatar for jackslash
jackslash
4 years ago
Try cooking meats using the sous vide method. This allows you to cook at a precise temperature and tougher cuts of beef become incredibly tender thru long cooking times.

https://www.amazon.com/Anova-Culinary-AN…
avatar for doctorevil
doctorevil
4 years ago
I agree. It’s much overrated. It’s definitely good meat, but I don’t think the price is anywhere close to justified.
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
4 years ago
Kobe meat only comes from Japan. In the US it's called wagyu. There is no point in eating Kobe or wagyu from frozen. Like wines and cigars, you have to be a true aficionado to really appreciate it above USDA prime.
avatar for doctorevil
doctorevil
4 years ago
Wagyu is the cattle breed, which is now also raised in the US.
avatar for misterorange
misterorange
4 years ago
SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas is one of only about 9 restaurants nationwide that serves genuine Kobe from Japan. Everything else is either American or Australian wagyu which is probably (at best) 50% pure bloodline crossbred with standard cattle. Wynn's Kobe steak is $300 for 4 ounces, and $75 per each additional ounce.
https://www.visitwynn.com/documents/SW_S…
As far as buying online, almost everything comes from cross bred cattle. When you see "A5" or "A4" it's supposed to be the real deal (as long as it's not a flat out scam, which is possible). This one appears genuine, however it ships frozen and to gammanu's point, that doesn't make much sense.
https://wagyushop.com/collections/a5-jap…
avatar for TheElmerFudd
TheElmerFudd
4 years ago
$65 for 14 oz is pretty cheap, and you might have gotten lower quality product as a result, given your description of gristle. Costco (or all places) has the cheapest decent A5 wagyu rib primal I’ve gotten, and that’s about $90/lb when it’s on sale.

It’s basically a different product so some folks cook it using different methods. Personally I actually cook it to medium well or even well, which I’d never do with a regular steak. It is a fatty meat so some may not like it (eg not everyone loves pork belly).
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
4 years ago
Not a steak guy so my wife cooking a New York Strip from Wegmans in a cast iron skillet blows away 90% of the steaks I've eaten at expensive steakhouses.
avatar for Papi_Chulo
Papi_Chulo
4 years ago
I've had wagyu once about a year ago at my brother's house, I think he said it came from Australia - IDK what quality it was but that thing melted in your mouth and it was the most delicious meat I've ever had.
avatar for Hank Moody
Hank Moody
4 years ago
Wagyu is a step down from kobe but excellent in its own right. It comes from Japan. There is also American wagyu which is either Japanese stock raised here, or it might be interbred with American brief. I’m not sure about that.

It is fatty and is wonderful. You should not grill it over an open flame because all of the fat renders out. It really needs just a sear on a hot cast iron so it can cook in its own juices. It’s really rich. If you usually eat an 8 oz steak, plan on eating half of that in wagyu. Another thing to do is not get ribeye but rather a New York strip or sirloin which has less fat, but with the wagyu marbling is really good.

End of the day, to each his own. Taste is subjective.
avatar for lotsoffun201
lotsoffun201
4 years ago
Bazar meats in Las Vegas also serves it. They gave us a certificate of authenticity with it. That was a first
avatar for misterorange
misterorange
4 years ago
In Japan Kobe is a type of Wagyu. Wagyu is not necessarily Kobe. There are several "brands" of Wagyu including Matsusaka, Kobe, and Ohmi. In America the terms are so twisted and misused you don't know what you're getting. Even the famous Old Homestead in NYC was caught trying to pass off American raised wagyu as the real deal.
avatar for mahatmakanejeeves
mahatmakanejeeves
4 years ago
Real wagyu (of which Kobe is one of many types) is fantastic and far more than $65. Get it from CrowdCow.com and HolyGrailSteaks.com. I've been on a quest to eat wagyu at all the 8-9 US steakhouses that have the real stuff. I've got 6.

Grilling wagyu would be a huge mistake because of the high fat content. Here's a great video on cooking it. Done properly it is amazing. https://www.crowdcow.com/how-to-cook-wag…
avatar for Trish_Club_Lust
Trish_Club_Lust
4 years ago
^ no thanks. I only do wagu Donkey cock
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