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History of Wagyu and Kobe Beef:
Wagyu beef is a very unique style of cattle that is Japanese in origin. The Japanese characters are 和 牛 and is pronounced "Wah-Gyuu," the word literally means Japanese cattle (Wa= Japanese and Gyu= cattle). Brought over from their home on the Asian mainland to Japan during the second century A.D., the breed was refined in the Kobe region of Japan for hundreds of generations. They have become known around the world for their intense flavor and supreme tenderness. Here at Big Bottom Valley, we cross our Wagyu with our Angus to create an exceptional style of American Kobe Beef.
Originally, in order for for Wagyu beef to earn the designation of "Kobe Beef" the cattle must have been from Kobe, Japan and met the extremely strict standards of that prefecture. However, land and grain costs are exorbitant in Japan. The result is that Kobe beef production houses have been contracting out to other ranches to raise the cattle for them. For the most part the Wagyu beef is raised in America and Australia then shipped to Kobe for final inspection and slaughter. Because the cattle are slaughtered and carcasses fabricated in Kobe, they're perfectly legal "Kobe Beef" -- even though the cattle were born, bred, and fed thousands of miles away.
Benefits of Wagyu Beef:
The "Wagyu Beef" label can only be applied to the meat from any cattle of the Wagyu breed. Far from being a mere reference to how the cattle are raised and fed, this label is 100% dependent upon genetics. This breed of cattle is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and produces significantly higher levels of unsaturated fat than any other cattle breed on earth.
The Wagyu breed is the end result of how the Japanese selectively bred cattle for marbling for centuries. This intense marbling greatly improves the eating quality of the meat, enhancing flavor, and overall juiciness. This marbling dramatically improves the ratio of mono-unsaturated fats, which means it's far healthier for you than standard beef. Because the meat is so tender it allows several different cuts from the carcass can and should be used in several different cooking styles.
Wagyu Is the Best of the Best:
The USDA's grading system for beef has three categories: Select, Choice, and Prime; where Prime is the highest grade. Unfortunately, this is unable to truly describe the quality of Wagyu beef. The Japanese grading system evaluates meat color, fat color, marbling scores from 1-12, and the texture of meat. This system is much more precise with regard to eating quality. Quite often a combination of American and Japanese systems are used to grade Wagyu beef in order to ensure the most consistent product possible.
The majority of countries grade beef based upon a number of conditions, including the amount of marbled fat in the rib eye muscle -- the entire carcass is graded upon the quality of the rib eye muscle. The Japanese grade beef based upon numerous conditions, including the level of marbled fat of the entire carcass -- not just the rib eye muscle. In America and Canada the highest quality of graded beef (USDA Prime and Canada Prime, respectively) has between 6% and 8% fat in the rib eye muscle alone. In contrast Japan's highest quality of beef has a carcass with between 20% and 25% fat overall.
Storing and Cooking Wagyu Beef:
Because of the incredibly high grade of beef, it averages $500/kg at top Japanese markets and $100/lb in American markets. Because of the fine marbling you'll likely buy your Kobe Beef frozen. While most meats suffer from being frozen, Kobe Beef actually benefits from being frozen. Freezing protects the flavor, texture, and overall quality of Kobe Beef.
Because Wagyu Beef has more than 10 times the marbled fat of USDA or Canada Prime beef it must be prepared differently. Once the meat is thawed, we recomend that the meat sit out for 30 minutes to reach room temperature before cooking. Wagyu Beef should be seared or blackened on the outside while the inside is medium rare. If Wagyu Beef is cooked over hot coals or "well done" the marbled fat will melt away, taking the benefits with it. Generally Wagyu is seared in a preheated cast iron skillet over open flames so that the outside is crispy on the outside and medium rare on the inside. Even if you don't normally eat your steak this way, you'll be happy you did with Wagyu.
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