We can experience luxury at home, as well as while we travel. Our kitchens get renovated, yet it's so easy to stock shiny new pantries with the same old mac-n-cheese. One luxury food item that is about as far away from that box of Easy Mac as you can get, is Kobe beef. Here are some FAQs about it.
What is Kobe beef?
Kobe beef is a truly high-end luxury. Cuts of this meat are upwards of $100 bucks a pop, much of this cost due to the slow, organic manner in which the cattle are raised. Kobe beef comes only from a Japanese black-haired breed called Wagyu cattle ("wa-" means "Japanese," and "gyu" means "cattle." Considered the foie-gras of beef, Kobe is so highly marbled that the fat seems almost as prominent as the lean. However, this is the "good," unsaturated fat, and well worth the occasional indulgence.
What makes it so special?
Kobe beef, or the Wagyu cattle, are fed organic grains, Japanese beer, and even sake mash. Some Japanese farmers reportedly even brush sake on their cattle's coats, in the belief that this will soften their skin and improve the quality of the meat. While this concept may be debatable at best, it illustrates the care and respect given to the cattle as they are being raised.
How does Kobe beef taste?
When it's cooked right, a filet mignon of Kobe beef is utterly transcendent. Juicy, buttery, with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that puts even prime rib to shame, Kobe beef epitomizes luxury food. You shouldn't even need to use a steak knife; it's that tender. There is a subtle sweetness to Kobe beef that makes even sirloin burgers perfect without ketchup.
Is it hard to cook?
In a word, yes. Kobe beef's rich flavor comes predominantly from its high fat-to-lean ratio, and overcooking a Kobe steak or Kobe short ribs will dry it out. Kobe beef is expensive, so be careful! If the fat melts off, you've cooked it too long, and it will be tough. Don't treat a cut of Kobe beef like a regular steak on the grill; flip it fast, and get it off the grill. Alternatively, sear it quickly on an iron skillet. Kobe beef is so delicious that it really doesn't need any seasoning. But if you insist, a little salt and pepper before the grill, or a brushing of soy sauce after searing it, can serve to enhance the flavor.
I see some Kobe beef that's not as expensive as you say. What's up with that?
Steaks, and other cuts labeled Kobe, may be raised in the U.S.A. and shipped to Japan for slaughter. This doesn't cheapen the price; in fact, this practice is sanctioned by the very protectionist Japanese government. Ranch-able land in Japan is hard to come by, after all: Young Wagyu cattle can be shipped to ranches here, and Australia. The cattle absolutely need to be sent back to Japan before slaughter for the Kobe designation, however. If you see relatively inexpensive cute of meat with the Kobe label, they may have instead been cross-bred with American cattle such as Black Angus. Beef producers and retail suppliers that are unscrupulous enough to do this, may also not provide organic feed or raise the cattle in the respectful, organic manner of the Japanese ranchers. In this case, price would not be the only aspect of your purchase to decrease. The flavor and tenderness of your luxury meal will suffer as well.
Caveat emptor! And enjoy your meal.
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Japanese Food on American Airlines
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