Knowing how to cook Wagyu beef is definitely one crucial element if you want to learn Japanese cuisine. As Japanese food became more and more popular internationally, the demand for Japanese Wagyu beef also grew rapidly.
Japanese cuisine is not all about sushi. Whether you know how to cook Wagyu beef or not could determine your Japanese cooking skills.
What is Wagyu Beef?
Before jumping into how to cook Wagyu beef, let’s get to know what Wagyu beef is.
Wagyu literally translates to “Japanese cattle” in Japanese. And there are four breeds of Wagyu, namely Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, and Japanese Polled. However, over 97% of Wagyu is Japanese Black because of their beautiful marbling and good yield.
You might have heard of Wagyu beef from other countries, such as Australian Wagyu beef, American Wagyu beef, and Scotland Wagyu beef. Well, in the past, there was a time that the restriction was too strict, and Japanese Wagyu cattle were exported overseas. However, it is no longer legal to export genetic resources of Japanese Wagyu overseas from Japan to protect Japanese Wagyu cattle as a national treasure. So, the Wagyu beef from these countries is the off-springs of the cattle brought to them back then and cross-bred with non-Wagyu cattle like Holstein.
So, you can see the apparent differences in the characteristics of Wagyu beef depending on where the meat is produced. The unique feature of Japanese Wagyu is its highest level of marbling. It is attributed to the pureness of the breeds to a large extent by avoiding cross-breeding with non-Wagyu cattle.
Grading System
“A5” is the highest rank in Wagyu beef in the grading system. “A” refers to the highest yield grade, meaning more meat can be produced from one cow. And “5” refers to the highest meat quality determined by its marbling, texture, colors of meat, and fat. So, A5 means that the Wagyu is valued highest in yield, level of marbling and other quality scores. That is why the A5-ranked Wagyu has the highest price tag among all Wagyu beef.
However, it does not necessarily mean that A5 is the tastiest for you or the best suited for your dish. For example, A4 or A3, marbled mildly yet beautifully, has a great aroma and taste. Therefore, it is totally up to your preference to decide which rank of Wagyu beef is best suited for you.
So, do not put too much trust in the rank of the meat or its price tag. Trust your own tongue and preference to choose the best Wagyu beef for you.
How is It Different from Other Beef?
Knowing how to cook Wagyu beef means that you should also know the unique characteristics of the beef.
As soon as you put Wagyu beef in your mouth, it starts melting on your tongue. The reason for this is that it has a very low melting point. Indeed, the melting point of Wagyu is lower than other beef, and it is below 20℃. That is why it is essential to keep Wagyu meat at a cool temperature until you actually start cooking. Or, when you cut or slice Wagyu beef, make sure to keep the room temperature low. For your information, here are the melting points of Wagyu beef fat:
Marbling: 15 – 20℃ (59 – 68℉)
Subcutaneous fat 20 – 28℃ (68 – 82℉)
Intermuscular fat: 25 – 38℃ (77 – 100℉)
Another difference between Wagyu beef and other beef is its aroma. Wagyu beef aroma is unique to Wagyu beef and is a rich and sweet aroma similar to that of peaches or coconuts. This retronasal aroma is known as the “chewing aroma” because it comes out when you put the beef in your mouth and chew it well. It is strongest when the beef is heated to 80℃ (176℉). This temperature corresponds to the optimum temperature for a typical dish of Wagyu beef, sukiyaki. In addition, once the aroma comes out, it stays in the meat. So, the aroma comes out when chewed even after the meat cools down. This is why Wagyu beef tastes good even when it is cold.
How to Treat Wagyu Beef
Depending on the cut of the beef, such as sirloin, rib eye, and rib cap, you need to change how to cut the meat. You can learn the complete steps from types of knives suited for Wagyu and how to prepare blocks of the beef for cooking.
Cutting and slicing Wagyu beef needs extra attention because of its size and low melting point. For example, you will need three kinds of knives to cut the meat – Dakkotsu (boning knife), Suji-hiki (slicing knife), and Gyuto/Hira-giri (for slicing a large piece of meat). Also, you will need a food slicer to slice the beef. Note that the machine could melt the meat if you leave it on due to its low melting point of 16-20℃ (60-68°F).
To make the most out of this high-ranked, luxurious beef, you want to know how to treat the meat properly so you will not ruin its rich taste.
How to Cook Wagyu Beef
Steak and sukiyaki are not the only ones to enjoy Wagyu. You can learn how to cook Wagyu beef in our course.
For example, Wagyu beef is excellent for sushi. As one of our master chefs, Mr. Takahashi, mentioned, Wagyu meat has a more meaty taste than fish, so Wagyu sushi goes well with a more robust taste or flavor than fish sushi. This means that you will require a few more techniques when making Wagyu sushi than when making sushi with fish.
Also, as each part of the beef has its own characteristics, you want to use them for different dishes. For shabu shabu, the parts with a lot of fat are suitable because you can get rid of the excess fat by soaking the slices in hot water. In the Wagyu beef online class, we introduce several methods of cooking Wagyu slices, such as sukiyaki and salad, in addition to shabu shabu.
Apart from the cooking methods above, there are some other dishes to enjoy the beef. For example, Japanese-style Wagyu curry is a great way to turn small leftover chunks of meat that you get from making blocks into a delicious dish. Also, you can enjoy the highly tender texture of the meat by slow cooking. Wagyu beef tataki is another dish we introduce in the online course. Tataki is usually a method used to make bonito tataki, but you can also apply it to Wagyu beef.
It is up to you how you want to enjoy the beef. However, let’s remind yourself that you can do more with Wagyu besides steak and sukiyaki!
Learn How to Cook Wagyu Beef with Master Chef!
Our Wagyu master class covers topics from the basic knowledge of Wagyu beef to how to cook Wagyu beef properly. Having the knowledge makes a huge difference when cooking Wagyu beef, and our master chefs will teach you the pro techniques in the course.
One of our master chefs, Kanako Kawa, is a Wagyu expert and master butcher. She grew up in a butcher family and learned butchery at the Federal Meat Academy in Japan in 2014, then joined the family butcher company in Japan as a butcher. Since she joined Zen-noh International Europe Limited in London in 2018, she has educated many chefs & food professionals about Wagyu beef throughout Europe.
Our master chef, Hideyuki Takahashi, has remarkable work experiences in and outside of Japan. He has worked at the most-renowned Kaiseki (traditional Japanese cuisine) restaurant, Tokyo Kitcho. He was also an instructor at Tokyo Sushi Academy for four years. Since relocating to Germany, he has helped many food enthusiasts and professional chefs worldwide with his broad and deep range of knowledge of Japanese cuisine.
Our master chefs are here to help you learn how to cook Wagyu beef. With these master chefs, let’s take your cooking skills to another level!
