Kobe Beef

I’m sure that many of you have seen Kobe beef or Wagyu beef either in the supermarket or on menu’s and have wondered, “What is it exactly?” “What is the difference?” Well, I thought I would take this time to explain to you what it is and why it may be a little bit more expensive than regular cuts of beef.

Wagyu is a breed of cattle that is raised to produce beef that is high in unsaturated fat as well as having great marbling, which creates a fantastic flavor. Kobe beef refers to beef that comes from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle. These cuts of beef are raised to have greater flavor, tenderness and marbling than regular cuts of beef. In order to be classified as Kobe beef, there are certain conditions that need to be met. First of all, the cattle must be born, fed and raised in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan of which Kobe is the capital. The bull must be castrated to purify the beef, slaughtered in Kobe, meet a certain marbling ratio, have a certain meat quality score and come from an animal whose gross weight of beef is 470kg or less.

There are also rumors out there that the Kobe cattle are fed beer and massaged with sake. Some say they are true, some say no way. Well, when Wagyu cattle were introduced to Japan, they were mainly used on farms to help cultivate rice. Because of the rugged terrain and isolated areas, it is said that adding beer and sake to feed was a technique used in order to aid in digestion, and induce hunger. The massaging came about because of the small farms in Japan the animals did not have enough room to sufficiently use there muscles so farm workers would massage them in order to prevent muscle cramping. This seems to be a tradition that stuck and happened to produce great quality beef.

Now with the popularity of Kobe beef in the US, cattle ranchers have taken domestically raised wagyu cattle and crossbred them with Angus cattle to create “Kobe Style” beef which is less expensive and allows the US to meet the demand the public has for Kobe beef. Although it is not Kobe, it is raised similarly and US producers swear that the only difference between real Kobe and Kobe style is purely cosmetic. That’s up to you to decide.

I hope that this has given you a little insight as to the background and traditions of Kobe beef. Next time you see it on a menu or in the market, there is no need to be intimidated, you know what it’s all about. Buen Provecho!

Super Bowl Recipes

Turkey Sliders
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Turkey
1 Red Onion, sliced in thin rounds
8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese
2 cups Chipotle Ranch Dressing
16 slider buns or rolls
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Shape ground turkey into 2 oz patties. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
2. If using a grill, set to medium heat and grease grill before placing patties.
3. Add cheese at end of cooking process. Cook turkey thoroughly.
4. Toast buns and spread dressing on both sides.
5. Place cooked patty with cheese on bun and top with red onion. Serve immediately.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Yield-1 quart
Ingredients:
16 oz mayonnaise
6 oz sour cream
6 oz milk
3 TB ranch dressing mix
1 Chipotle Pepper

Method:
1. In a blender add the milk, sour cream and chipotle pepper and blend until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl add the blended chipotle mixture with the remaining ingredients and whisk together.
3. Check for consistency. Add additional milk if necessary.


Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 lb Orzo Pasta
1 red Bell Pepper (small dice)
1 English Cucumber (small dice)
½ medium red onion (small dice)
1 ½ cups crumbled Feta Cheese
¼ cup chopped Fresh Dill
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lemon (juiced)

Method:
1. Cook orzo in salted boiling water. Once pasta is done, drain and toss with 2 Tbsp Olive Oil to prevent pasta from clumping.
2. Spread pasta evenly on a baking sheet to cool.
3. Once pasta is cool, in a large mixing bowl combine pasta, all diced vegetables, cheese, dill, lemon juice and remaining oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.