Wagyu Beef.
January 9th, 2008“Melts in your mouth”, that’s what my husband would usually say about his Wagyu Steak, almost always because its so tender. If I ever needed to bribe him with food, I prepare Wagyu Rib Eye Steak for him.
But what makes Wagyu Beef special and oh so tender?
According to Wikipedia:
Wagyu refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. Also known as Kobe-style beef, the meat from Wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and thus a high market value. Grocery stores in the United States will sell cuts of American Wagyu for $40/lb to $150/lb (€26/kg to €100/kg).
(Here in the Philippines, I buy 4 3/4 thick raw slices of Wagyu for P10,000 at Tenderbites inside Makati Supermarket.)
Because of the Wagyu cattle’s genetic predisposition and special diet including beer and sake,[1] wagyu yields a beef that contains a higher percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids[2] than typical beef. The increased marbling also improves the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats.
There are four major breeds of Wagyu (wa means Japanese, and gy? means cattle, or simply “Japanese cow”): Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Japanese breed names include: Tajima, Tottori, Shimane, Kochi and Kumamoto.
Here’s how a Wagyu Slice looks like.
