Kobe Beef

[mikejet]

So, I'm a beef guy. Love steak, love burgers. I was wondering if anyone has tried Kobe Beef and if it's worth the price.

I was thinking of ordering some to treat my wife and I for the holidays but I have a few questions:

1. Is it everything they say it is?

2. Is it true it should only be cooked rare?(I don't mind but the wife does)

3. Any site recommendations to order from?

4. Would it be better to just buy aged steaks?

[Beta Man]

If you don't like rare meat, then by all means, get a nice steak.....

Kobe is good..... I like it, but that said, they cook it rare, and you order to temperature (how warm you want the rare meat to be basically)

Another thing to consider.... I got into a kick of getting Filets..... I would even order a second one at a restaurant (I love the Precinct in Cincinnati, it's a Jeff Ruby owned place, and it's fantastic) but I recently found that I need to mix it up more!!!! Strips are fantastic, Porterhouses are great.... I just got into a routine of "If I'm going to a steakhouse, I'm gonna get a Filet"

My suggestion would be to get yourself the Kobe, and give it a try, and let your lady-friend get a nice steak..... If she likes White wine over Red, there's no reason to get $1,000 red wine over $10 white wine

[z4017]

In Asia, Kobe beef means the beef of the highest quality.
I've never tasted it myself as Japanese beef is not allowed to be imported here. (Due to a kind of disease named Aphthae Epizootic, I believe)
Try it. Why not?

[DeeChizzle]

To the OP, that depends if you're talking about true Japanese Kobe beef or Kobe Style Beef (copycat). I don't care what any one says, there is a difference. If you've never had it, go for it even if it's "Kobe Style". When you get a chance try the real thing, it's amazing.

[Psychonaut]

It IS amazing but if she's going to get it overcooked, it'll ruin it. Might as well keep her happy and buy a steak more suited to her cooking styles.

[Teabaggins]

yes there is a big difference in actual Kobe beef from japan(Hyogo Prefecture), and US grown "Kobe style" beef also known as US "Wagyu". if you can't eat it rare then don't bother wasting the cash. the real stuff will melt in your mouth like foie gras

[mikejet]

I was going to import some from Japan with a marble score of 7 or so. There's a good site that sells a sampler.

The weird thing is she can eat Korean BBQ when the kalbi is pretty rare but I think she just doesn't notice. But if it's a big thick steak that is rare she won't eat it.

Oh well, more for me.

[Teabaggins]

it's so rich that you won't be able to eat more than a few ounces at a time.

can you post a link for that site? I would like to check it out and maybe order some.

[mikejet]

There's a lot and I'm still shopping around. From what I've read, get A5 quality which will gurantee a grade 7-12 marbling.

I'm trying to find the site I found that had 8oz. New Your Strips for 49.99.

[Beta Man]

Actual Kobe beef I BELIEVE is milk fed, and hand massaged daily (yes... massaged while the cow is alive) and they put them in some sort of "hammock" that suspends them off of the ground so they don't even have to use the muscles necessary to support their own weight.


Not sure how much of that is actual, and how much is B.S. but whatever they do, it's TASTY. The local place I get it from sells it A-la-carte

[mikejet]

I thought they were given sake daily along with daily massages. That's what they say on the Travel Channel at least.

The one that intrigues me the most is the Kobe Beef Sashimi that is served in some restaurants.

[Teabaggins]

they are fed beer and sake, they are given massages as well and live a low stress lifestyle. I think they are fed grain.

main thing is when you get the wagyu cook it differently from a regular steak. just sear the outside very briefly with a hot cast iron pan, but not o too hot or too long and the marbling inside will drain out and you'll be pissed you wasted so much money. sear as if it were a piece of foie gras. the taste is very different from aged beef, very subtle and creamy if cooked properly.

[mikejet]

So stove top the cast iron only?

My usual method is the put the cast iron in the over to 500 and once the oven is preheated take it out and throw that sucker on the stove to get even hotter.

When I was watching them prepare it on tv teppanyaki style I noticed they would do what you said, lightly sear each side. They started with about a 1/2 inch thick strip that was seared, then cut into smaller pieces which had the edges seared.

I was thinking of only seasoning with sea salt as they did not use pepper when I watched them prepare it.

[Teabaggins]

yes, if you have a gas stove top, med high heat and don't pre heat the pan for too long, I think 5 minutes should be good. sear for like a few minutes a side(based on how thick it is, but prob 2 mins a side) and then sprinkle with some salt. you want the fat in the middle to "warm" and flavor the meat but not to melt out of the steak.

you could also just slice it thin and drop it while raw into some hot broth in a bowl or into some hot rice with some soy and green onion

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by Teabaggins

yes, if you have a gas stove top, med high heat and don't pre heat the pan for too long, I think 5 minutes should be good. sear for like a few minutes a side(based on how thick it is, but prob 2 mins a side) and then sprinkle with some salt. you want the fat in the middle to "warm" and flavor the meat but not to melt out of the steak.

you could also just slice it thin and drop it while raw into some hot broth in a bowl or into some hot rice with some soy and green onion

shabu shabu style seems like a waste to me though. all this talk is making me hungry.

[DeeChizzle]

Originally Posted by mikejet

The one that intrigues me the most is the Kobe Beef Sashimi that is served in some restaurants.

[Teabaggins]

Originally Posted by mikejet

shabu shabu style seems like a waste to me though. all this talk is making me hungry.

it's not if you drop it in at the last moment just so it barely starts to cook a bit, you don't really cook it too much.

also, I texted my wife right now and we're going to a japanese steakhouse for lunch, I got hungry too

[mikejet]

So the same way it's done with Pho? That makes sense.

[Teabaggins]

yeah, now I want some vietnamese... thanks a bunch bud!

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by Teabaggins

yeah, now I want some vietnamese... thanks a bunch bud!

PHO is BOMB. I love Pho. There's like 5 places near my house. I always get an order of eggrolls and the large coombination pho.

My wife can't eat everything like I do. I love the tripe and tendon. I think that's dinner tonight.

Little Saigon is actually like 15 minutes from my work. They have some interesting coffee houses. You walk in and it's all dark with trance music playing and black ligths everywhere. When you order coffee all the waitresses have on white lingerie and sit with you after your coffee comes.