A mellow cow is better than a mad cow
July 27, 2005 1:36 AM Subscribe
zardoz, you lucky sod I haven't had it in over ten years and you just set off a really bad craving. Can't get it around here. :(
posted by dabitch at 3:11 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by dabitch at 3:11 AM on July 27, 2005
Can you only get Kobe beef in Japan like the article says then? Does anyone import it to the UK? I'd like to try me some of that!
posted by derbs at 3:25 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by derbs at 3:25 AM on July 27, 2005
Luckily for me, I'm in Japan. Not something you can eat everyday, though. It's expensive stuff. BTW, another delicacy here that if you told me before I came that I'd not only like it, but find it delicious is....wait for it...tounge. Very tasty.
posted by zardoz at 4:09 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by zardoz at 4:09 AM on July 27, 2005
Hmm.. I know it was just a silly story, but was anyone else struck by how tabloid-y the BBC's writing gets in places nowadays?
posted by Drexen at 4:12 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by Drexen at 4:12 AM on July 27, 2005
I really liked the Kobe beef story. Nothing like having a quest.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by Wolfdog at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2005
From the article:
Kiyoshi Ogana is the sous-chef at the New York Grill, certainly the most magnificent steakhouse in Tokyo, and as such knows a thing or two about beef.
Most magnificent steakhouse in Tokyo? While the desserts are great and the view certainly is breathtaking, their main courses leave plenty to be desired. If dining atmosphere is high on your list of priorities, the person you are with is more interested in dessert than meat and you don't mind an average steak, the New York Grill is an excellent establishment that I would heartily recommend.
If, on the other hand, your engine runs on beef and you want to top off your tank with premium beef goodness, the New York Grill is the last place I would go in the Tokyo area.
If you want to enjoy heavenly beef and you don't mind driving a bit out of your way to get it, Ukaitei (Yokohama) is the place to go. The quality of meat is superb and the preparation is masterful. The service, interior and surrounding environment also far surpass that of the New York Grill. Ukaitei Yokohama is an intimate and addictive experience that will bring your relationship with our bovine brothers to the next level.
If getting to Ukaitei Yokohama is not convenient, Imahan (Ningyocho) also beats the pants off the New York Grill in terms of bovine bliss. While the atmosphere is not as spectacular, the quality of beef is amazing.
posted by cup at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2005
Kiyoshi Ogana is the sous-chef at the New York Grill, certainly the most magnificent steakhouse in Tokyo, and as such knows a thing or two about beef.
Most magnificent steakhouse in Tokyo? While the desserts are great and the view certainly is breathtaking, their main courses leave plenty to be desired. If dining atmosphere is high on your list of priorities, the person you are with is more interested in dessert than meat and you don't mind an average steak, the New York Grill is an excellent establishment that I would heartily recommend.
If, on the other hand, your engine runs on beef and you want to top off your tank with premium beef goodness, the New York Grill is the last place I would go in the Tokyo area.
If you want to enjoy heavenly beef and you don't mind driving a bit out of your way to get it, Ukaitei (Yokohama) is the place to go. The quality of meat is superb and the preparation is masterful. The service, interior and surrounding environment also far surpass that of the New York Grill. Ukaitei Yokohama is an intimate and addictive experience that will bring your relationship with our bovine brothers to the next level.
If getting to Ukaitei Yokohama is not convenient, Imahan (Ningyocho) also beats the pants off the New York Grill in terms of bovine bliss. While the atmosphere is not as spectacular, the quality of beef is amazing.
posted by cup at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2005
In Australia I happened upon Wagyu beef while wandering about David Jones (a department store where you occasionally happen up such delicacies, albeit for an exorbitant price) - it lay there beckoning to me in its come hither vacuum sealed form hugging clear plastic outfit - thrusting its $32 (that's right) price tag wantonly like some kind of cheap cut. I didn't hesitate. Fate's hand had insisted impulsive action. I took that beautiful flesh and made culinary love to it, searing its tender flank I then roasted it for 7 minutes with fresh plums and Shao Xing wine. I sliced it thin and let it melt on the back of my tongue. It's a curse, I can't go back, life since has been a cold fatty chop on a rusty barbecue two days in the rain. Kobe beef be damned.
posted by strawberryviagra at 5:03 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by strawberryviagra at 5:03 AM on July 27, 2005
Wagyu beef being produced in Australia, strawberryviagra, so your addiction may soon be more easily satisfied.
posted by Jimbob at 5:18 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by Jimbob at 5:18 AM on July 27, 2005
You haven't been able to get real kobe in the US, primarily due to the mad cow scare back in 2001. Importing Japanese beef into the US is a crime, as is exporting American beef to Japan (since 2003) .. though all this may change when Japanese and American officials meet for trade talks in a few weeks.
posted by crunchland at 5:28 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by crunchland at 5:28 AM on July 27, 2005
"....I think we're going to see it become much more widespread and turning up in butcher shops so the average consumer can buy it and cook it at home."
Praise the almighty downward pressure!
posted by strawberryviagra at 5:35 AM on July 27, 2005
Praise the almighty downward pressure!
posted by strawberryviagra at 5:35 AM on July 27, 2005
I had heard an even more outlandish rumor:
While working on survey vessel near Kyoto, one of the old sea-salts told us about Kobe Beef. He said that the cows were kept in slings that supported their weight -they didn't have to stand on their own. Combine this with daily massages and the cows developed no hard-muscles to spoil the perfection.
We were told that Kobe beef was unavailable internationally because most countries considered these methods inhumane.
posted by MotorNeuron at 6:25 AM on July 27, 2005
While working on survey vessel near Kyoto, one of the old sea-salts told us about Kobe Beef. He said that the cows were kept in slings that supported their weight -they didn't have to stand on their own. Combine this with daily massages and the cows developed no hard-muscles to spoil the perfection.
We were told that Kobe beef was unavailable internationally because most countries considered these methods inhumane.
posted by MotorNeuron at 6:25 AM on July 27, 2005
At Taste of Chicago this year, one of the restaurants in the gourmet tent was offering wagyu beef steaks. I had one...it was fabulous.
posted by SisterHavana at 6:47 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by SisterHavana at 6:47 AM on July 27, 2005
Other Kobe Beef rumors:
1) It does not matter where the cow was born and raised. If it was slaughtered in Kobe, it becomes Kobe Beef. While Kobe beef may have meant something way back when, it has little meaning now.
Note: This was told to me by a professor who believed that Kobe beef was grossly overrated. I do not have any independent, unbiased confirmation.
2) A lot of the Kobe Beef being sold in Japan is not really Kobe Beef. If you are not paying top dollar for it, there is a very good chance that it is something else.
I can't remember where I read/heard it but someone did the math and the amount of beef being produced in Kobe was nowhere near the amount of Kobe Beef being advertised/sold throughout Japan.
Of the two rumors, the latter seems more plausible because there have been a few mislabeling scandals in the news.
For example, one company was putting 'Japan Beef' labels on imported meat so that they could sell it for a higher price. In another high profile scandal, old (expired) milk was being mixed with new milk and resold as fresh milk. It is also rumored that a lot of meat advertised as 'whale' meat here is actually dolphin or has a high dolphin content (which, by the way, has a high mercury content, too).
While I enjoy Kobe Beef whenever I visit Kobe, I would not go out of my way just to get 'Kobe' beef in Tokyo. There is so much excellent beef throughout Japan (Matsuzaka and Maesawa are tasty examples) and I would rather spend my time looking for good restaurants that either own their own ranch (Ukaitei mentioned in my earlier post) or are connected to good producers / have very high standards (Imahan also mentioned above).
posted by cup at 7:25 AM on July 27, 2005
1) It does not matter where the cow was born and raised. If it was slaughtered in Kobe, it becomes Kobe Beef. While Kobe beef may have meant something way back when, it has little meaning now.
Note: This was told to me by a professor who believed that Kobe beef was grossly overrated. I do not have any independent, unbiased confirmation.
2) A lot of the Kobe Beef being sold in Japan is not really Kobe Beef. If you are not paying top dollar for it, there is a very good chance that it is something else.
I can't remember where I read/heard it but someone did the math and the amount of beef being produced in Kobe was nowhere near the amount of Kobe Beef being advertised/sold throughout Japan.
Of the two rumors, the latter seems more plausible because there have been a few mislabeling scandals in the news.
For example, one company was putting 'Japan Beef' labels on imported meat so that they could sell it for a higher price. In another high profile scandal, old (expired) milk was being mixed with new milk and resold as fresh milk. It is also rumored that a lot of meat advertised as 'whale' meat here is actually dolphin or has a high dolphin content (which, by the way, has a high mercury content, too).
While I enjoy Kobe Beef whenever I visit Kobe, I would not go out of my way just to get 'Kobe' beef in Tokyo. There is so much excellent beef throughout Japan (Matsuzaka and Maesawa are tasty examples) and I would rather spend my time looking for good restaurants that either own their own ranch (Ukaitei mentioned in my earlier post) or are connected to good producers / have very high standards (Imahan also mentioned above).
posted by cup at 7:25 AM on July 27, 2005
The Kobe story was fascinating. Of course, I've heard of it, but never all the details. Thanks!
I kind of like the hemp story too. I have no doubt that our own factory farms would feed Prozac to the cows to calm them down if it was necessary.
posted by fungible at 7:41 AM on July 27, 2005
I kind of like the hemp story too. I have no doubt that our own factory farms would feed Prozac to the cows to calm them down if it was necessary.
posted by fungible at 7:41 AM on July 27, 2005
The Wikipedia Kobe beef article reveals some of the secrets.
posted by zsazsa at 7:47 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by zsazsa at 7:47 AM on July 27, 2005
Thanks for this post!
From the hemp article:
"'We don't want to have to contaminants such as THC which doesn't occur naturally in milk,' he said."
I can understand, even if I don't necessarily agree with, the complaint that using growth hormones on cows will modify the milk in an unhealthy manner. But not wanting cows to eat hemp because it might have "contaminants such as THC" in it is idiocy. Appealing to the "natural state" of milk is senseless, too--the natural state of milk depends upon what the cows have been eating.
posted by voltairemodern at 8:00 AM on July 27, 2005
From the hemp article:
"'We don't want to have to contaminants such as THC which doesn't occur naturally in milk,' he said."
I can understand, even if I don't necessarily agree with, the complaint that using growth hormones on cows will modify the milk in an unhealthy manner. But not wanting cows to eat hemp because it might have "contaminants such as THC" in it is idiocy. Appealing to the "natural state" of milk is senseless, too--the natural state of milk depends upon what the cows have been eating.
posted by voltairemodern at 8:00 AM on July 27, 2005
I saw the Kobe Beef episode of Iron Chef - everything looked delicious. But then again, on Iron Chef everything always looks delicious.
posted by jb at 8:36 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by jb at 8:36 AM on July 27, 2005
I thought they dealt with Kobe's beef when they shipped Shaq off to Miami.
posted by spock at 8:37 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by spock at 8:37 AM on July 27, 2005
"Kobe beef" is often available as a special at the better sushi restaurants in LA. Whether it is genuine is another question. Whether it's worth the price is also another ("also another"?) question. Now if only we could get over the "mad puffer fish" scare we could get some overpriced fugu too.
posted by johngumbo at 9:38 AM on July 27, 2005
posted by johngumbo at 9:38 AM on July 27, 2005
I thought the issue with Kobe's Beef was dropped when the girl admitted it was consentual.
Anyways... I've seen a few "Kobe Beef" places around las vegas as well.
posted by SirOmega at 9:43 AM on July 27, 2005
Anyways... I've seen a few "Kobe Beef" places around las vegas as well.
posted by SirOmega at 9:43 AM on July 27, 2005
Thanks for the links. we were just talking about Kobe beef last night, I had nothing to offer except vague assertions about the treatment the cows received.
Two other questions were raised that stumped everyone: First, why isn't there a pork equivalent to the beef categories? You can get Kobe beef and you can get veal. Chicken is sort of the same way, you can get fancy free-range birds. But pork is just pork. Second, does anyone eat fetal anything (except of course chickens)? You would think that would be very tender.
posted by rtimmel at 11:26 AM on July 27, 2005
Two other questions were raised that stumped everyone: First, why isn't there a pork equivalent to the beef categories? You can get Kobe beef and you can get veal. Chicken is sort of the same way, you can get fancy free-range birds. But pork is just pork. Second, does anyone eat fetal anything (except of course chickens)? You would think that would be very tender.
posted by rtimmel at 11:26 AM on July 27, 2005
The pork issue (at least in the US, and the same is true in Australia) was addressed by Alton Brown in an episode of Good Eats. Apparently, it's because "lean pork" became such a glorious end goal of the pork marketing machine that it became impossible to get properly marbled meat any more. End result is something that is almost impossible to cook without it turning into rubber. The problem with not cooking pork properly is that a lot of pig diseases hop to humans lickety-split.
Brining the pork before cooking helps with the dryness a little; you could get extreme and try injecting pork fat into the meat before cooking.
On preview, I'd never heard of kurobuta pork before -- thanks curse, I'll have to grab some of that ;)
posted by 5MeoCMP at 11:39 AM on July 27, 2005
Brining the pork before cooking helps with the dryness a little; you could get extreme and try injecting pork fat into the meat before cooking.
On preview, I'd never heard of kurobuta pork before -- thanks curse, I'll have to grab some of that ;)
posted by 5MeoCMP at 11:39 AM on July 27, 2005
Bon Appetit did a spread on new food trends in...January, I think, where they covered Kurobata (Berkshire breed) pork. recipe featuring kurobata here.
You can order it, as well as Wagyu beef online from reputable mail-order sources.
posted by abbacat at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2005
You can order it, as well as Wagyu beef online from reputable mail-order sources.
posted by abbacat at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2005
Forget beef - make it your business to get hold of some Kobe Pudding. Promising you dreams of exquisite taste sensation! The stuff's incredible. A cross between créme caramel and cheesecake.
posted by nylon at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2005
posted by nylon at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2005
rtimmel -- fetal ducks are a delicacy in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines. However, fetal ducks tend to be a turn off to most Westerners as, yes, it is tender, but it's also very close to offal meats in taste and texture. It's tough enough to get folks to try kidney and tongue, much less explain the delectable flavor of chewing on a baby duck's brain. Everyone likes their chops and fillets, and you just won't get enough of that meat on a chick.
Same thing goes for mammals, like cows or pigs -- at such an early stage of development muscles haven't grown far enough to provide flavor or texture. Besides, there's the delicate issue of "harvesting" the fetii from the mother to be. It's easy to pick eggs, but conducting multiple partial birth abortions on gestating domestic animals is labor intensive, at the very least.
posted by bl1nk at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2005
Same thing goes for mammals, like cows or pigs -- at such an early stage of development muscles haven't grown far enough to provide flavor or texture. Besides, there's the delicate issue of "harvesting" the fetii from the mother to be. It's easy to pick eggs, but conducting multiple partial birth abortions on gestating domestic animals is labor intensive, at the very least.
posted by bl1nk at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2005
rtimmel - why isn't there a pork equivalent to the beef categories? You can get Kobe beef and you can get veal.
curse - Well, there's kurobuta pork.
There's always suckling pig, too..
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:39 PM on July 27, 2005
curse - Well, there's kurobuta pork.
There's always suckling pig, too..
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:39 PM on July 27, 2005
Now if only we could get over the "mad puffer fish" scare we could get some overpriced fugu too.
Don't know where you are, but I've had fugu (sashimi) in NYC. Feeling my lips get numb/tingly was a bit scary, though.
I've never had fugu soup but I've heard it is supposed to be excellent. Next time I'm back in Japan...
posted by bashos_frog at 8:18 PM on July 27, 2005
Don't know where you are, but I've had fugu (sashimi) in NYC. Feeling my lips get numb/tingly was a bit scary, though.
I've never had fugu soup but I've heard it is supposed to be excellent. Next time I'm back in Japan...
posted by bashos_frog at 8:18 PM on July 27, 2005
Also with pork you have the acorn fed piggies that end up as Jamon Serrano. There's nearly as much mythology surronding them as with Wagyu cows.
posted by jcking77 at 9:51 PM on July 27, 2005
posted by jcking77 at 9:51 PM on July 27, 2005
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posted by zardoz at 2:20 AM on July 27, 2005