WAGYU BEEF

Wagyu beef can be found in various areas of Japan specialising
in breeding these cows: each area gives its own name to the animals and the meat produced.
The most famous in Japan include Wagyu from Miyazaki (Ozak), Hida, Matsusaka, Kobe, Ōmi and others.

Kobe beef comes from Tajima cows born and raised in the Hyogo prefecture which, complying with some precise and highly restrictive rules, has obtained the Kobe trade mark. (visit Kobe page - in italian)

There is no actual breed called “Kobe”, but only after slaughtering the Tajima cows, if the required standards are perfectly met, the meat can receive the mark and be defined as Kobe beef. Every year, only 3,000 heads can receive this mark: so it is easy to understand why this beef is so expensive.

Equally excellent (if not superior in terms of research and final quality) is Ozaki beef, from Kuroge cows raised by Muhenaru Ozaki in the Miyazaki prefecture. It is the only Wagyu beef that takes its name from the breeder and not the breeding area. The animals are reared using pioneering techniques that make the meat tasty and sweet. Furthermore, the marbling means that it melts in the mouth without being oily or greasy.

Beef can be called Wagyu only if the animal is born and reared in Japan, but some farms abroad also use the word Wagyu as the blood line of the farm has a Japanese pure-breed "predecessor".

Some farms can in fact be found in Australia, the United States, China and Italy. However, although this beef is top quality, according to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, true Wagyu beef comes only from animals raised in Japan, and in this regard has issued a trade mark that can only be placed on Japanese Wagyu beef. This trade mark certifies the fact that the beef in question comes from authentic beef born and raised in Japanese with certified pedigree.

The beef produced outside Japan cannot be called Wagyu, and in addition it also has rougher marbling, due to the "distant" ties with the pure Japanese Wagyu breed.

When we think of Wagyu beef, the first image that springs to mind is certainly a good slice of dark pink meat, filled with white fat veins reminiscent of marble which, in technical language is called “marbling”. However, not all Wagyu beef is the same, and for this reason the Japan Meat Grading Association has created a classification system based first of all on the yield of the animal, i.e. the quantity of high-quality beef on the carcase, from grade A, the highest, to grade C, the lowest, and then on the quality, in terms of marbling, colour and shine of the meat, its consistency, shine and the colour of the fat, graded from 1 to 5 (from lowest to highest).

Ultimately, Wagyu beef is classified according to a system from A1 to A5, where A5 is the highest quality level (and cost).  

Another score given is the Beef Marble Score (BMS), which from 1 to 12 indicates the fat to meat ratio. To be qualified as A5, for example, in addition to all the other characteristics, the meat must have a BMS score of at least 8+.

When the meat is assessed, a point in the carcase is taken as a reference and the whole animal is assessed according to this level. In Japan, this point is between the sixth and seventh rib.

The strict farming methods aim to prevent any kind of stress:
the cows live in very clean barns with sawdust on the floor, which is changed often, they always have spring water available to them (some farms even heat this in the winter) and the feed is of the highest quality. The use of antibiotics is strictly forbidden throughout Japan.

Movement and physical activity are certainly encouraged, and in some farms the animals are massaged and brushed to help the circulation and distribute the subcutaneous fat better. It is said that some farmers even give their cows beer to drink, although it appears that this legend originated around thirty years ago. from an advertisement for a restaurant in which a Tajima cow was given beer to drink.

Everyone knows that Wagyu beef is certainly not the cheapest on the market. A kilo of this meat can cost over €1,000. These costs are justified by the fact that Wagyu beef must meet strict standards in terms of production area, quality, marbling, rearing methods and the animal’s pedigree.

The prices however vary greatly according to the type of Wagyu, the meat grade (A, B or C and levels 1-5) and the chosen cut. As explained, cuts like sirloin, tenderloin and ribeye are more expensive, while other cuts, which are in any case very good, cost a little less.

Today, four main popular meat dishes are prepared with Wagyu beef: sukiyaki, teppanyaki, shabu shabu and yakiniku. Do you know what these are? Let’s find out!

Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is a Japanese dish served nabemono style (鍋物, “things in a pot”), similar to Asian hot-pot.

The dish consists of thinly sliced beef, tofu and vegetables which are put to simmer in a low iron pot in a liquid prepared with soy sauce, sugar and mirin. The food is dipped in a small bowl containing beaten egg before being eaten. 

Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き) is a kind of Japanese cuisine developed after the Second World War where a chef uses knives, forks and two spatulas to cook ingredients like beef, lobster and seafood and vegetables on an iron griddle (teppan) and serves the customer at the counter. The customer takes the food directly from the griddle or eats it on a plate.

Shabu shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ), is similar to sukiyaki, but where the meat and vegetables are cooked together and served with different sauces. The ingredients usually include thin strips of beef.

In this preparation, the pan with boiling water or dashi broth is placed in the centre of the table on a hot burner, with various small plates with the ingredients to be cooked arranged around it; the ingredients are then dipped in bowls of ponzu or sesame sauce. The Wagyu is cooked for a few seconds in shabushabu.

Finally, Yakiniku (literally, grilled meat), is a BBQ-style dish inspired by Korean cuisine, where the meat and vegetables (peppers, carrots, mushrooms, onions) are cooked on griddles in the centre of the table.

The typical ingredient is marinaded Wagyu beef, but other types of meat are also used – pork or chicken – as well as fish.