It’s just the same phenomena you see with the high end version of any product. A lot of extra knowledge, effort, and resources are dedicated to providing the product.
The cows are of higher quality breed. They have much higher standards of living. They get a better, more specific diet. Etc…
From a culinary standpoint, the meat is far more tender, and has a much richer marbling. It’s akin to having steak pâté, like a beef fat mousse.
Seriously, it’s super rich. I couldn’t be able to eat a whole steak like the one OP has, maybe 1/3rd of it. That’s a truly indulgent meal that I hope they thoroughly enjoyed.
You’re spot on here. I had friends over and we cut it into strips like the one in the picture. Between 6 people, we split this and a grade 9 Australian wagyu and we all felt like we were going to burst. We all loved the A5, but the consensus was that the lower graded one was better as a meal. I said it in another comment: it was amazing, tasted heavenly, and I’m happy that we had the opportunity to try it, but I’d be fine never getting it again.
As a side note, I’ve never been more terrified to cook anything in my life. When your buddy blows $200ish bucks on a steak, you really don’t want to screw up your one chance to nail the preparation.
Oh man, that sounds like a great evening you had! Rest assured, I know that feeling of trepidation. You did a hell of a job, just look at that sear!
But yeah, these steaks definitely benefit from good pairings. Get a soft starch and a veggie with a little bite to it. A demi, an au poivre, or some other contrasting flavor profile. Anything to balance out umami punch to the taste buds when these steaks.
What is the obsession with wagyu? I don’t understand.
It’s just the same phenomena you see with the high end version of any product. A lot of extra knowledge, effort, and resources are dedicated to providing the product.
The cows are of higher quality breed. They have much higher standards of living. They get a better, more specific diet. Etc…
From a culinary standpoint, the meat is far more tender, and has a much richer marbling. It’s akin to having steak pâté, like a beef fat mousse.
Seriously, it’s super rich. I couldn’t be able to eat a whole steak like the one OP has, maybe 1/3rd of it. That’s a truly indulgent meal that I hope they thoroughly enjoyed.
You’re spot on here. I had friends over and we cut it into strips like the one in the picture. Between 6 people, we split this and a grade 9 Australian wagyu and we all felt like we were going to burst. We all loved the A5, but the consensus was that the lower graded one was better as a meal. I said it in another comment: it was amazing, tasted heavenly, and I’m happy that we had the opportunity to try it, but I’d be fine never getting it again.
As a side note, I’ve never been more terrified to cook anything in my life. When your buddy blows $200ish bucks on a steak, you really don’t want to screw up your one chance to nail the preparation.
Oh man, that sounds like a great evening you had! Rest assured, I know that feeling of trepidation. You did a hell of a job, just look at that sear!
But yeah, these steaks definitely benefit from good pairings. Get a soft starch and a veggie with a little bite to it. A demi, an au poivre, or some other contrasting flavor profile. Anything to balance out umami punch to the taste buds when these steaks.
It tastes like meat candy. Whats not to understand.