Kobe/Wagyu Beef

[Hosenbugler]

Has anyone tried it? I'm referring specifically to the pukka Japanese sourced meat, as against UK/Aussie sourced.

Anyone?

[number2]

Yes.

Most recently as shown below:




What's you're question?

Is it good? Yes it is. Note there are various grades - the Tepenyaki above wasn't the highest grade we could have selected - but still tender and flavoursome.

I'd have it again in Japan on holiday but it's not something I'd go out of my way to consume in the UK depending on the provenance and marginal cost/perceived benefit.

[KrazyIvan]

Are you wanting to cook it yourself?

If so I would be sure you know how to cook it or as with any good quality beef, over cook it and it will be crap.

[Hosenbugler]

Thanks guys, yes, I'm basically asking if its worth the cost , is it really that much better than a top notch dry hung sirloin (as example)?

Yes, I'll be cooking it myself, and intend to consult the supplier as to best method, timing, etc

Cheers.

[LimaDelta]

Yes, regularly (lucky me!). We once had an 8000 EUR fillet for lunch. Was it good? Yes. Would I have spent that much of my own money on it? No chance!

[LordGrover]

€8,000?!

[LimaDelta]

LordGrover said:

€8,000?!

Yes, eight thousand. Bit of an end-of-season blowout.

[okenemem]

LimaDelta said:

Yes, regularly (lucky me!). We once had an 8000 EUR fillet for lunch. Was it good? Yes. Would I have spent that much of my own money on it? No chance!

damn, I thought that said 800 , in my head I was thinking well thats expensive but affordable. but 8k , not a chance .

ive recently become a steak fan, from miller and carter, to gouchos, now I want to experience wagu,


im guessing its cheaper in japan , any one got an idea of how much cheaper

[HotJambalaya]

A5 is the highest grading, the above meal in Tokyo cost me very little, about £50 I think. I could have probably done a little more, but proper waygu is very very rich so you wouldnt want to eat too much of it.

[okenemem]

From 50 to 8000

[dapprman]

Was fortunate to have it at the wedding meal of friends in Tokyo as one of the courses. Was very nice but also outshone by the ebisu blue spined lobster. Hate to think of the cost of the eight course kaiseki-ryori meal, but the bride's father picked up the tab for about 30 of us. I really regret not taking pictures of the dishes, thought it would be rude (being one of only 4 westerners there including the groom and his mother), then later on saw a number of the other guests doing do.

Most memorable part of the meal was when the bride and groom went to crack the cask of sake. The lid had been removed and placed loose on top, but my friend forgot - actually caught the moment on camera when he put force behind the blow and his wife realised what was about to happen - still amazed no sake (a rather nice tarozake) was lost.

[number2]

Another gratuitous Wagyu shot here - part of a shabu-shabu.

Regarding price - I can't recall the prices I paid but i don't recall thinking it was cheap. Lower priced than the UK and elsewhere outside of Japan though I'm sure.

[ReaperCushions]

number2 said:

Another gratuitous Wagyu shot here - part of a shabu-shabu.

Regarding price - I can't recall the prices I paid but i don't recall thinking it was cheap. Lower priced than the UK and elsewhere outside of Japan though I'm sure.

How was it with the shabu shabu? It almost seems a shame as it would cook through being that thin? Also was the taste dominated by the soup?

[E34-3.2]

To answer to your question, yes it is worth the price but not to be consume in large amount. Wagyu and specifically Kobe has to be a consumed in small quantity at time, otherwise it feel like you just ate pure fat.
Is it the best beef in the world, yes if you like butter like meat.
Is it the best beef I have ever tested? No at all, just try a Spanish Galician beef and It might make you change your mind pretty quickly. Not as tender but more flavoursome.

If you want to test wagyu beef with a slight twist, I as well recommend Snake River farm wagyu beef. It is basically a Wagyu crossed with an American breed of beef.

A similar fashion is applied to pork since a few years.
If you eat pork, I can recommend you iberico pork plumas. Beautiful piece of meat. Just don't over cook it because it's pork.

[jakesmith]

I think you need to buy a proper example of it to get the experience as I’ve had it many times and been unimpressed, but the places have been more gastropubs in uk rather than proper beef places or japan. So I wouldn’t bother with it again unless going somewhere that specialises

[number2]

ReaperCushions said:

How was it with the shabu shabu? It almost seems a shame as it would cook through being that thin? Also was the taste dominated by the soup?

Hi Reaper

It was very good. As you suggest, it cooks very quickly, so you merely wave it at the broth (actually I think it's a very, very light broth or even water). [edited to add - no, not dominated by the cooking broth at all - that's merely a cooking aid]

It is incredibly light, tender and succulent, due to the intense, fine marbling. A different experience to steak, but very good in its own way.

[sidicks]

Awesome Wagyu steak in Tokyo, as part of a Kaiseki dinner:

‘Kobe rib roast” rolls


And the star of the show, Wagyu sirloin cooked on the Teppenyaki grill:

[Hosenbugler]

Thanks all for the observations and particulalry for the piccies. Seems I can get a wagyu sirloin mail order for around the £50 mark, which is within realms of sanity. I've found a couple of cooking methods , and once thats decided I'll serve it thinly sliced. Any ideas as to what is good to accompany the steak?

[ReaperCushions]

number2 said:

ReaperCushions said:

How was it with the shabu shabu? It almost seems a shame as it would cook through being that thin? Also was the taste dominated by the soup?

Hi Reaper

It was very good. As you suggest, it cooks very quickly, so you merely wave it at the broth (actually I think it's a very, very light broth or even water). [edited to add - no, not dominated by the cooking broth at all - that's merely a cooking aid]

It is incredibly light, tender and succulent, due to the intense, fine marbling. A different experience to steak, but very good in its own way.

Very cool, thanks. I'm a fan of shabu shabu and Korean BBQ (Mainly the pure novelty of it all!), so intrigued as to the impact of it on the waygu.. thanks for the reply.

[HotJambalaya]

ReaperCushions said:

How was it with the shabu shabu? It almost seems a shame as it would cook through being that thin? Also was the taste dominated by the soup?

I've had it with shabu shabu, side by side with regular beef, I thought the same as you, and having tried them both, I can tell you, it was a hell of a difference, astoundingly so. The waygu being quite amazingly better.