When talking about marbled beef, many people call it a "Japanese fetish". Indeed, Kobe-produced Japanese marble beef, has become widespread throughout the world, and in its homeland this meat has become one of the main components for dishes national cuisine. What is it - marbled beef, how it is grown, and what can be prepared from it - let's figure it out in order.
Japanese gobies are provided with a heavenly life, they are given beer and massaged with straw brushes with sake to classical music. All for the sake of meat, about which the Japanese say that "even a toothless one can eat it."
Marbled meat is meat in which intramuscular fat is distributed in such a way that it creates a "marbled" pattern of thin white veins. This product is not historical for Japan. Since the 17th century, it was forbidden to eat beef in the country for everyone, except for soldiers during campaigns and patients who had a prescription from a doctor. Only after the Meiji Revolution of 1868 was the ban lifted. Then the Japanese aristocracy was shocked by the young emperor Mutsuhito, who was the first to eat a piece of beef in public. Not that after that the Japanese became meat-eaters (they still, according to statistics, eat ten times less beef per capita per year than Europeans), but the industry began to develop. Local Japanese cows, medium-sized and muscular, which had been used for centuries to work in rice fields, began to be crossed with European beef breeds. In 1910, this selection was banned, but by that time the concept of "wagyu" - "Japanese cow" had already appeared, which applies to four breeds: Japanese black, Japanese brown, Japanese hornless, Japanese short-horned.
More than 80% of all wagyu in Japan today are Japanese black (the result of crossbreeding wagyu with European breeds such as the Swiss Brown, Shorthorn, Devon and Aishire).
Of all the Wagyu breeds that exist in the world, they are the most prone to producing marbled meat. Yes, there are other breeds whose meat “marbles” with proper care of animals (for example, Angus and Shothorns). But wagyu marble meat is considered a reference.
One of the best places to produce Japanese beef is the city of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture. The Europeans who tried it first called the beef there: Kobe beef. Today, the term "kobe beef" is applied to marbled beef in other countries, especially in the United States.
Unlike European appellation cows, which roam freely in the meadows most of the year, wagyu are mostly kept in stalls so that there is where to get fat from. Beer and massage are part of the marbled beef mythology. The quality of kobe meat, as zootechnologists have proven, is not affected by either, although many farmers do use these methods. And they have arguments.
Beer is given to cows in the summer for appetite, when the heavy, humid heat that is common in much of Japan discourages the animals from eating. Massage is simply necessary for cows that are in stalls with almost no movement. Only regular massage can maintain muscle tone. And sake is used during massage for the sake of smoothness and silkiness of the skin, because cows should look their best at exhibitions. The Japanese are sure that the quality of Japanese kobe marbled beef is affected by the condition of the skins of chickens.
How marbled kobe beef is grown
There are not so many water meadows where cows could be walked in Japan. The green Matsuzaki Valley has become a traditional “resort” for calves: they don’t breed their own cows here, but only raise those brought from different prefectures.
Proper nutrition for wagyu is only natural food and no artificial additives. It has long been known that corn and barley lighten fat, giving it that same boiled white color.
The diet is very important: marbled meat can only be obtained from an animal that is gaining weight very evenly. Marbling is also associated with age: in calves up to a year and a half, only subcutaneous fat develops, then renal, and only then intramuscular. Therefore, calves younger than 30 months are never slaughtered for marbled meat.
Japanese marbled beef has gained worldwide fame, but it is very difficult to export it outside of Japan, because the Japanese are jealous of their products. Therefore, farmers in other countries began to grow wagyu, especially in the United States. In America, in 1993, two bulls and a heifer of the "correct breed" Tajima appeared. One of the bulls was named Fukutsuru. Today it is the most famous bull in the world, because it was thanks to him that Wagyu cows spread so quickly in America and Australia: the number of descendants of Fukutsuru goes to hundreds of thousands. In 1994, 35 more animals were brought to the USA. As a result, today most of the beef called "kobe" is produced in California and Australia, as well as in Argentina, New Zealand and some other countries.
The Japanese do not hide how marbled beef is grown - they raise cows in closed stalls. But the Americans are sure that the best meat is obtained from grazing, and they send the bulls to the stalls for “finishing the taste” only a few months before slaughter. At this time, they are put on a diet as close as possible to the Japanese: corn, alfalfa, barley and wheat straw.
But American and other farmers do not shy away if there are no Fukutsuru descendants in their stall. Marble today and the meat of other breeds. In the USA, in general, official certification for marbling exists only for Angus bulls - CAB (Certified Angus Beef). This badge guarantees that the beef has been aged for at least 28 days, has medium (15-25% body fat) or high (greater than 25%) marbling, less than one inch of subcutaneous fat, and does not weigh more than 454 kg fresh carcass.
Categories of Japanese Marbled Beef
In Japan, marbled meat is divided into five categories according to quality, and according to the properties of the cut - into classes A, B and C. The fifth category is the best meat: light pink, completely penetrated by the thinnest fatty layers. It almost never leaves Japan: it immediately goes to auctions, where the owners of the best Tokyo and Kyoto restaurants buy it for crazy money. The fourth and third categories are the most common: the meat is slightly darker, slightly less marbled, but also very soft and aromatic. The first and second categories of Japanese beef are of little interest to foreign buyers, because it is not so different from good meat from other countries, so restaurateurs prefer cheaper Australian or Argentinean counterparts.
The letter designation indicates the place of the cut:
class A - the softest pieces of the front of the thick edge;
B - pieces of a thick and thin edge from the middle of the carcass for steaks and nabe);
C - the back of the thin edge, the toughest (as marbled meat can be tough) piece, which is usually allowed on carpaccio and tartars.
In the United States, the official USDA quality scale is based on regular beef. Marble is not even the highest (by Japanese standards) category easily exceeds the standards of the highest class for American Prime beef. Therefore, farmers adopted their own system: silver (almost Prime, marbling percentage - 10-15%), black (15-25%) and gold (highest category, more than 25%).
Chianina breed
The name "Chianina" comes from the Chiana Valley, which stretches in Tuscany from Arezzo to San Casciano. It is not really known when the breed appeared, however, antique images of bulls, very similar to the Chianina, date back to the 4th century BC. BC e. According to legend, it was these bulls that Tiberius sacrificed to Capitoline Jupiter in honor of his triumph, perhaps they were harnessed to the plow of Romulus, plowing a line among the stones for the first walls of Rome.
The Romans and Etruscans valued these bulls for their efficiency, and the snow-white color looked especially good during triumphal processions and sacrifices.
Chianina - the largest breed of the currently existing, and perhaps one of the most beautiful - almost two-meter giants weighing under two tons, short-necked, black-nosed, with a dry and neat head, topped with short straight horns with a "porcelain" tint - they look like this as if drawn with a single stroke of the pen.
For the last half century, it has not occurred to anyone to harness a bull to a plow, and selection work is aimed at increasing muscle mass on the back and shoulder blades: this part goes to the famous Florentine steak. Incredibly tender chianina meat with a special taste, which is described as "oily", contains almost no fat (ten times less than in chicken). Since since ancient times, these cows have been raised mainly for draft work, they have little fat, they give very little milk, but there is practically no cholesterol in their meat, which is regulated by law. The strictest quality control is carried out, up to the point that each individual has a special passport with a pedigree from birth, certifying the origin.
What to cook with marbled kobe beef
Opinions about what to cook from marbled kobe beef differ among the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire and the United States. The Japanese prefer to cook marbled meat.
The most popular dishes are shabu-shabu or sukiyaki. Both are thinly sliced beef, boiled very quickly in a boiling broth and served with vegetables, mushrooms and complex soy-based sauces. As a last resort, in Japan, marbled beef is served raw - in the form of sashimi. The Japanese, of course, know how to fry meat, but they rarely do it.
Americans prefer to carve their usual steaks from marbled beef and fry them in a pan or on coals. This dish gained particular popularity after the statement of scientists that in marble meat wagyu breeds have much more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than regular beef, the benefits of which have long been known (and much less harmful saturated fatty acids).
So far, Russian farmers are predominantly marbled with Herefords, which are far from the first place in the world ranking in terms of their predisposition to marbling. However, you can buy Russian marbled meat: Herefords are one of the best meat breeds in the world, so regular steak their meat is excellent.
Bistekka
In Florence, bistecca is served almost everywhere, from tiny trattorias to Michelin-starred restaurants. The product is not cheap, but if somewhere a dish is declared on the menu for more than 70-80 euros per kilogram, you should look elsewhere.
Of course, there are strong people who can eat a whole kilo of meat, but in general, one serving of bistecca is designed for two or three, depending on appetite.
Even if you always and everywhere ordered well-done meat, forget about it in Florence. Bistecca alla fiorentina is a special gastronomic event. Do not get carried away with antipasti or thick soups before trying it.
Marble beef - the most famous meat delicacy worldwide. The name was given to the product due to its extraordinary resemblance to a beautiful stone: dozens of veins can be seen on the cut. Growing marbled beef is a labor-intensive task, so the cost of the product cannot be called low. However, meat dishes with thin layers of adipose tissue have been appreciated by many gourmets: the steaks are tender and juicy.
History
The technology for growing bulls for marbled beef was developed in Japan, then came to Australia and other countries. The taste of this delicacy in the Soviet Union was discovered by Nikita Khrushchev during a trip to North America. There he tried a real steak and was amazed by its taste. After that, the Kremlin chef was given the task of preparing the same dish, but the result did not meet the expectations of the Secretary General. Then it turned out that the success of cooking depends on the meat.
Then a farm was equipped in Ukraine, on the territory of which bulls of a special breed were grown. Animals were brought there from Great Britain, the technology of their cultivation was learned in the USA. Until 8 months old, calves were not separated from cows, they were kept on pastures. Then they were transported to a farm in the Crimea, where they were fattened with food based on wheat and corn.
Where is marbled beef grown?
There are several countries that have succeeded in making marbled beef. First, this is the USA. The Americans took a very meticulous approach to the production of this delicacy: they developed standards, described them, and even published catalogs that could be used to order marbled meat.
Another state, which, in fact, is the birthplace of the production of marbled beef, is Japan. The old Kobe technology was widely used there. The cost of Japanese beef is incredibly high: the price for 1 kg reaches 500 dollars.
At present, Australia is the leader in the marbled meat supply market to the CIS countries.
Differences from regular beef
Marble meat is a small piece of red fillet. It contains a large amount of intramuscular fat. It is arranged in such a way that it resembles patterns on marble.
A special technology for the production of marbled beef allows you to get a high-quality product. What is the difference between such meat and ordinary meat?
- First, the price. The cost of marbled meat is several times higher than the cost of fillet, which is sold in markets and supermarkets.
- Secondly, this product is obtained only from meat breeds of cows.
- Thirdly, the meat is very juicy, tender and soft.
- Fourthly, marbled beef is cooked very quickly, as it is soft.
Breed
The peculiarity of marbled beef is that it can only be obtained from the carcass of young animals that are fed using a special technology.
The delicacy is obtained from representatives of meat breeds. In Russia, for example, Aberdeen Angus bulls are grown for this purpose. The production of marbled beef in our country is carried out by the Zarechnoye company, whose products are sold under the Primebeef brand. Animals are kept on the territory of the Voronezh and Kaluga regions.
Aberdeen Angus breed
How is an animal raised for marbled beef? First of all, you need to choose the right breed of cow. Not all varieties of gobies are suitable for these purposes. One of the most popular breeds with a high degree of marbling is the Aberdeen Angus. The appearance of fatty layers is due to the genetic characteristics of animals.
Black gobies have rather short but strong limbs. The growth of males is on average 150 cm, female - 130. An adult bull reaches a weight of 1 ton, the body weight of a cow is 200 kg less. It is believed that the optimal age for slaughtering representatives of this breed is 18 months. If you do this later, the muscle fibers will coarsen, and the marble pattern will become blurry. They contain representatives of the Aberdeen Angus breed in a free way.
Hereford breed
We will look at how to grow marbled beef a little later. For now, we continue the story about the breeds that are best suited for obtaining this delicacy. One of them is Hereford.
Low animals (about 125 cm at the withers) have a muscular body. They are kept in pastures. Representatives of this breed are distinguished by good cold resistance, but at low temperatures they are still placed in closed pens. Animals are slaughtered at the age of 19-20 months, before that they have been fed with cereals and hay.
Wagyu
This term generalizes several breeds that were specially bred to produce marbled beef. These are Japanese black, brown and short-horned cows. Their meat is of the highest quality, it contains a large amount of fatty acids, for example, omega-3 and omega-6, while the percentage of cholesterol is very low. Wagyu gobies are grown exclusively in Japan. For a steak from such meat, you will have to pay at least 9,000 rubles, and for a burger - 2,500.
Growing features
So, how about marbled beef? It is very important to take good care of the animals. Throughout the year they are kept free range, allowing them to be in an environment close to natural. There they feed on meadow grasses and gain strength.
Then, about 3-4 months before slaughter, they are transferred to feedlots. During this time, the animals are fed a special cereal mixture, the main ingredient of which is wet corn. At the same time, cows and bulls are limited in movement. We briefly reviewed how to grow marbled beef, now we will dwell in more detail on the main aspects of this process and list the factors that affect meat marbling.
Factors
The term "marbling" is used to identify the presence of intramuscular fat in meat. Professionals evaluate the volume and distribution of fat in the muscles of the back in the area between the 12th and 13th ribs. What affects the degree of marbling of meat?
- Nutrition. If you feed livestock with high-calorie feed for a long time, then the beef will turn out to be of high quality, but there will be little marble tenderloin. On the contrary, when feeding animals with grains, the chances of getting marbled meat are quite high.
- Lack of physical activity. The softness of muscle mass depends on the level of physical activity of cows. In individuals that are kept in a stall, the meat is softer than that of their relatives, who freely roam the pasture.
The production of marbled beef takes a long time. First, young bulls are released into the pasture, where they walk a lot and feed on meadow grasses. Representatives of some breeds are fed with milk and only after that they are transferred to free range.
When the cattle grows up, individuals are placed in individual rooms, the walls of which are soundproof. There, animals are hung on reins. This allows you to limit the physical activity of the cows, but at the same time does not allow them to lie down. Gobies during this period are fed with selected grain and even high-quality beer to improve their appetite. On average, grain fattening lasts 200-300 days. Sometimes animals are given vibration massage. This is necessary in order for the fat to penetrate deep into the muscle tissue.
grazing
For the production of marbled beef, representatives of meat breeds are used. They are distinguished by endurance, able to travel long distances in search of food. Therefore one of milestones in the production of an expensive delicacy - grazing animals. It is carried out before fattening, as it allows the bulls to gain muscle mass. For grazing, you need to prepare a spacious pasture with useful herbs.
grass fed
There are several schemes for fattening animals. Each farmer independently selects the most suitable way to grow marbled beef.
The first way of fattening is herbal. What he really is? During the first 6 months of life, the bulls are soldered with milk, after which they are released to the pasture, where they are kept for up to 15 months. They put on weight there. They are then transferred to stalls to limit physical activity. The diet during this period consists of corn, wheat, alfalfa. Vitamins are added to the food. Bulls are slaughtered at the age of 19-30 months.
grain feeding
If you are wondering “How to grow marbled beef quickly?”, then this fattening scheme is perfect for you. First you need to solder the calves with milk. At the age of six months, bulls are transferred to grain feeding, that is, the stage of free grazing is completely excluded. Using this technology, slaughter can be carried out after 10-11 months.
Japanese technology "Kobe"
How is Japanese Kobe marbled beef grown? By special technology. First, the bulls are fed with mother's milk, then they are released into green meadows, then they are transferred to corn grain. The most important thing, according to Japanese farmers, is to keep animals in comfortable conditions.
There are many myths about how marbled beef is grown in Japan. In fact, they are not so far from reality: classical music really plays in the stalls, bulls are massaged using special combs. Leather straps are used to keep them in the stall. The most surprising thing is that the diet of cows includes rice cake from sake production, as well as brewing products. The Japanese are sure that they contain many amino acids and vitamins.
Care rules
To summarize the above, you can list the basic rules on how to grow marbled beef.
- Do not wean calves from their mother, as they must be fed milk during the first 6 months of life.
- Don't let the steers lie down during fattening, because this will adversely affect palatability meat.
- Add vitamins and other useful material.
- Perform vibration massage during the fattening period. This will contribute to an even distribution of the fat layer.
Beef maturation
Now you know how to grow marbled beef. Meat also needs to be processed. It is an integral part of the production process. Beef that meets world requirements undergoes a maturation process, as a result of which the meat acquires an excellent taste and becomes softer.
The first way of ripening is wet. The fillet without blood is packed in vacuum bags, having previously cooled it to 0 ° C. Then, within 10-21 days, it ripens without oxygen. Dry ripening is a more labor intensive process. In this case, the meat is hung by the bones in a refrigeration room, while neither skin nor fat is removed from it.
What can be cooked from marbled beef?
Our material provided information on how cows are raised for marbled beef. Now we will look at how this meat can be used. The most popular dish is steak, for which only a tenth of a cow's carcass can be used. There are several types of such a dish:
- Crab steak, which is cut from the edge of the longest back muscle.
- Ribeye, for the preparation of which meat is taken from the subscapular part of the body. It contains a large amount of fat.
- The teebone is a T-shaped bone with meat. It is cut between the lower back and the back, which is why it contains two types of beef fillet.
- Striploin, which is cut from the lumbar region. It has no bones.
- Roundramb is obtained from the hip part of the body, namely from its upper part.
- Porterhouse is also cut from the lower back.
- Skrit steak is marbled meat obtained from the diaphragm of a cow.
- Filet Mignon - steak with the most tender fillet.
- Tornedos are slices of meat from which the so-called medallions are prepared.
- Chateaubriand is almost the same as filet mignon. The main difference between these steaks is the serving: Chateaubriand is laid out lengthwise on a platter, while the filet mignon is placed vertically.
How to cook marbled beef?
Marble fillet can be fried in a pan or grill. For this, juicy and fatty tenderloin from the rib part is best suited. In restaurants, such dishes are served most often. The steak is thoroughly fried at a temperature of 160 ° C. The meat is cooked over low heat. To heat it evenly from all sides, you need to turn the product often. This will allow the steak to fry well from the inside and achieve a golden crust. The fat border is cut off only after the meat is completely cooked. As a side dish, marbled beef is served with potatoes and other vegetables.
Each producer takes care of beef bulls in his own way - for example, on some farms in Japan, wagyu bulls are massaged, they are poured with beer to awaken their appetite, and even classical music is played. But there are a number of mandatory conditions that have a direct impact on the degree of marbling of the product:
1. Breed
First of all, the pattern on the meat, or marbling, depends on the genetic predisposition of animals to the accumulation of intramuscular fat. And you can’t count on marbled beef from a dairy cow. The marbled meat of the Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Wagyu breeds is considered the best (in fact, the Japanese black, Japanese brown, Japanese hornless, Japanese shorthorn breeds are combined under this name). Genetic “purity” is of great importance, therefore bulls with a pedigree are especially valued. Suppliers of marbled beef carefully monitor their offspring, all animals are entered in the studbooks. Information, including all information from birth to slaughter, is stored on the farm about each instance.
2. Physical activity
Another important nuance that directly affects marbling is the effort that animals have to make during their lives. Those who grow up in small stalls and lead a sedentary lifestyle give a very gentle product that literally melts in your mouth due to the fact that their muscles are not as “puffed up” as their free-walking counterparts. In the absence of movement, fat accumulates precisely inside the muscles.
When the bulls gain a certain weight, they are resettled in stalls or in personal soundproof rooms, and sometimes they are even hung on the reins. All this is done so that the cattle cannot move, but at the same time they do not lie: in a standing or hanging position, the muscles are in tension, and the fat layers are distributed more evenly over the pulp. But sometimes this requires vibration massage to prevent cramps, you have to monitor your appetite and take into account other nuances, which significantly increases the cost of the final product.
However, Angus, on the contrary, are grown almost on a free range. For them, open feedlots (feedlots) are created, where animals have minimal contact with people, can move freely and enjoy fresh air.
3. Nutrition
Initially, calves of "marble" breeds are fed with mother's milk and kept next to cows in free grazing with the slightest human intervention in the process.
From a certain point (upon reaching 6-8 months of age), young bulls are separated from the maternal herd and transferred to a special diet - the more competently the diet is chosen, the more likely it is to get a quality product. The diet of "marble" bulls contains a large amount of carbohydrates and consists, as a rule, of barley or corn.
Corn fattening is considered the most preferable - it is it that allows you to achieve maximum marbling, while the meat has an incomparable sweetish aftertaste, and the fat turns white. But different producers have their own secrets on how to raise cows for marbled meat: someone prefers compound feed, someone adds wine and honey to their food.
Where and how are cows raised for marbled beef in Russia?
Meat animal husbandry as such on the territory of our country is practically not developed. Most of the livestock of cattle are dairy and meat-and-dairy cows, and they are slaughtered only after they stop producing milk (at the age of 7-10 years). And, in fact, no one wondered how marbled meat is grown, because the emphasis was on the dairy industry, and there was no question of premium products. Accordingly, on the shelves of most supermarkets is tough, dry and not at all tasty beef.
But in the last 10 years, the situation has begun to change for the better - largely due to the Zarechnoye Group of Companies, which is considered the pioneer of beef cattle breeding in the Russian Federation. In 2008, we were the first to bring purebred Aberdeen Angus beef cattle to Russia, and since then we have only been gaining momentum.
We have created a brand PRIMEBEEF - and soon this name became a household name. It is not simple trademark. It's a synonym quality product, which has no analogues in our country and corresponds to the level of the most famous foreign manufacturers.We do not aim to operate globally and compete with competitors in the number of heads in the herd - we just make marbled beef the way it should be.
Note that the question “how cows are grown for marbled meat” is incorrect, because the meat of males is suitable for the production of this product. For making marbled beef PRIMEBEEF only young Aberdeen Angus bulls are selected. The pedigree of our animals includes several generations of venerable world-class champion sires. In addition, our bulls are markedin the famous "American Angus Association", we have our own Center for Genetics and have the opportunity to select individuals of the most outstanding characteristics.
But the unique taste of marbled beef PRIMEBEEF These are the merits of not only good genetics. Proper nutrition plays an important role. From birth to 10-12 months of age, our angus graze freely on the pastures of the Voronezh and Kaluga regions. There they feed on herbs, which were previously carefully selected and sown by the specialists of the Zarechnoye Group of Companies. Subsequently, animals that have reached a weight of 300-350 kg are placed on a feedlot - a specially designed outdoor feedlot. There the gobies spend about six months.
The diet of animals consists of a carefully balanced four-component mixture based on corn, which is also cultivated on the fields of the Zarechnoye Group of Companies. This 200 day corn diet helps ensure maximum marbling and unsurpassed flavor in the final product.
The last stage is the aging of marbled beef. There are also different technologies in this matter, for example, when finished cuts are placed for maturation in specially designed chambers, where the optimum level of temperature and humidity is maintained, as well as the desired air circulation rate. Wet ripening takes at least 2 weeks - and only after that the product gets on sale or on the table of the cook in the steakhouse.
We pack chilled meat in vacuum bags to exclude contact with bacteria and air during ripening, achieving the maximum effect from natural biochemical reactions. We recommend using marbled beef towards the end of its expiration date - in the third week after packaging and later, when marbled beef is perfect and delicious.
First, a little about how things stand with knowledge not among us, consumers, but among those who call themselves professionals.
1. Ignorance of Moscow restaurants
During these 3 years, I visited many restaurants in Moscow and not only, where I paid attention to what they write on the menu about the proposed steaks, and concluded that only some Moscow establishments correctly present the culture of marbled meat. That is, if you open an institution where you serve a steak and mention such terms as "Wagoo" or "Kobi" on the menu, it is your duty to tell the guest what it is. If you don't want to bother, just write "marble meat, Australia". Since the ignorance of the restaurant is picked up by the guest and, foaming at the mouth, then tells his friends that he ate Vagu in the restaurant and that this is the coolest meat. Friends tell their friends. Information is overgrown with rumors and as a result we have uneducated guests and all sorts of myths that an acquaintance of an acquaintance ate magic beef from a bull in some restaurant in Moscow, who lived in a spa in Japan, he was given a massage, and then he was delivered first class to Moscow to be eaten. Such uneducated guests then come with the haughty air of a connoisseur and treat the waiter with their pseudo-knowledge of Vagu meat. Thus, there is only one conclusion - the guest should be unobtrusively educated, interested, and the guest should not be told stories.
2. Ignorance of Moscow suppliers
The normal desire of a restaurant is to get the best from suppliers. You have to fight for this, especially if you have a small and start-up enterprise. The best goes to the network monsters. In this fight, literally, for a piece of meat, I constantly tried to understand why one supply is better than another, asked a lot of questions to suppliers, read about meat. And besides other conclusions, I made this - managers who work with restaurant clients do not have the correct system of knowledge about their product - marbled meat. This applies to such monsters as MARR Russia, the Australian Trading House, Snow World, East-West. Not a single manager with whom I worked from these companies could clearly explain to me what is the difference between Australian, American and Japanese meat, which is better, why Kobi is from Australia, how is Kobi or Kobo correct, and Kobo is better than Wagyu or Wagyu, etc. .d. They all got off with a rude sale of what they had, and they knew little about what they had.
3. What is marbled meat?
I am sure that I will not reveal the secret by answering this question. But it's worth telling. Marbling means only one thing - the presence of a sufficient amount of fatty inclusions in meat fibers. Marble meat does not mean that the bull was mocked: hung up, massaged and turned on Cafe del Mar. And it doesn't have to be from Japan. Marble meat of different breeds, including chile and Japanese breeds, is grown in different countries: in the USA, Australia, Japan, South America (Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, France, etc.) Marbling is achieved by a special technology of cattle fattening. The diet of animals includes a special feed mixture containing a large amount of corn, grain, alfalfa. Marbling has its own gradations depending on its intensity, that is, the frequency of white inclusions in the fibers. The higher the marbling, the more tender the steak. American statistics even calculated the coefficients of customers dissatisfied with the quality of the steak, depending on the degree of marbling. The American gradation of meat suggests three degrees of marbling: select, choice, premium.
4. Magical Japanese meat: what are Wagu and Kobi, why do Moscow restaurants call beef from America and Australia "Kobi"?
1) Real Kobi can only be from Japan and must meet the following conditions:
a) Tajima bull born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Kinki region on Honshu Island, whose capital is Kobi;
b) The steer must be fed in Hyōgo Prefecture
c) The bull must be castrated or be a virgin, which makes the meat cleaner (as Anatole said, after castration, the animal gains weight, and plus - the meat does not stink)
d) The steer must be killed in one of these cities in Hyōgo Prefecture: Kobe, Nishinomiya, Sanda, Kakogawa, or Himeji.
e) The Japanese marbling grade (called BMS) requires beef to be graded 6 or higher.
f) The quality of the meat according to the Japanese gradation must be A or B
g) The total weight of the bull must not exceed 470 kg.
2) The term Wagyu primarily means a family of several breeds of bulls that are genetically predisposed to intense marbling of meat. The most famous Japanese breeds of the Wagyu group are Tajima, Tottori, Shimane, Kochi and Kumamoto. It is from the Tajima breed that Kobi is made. Thus, the term Wagyu is broader than Kobe. Kobi is the prepared meat of an already slaughtered Tajima steer that has been reared and slaughtered under certain conditions (see point 1). Thus, Kobi is not a bull breed, but a combination of methods for rearing and slaughtering Tajima bulls. That is, a live bull cannot be called Kobe, it must be called Tajima, but a piece raw meat is Kobe. Wagyu etymologists: "WA" means "Japanese", and "GU" - cattle, that is, "WAGU" is a JAPANESE COW.
3) Why do Moscow restaurants and suppliers call beef from America and Australia "Kobi"?
When calves of the Wagyu family were brought to America, they were crossed with Angus calves for the following reasons: 1) in order for the animals to survive in the American climate; 2) in order to find the optimal balance of marbling for the American buyer, as the average American buyer called the meat of the original Wagyu - "too white". The resulting bull, in agreement with Japan, was called not "Kobi" or "Wagu", but "American Style Kobe Beef". The diet of such a bull: a mix of corn, pearl barley, alfalfa, wheat straw. The bull is usually slaughtered at the age of 30-35 months. Australians breed both purebred Wagyu and crossbreeds, and the Australian Wagyu Association is the largest Wagyu association outside of Japan.
THEREFORE, THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DONE:
1) Beef can only be called Kobe if it fits all Japanese conditions, simply put, Kobe is only Japanese beef;
2) You can not call beef Kobe or Wag if it is from America, the correct name for it is American Style Kobe Beef or "Kobe in the American manner."
3) Purebred Wagu except Japan are exported ONLY from Australia! And they are cheaper than Wagu gobies from Japan. So if you want purebred VAGU, but cheap - eat VAGU from Australia.
Beef- dietary meat, which should dominate the tables of every family. Since it is rich in iron and other useful trace elements. In this article, let's talk about marbled beef. How does it differ from ordinary meat, and why is it so interestingly called marbled beef.
What is marbled beef?
Marble beef is called red meat of cattle, in which there is a beautiful fatty layer. It is these white layers of fat located between the muscle fibers that give this meat marbling. Thanks to this combination, the meat turns out to be surprisingly juicy, and its taste when cooked is tender and light.
What can be marbled beef? Quality scale
According to the developed standards of the US Department of Agriculture, there are 8 degrees of meat marbling (quality scale). But only:
- three of them ( prime,Choice,select) are considered extra-class beef;
- two ( standard,commercial) available in free sale, in supermarkets;
- three ( utility,Cutter,canner), in most cases, go for further processing.
These standards are used all over the world. The first three degrees are elite beef with varying degrees of marbling. It is produced from special breeds of bulls up to 3 years old. Other degrees of marbling are more budgetary and can be purchased at the supermarket.
How is beef marbling assessed?
To evaluate how beef marbled steak a cut of ribeye is taken, which is cut strictly along the 12th rib. After the resulting slice is compared with the reference template. After comparison, the meat is assigned a degree of marbling. The age of the animal is also taken into account. There are 5 categories of quality (meat rank) by age:
- "A" -9-30 months;
- "B" - 2.5–3.5 years;
- "C" - 3.5-6 years;
- "D" -6-8 years;
- "E" - over 8 years old.
The combination of maximum marbling and minimum age gives the meat the right to be called elite.
What is extra-class marbled beef?
As already figured out, elite varieties include three degrees of meat marbling:
- Prime (maximum marbling). This meat has 1 degree of marbling. Get it from young fattened bulls. It is considered an extra-class meat with the highest degree of intermuscular fat content, which is evenly distributed throughout all tissues. It is used in the best restaurants and it is very expensive.
- Choice (golden mean). Such meat is classified by the degree of marbling from 2 to 4. It is also considered high-class marbled beef, but there are much less fat layers between the fibers in it. It can be found on sale, in elite supermarkets.
- Select (moderately bold). The marbling of this degree is calculated from 5 to 6. It is considered the most budgetary of the extra-class category. Differs in inconspicuous streaks of fat.
A few words about the meat itself
It should be noted that the best pieces are those muscle groups that were not involved in the movement. Marbled beef is not recommended to be cut into pieces for cooking (steak) less than 3 cm and more than 5 cm. Before using marbled beef, it must be allowed to mature up to 23 days. During this time, the fermentation process will take place, which will make the meat fibers more loose and tender.
Now you know what marbled beef is. Cook it with love and bon appetit.
