Wagyu Beef

For the longest time my husband and I have wanted to try Wagyu beef (in Japanese “wa” means Japanese-style and “gyu” cattle). What is Wagyu beef you ask? Well, it has to be the most expensive brand of meat in the world!! Wagyu originated in Kobe, Japan where the cattle were brought in to help cultivate rice during the 2nd century. In America, Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred to Angus cattle to create a crossbred animal that would be more able to survive the U.S. climate and ranching methods. Both pure Wagyu and cross bred cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets. Not to confuse the issue, but Kobe Wagyu is bred in Japan under strict regulations (like designation/appellation). Kobe is the Rolls Royce of Wagyu beef (think of it as beef foie gras).

Wagyu is genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a higher percentage of unsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle known in the world. Because the finely marbled fat melts quickly and burns easily (it cooks 35 percent faster than choice or standard prime beef), special care is required when preparing it. Think of quick-sear cooking techniques for things like rare tuna and foie gras. But not like your average steak; too rare and the fat will not have had a chance to melt and impart its flavor. Too well-done and the fats will have been cooked out of the meat. For more information and cooking tips, click here.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Thank goodness I did some research before cooking the beef otherwise, had we put the meat on the bbq, we would have been disappointed. I read that the marbling in the Wagyu under high heat causes the fat to quickly melt which results in flare ups and charred meat. This makes the meat bland and tough. We thoroughly enjoyed our 300g steak that cost us CAD$70.00! Once I got over the initial worries of how to cook it, the steak turned out beautifully! We like our beef medium rare. The Wagyu steak we had was 1/2 inch thick and I pan seared it on a Teflon coated grill pan one and a half minutes per side, reduced the heat and cooked for a further 2 minutes each side. We could have easily shaved 30 seconds off each side without it being too rare. I salted the grill pan with sea salt flakes before adding the beef. Heaven on a plate for our Valentine’s meal!