Feb 28, 2012

Wagyu Steaks: The Best You Can Get

Wagyu steaks, popularly known as Kobe steaks are produced in Japan. Only that country has the ability to produce Kobe beef, which are called Kobe steaks when roasted. The land of the rising sun produces this high-quality cow meat from a Japanese breed of cattle, locally known as the Wagyu. This is where the name Wagyu steak or Wagyu beef comes from. More specifically, they raise the black Tajima-ushi variety of Wagyus, in order to produce this sort of meat.

Kobe beef production in Japan is known for its traditional, strict, and rather peculiar way of raising and nourishing their cows. Cow meat cannot be labeled as Kobe beef if the cattle were not born and raised inside the Hyogo Prefecture. When it comes to the nourishment and growth of their cows on the farm, Japanese farmers give them a high-quality diet of grains, fresh grass, hays and, believe it or not, beer! The alcohol is used to increase the cattle's appetites. The animals are also massaged once in a while for the purpose of even fat distribution. And the steers or bulls are castrated to purify their meat. Before the cows reach the age of 20 months, they are prepped for butchering.

There are only a few authorized slaughterhouses in the Hyogo Prefecture that can perform the meat extraction from Wagyus. These are located in Himeji, Kakogawa, Sanda, Nishinomiya and Kobe. The total weight of meat coming from one cow should not exceed 470 kg. There are two quality tests that the meat should pass; the first one is what they call the BMS, or the marbling ratio. This is basically the ratio between the lean meat and the fats. The cow's meat should acquire a grade of at least level 6 or above. The second, and final, test is to check the quality of the meat. In this, the beef should score between 4 and 5 points. After all this is checked and confirmed, the beef is then labeled as Kobe beef. With all of these procedures, no wonder Kobe beef is regarded as the best in the world—and sold at high prices.

When you check steaks for sale online, you won't be as amused anymore if you find out about the Kobe beef. Although expensive, it's exceptionally tasty and even heavenly, according to one consumer. Compared to caviar, which costs around $2,400 per pound, Kobe steaks are a good and impressive alternative for special occasions and parties.

Feb 27, 2012

What are Kobe Steaks and How are They Produced?

Kobe steaks are cuts of world famous Kobe beef. The most expensive meat in the world, Japan is the only country that can produce it, although countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have all tried their best to imitate it. The beef is produced from the black Tajima-ushi variety of Wagyu, a native breed of Japanese cow. Though it is difficult to import, Kobe beef is not actually considered a rare food, unlike foods such as caviar.

If you search prime steak online terms such as Kobe steak, Kobe beef, Kobe meat, Wagyu beef or Wagyu steak, they are all likely to be prominent. Those fortunate to have tasted the meat have gone so far to say it is heavenly in taste. Its intramuscular fat, or marbling, gives it a unique flavor and feeling on the palate.

Kobe steaks cannot be called as such if they are not from cattle raised in Japan. The meat must come from Tajima cattle born and raised specifically in Hyogo Prefecture. While being raised, the cows should be given a strict diet of selected organic farm grains and hays with regular drinking of beer. This is done to stimulate the cows' appetite. Bulls or steers are castrated because early Japanese farmers believed this purifies their meat. Cattle farm owners hire masseurs for the purpose of distributing fats evenly in the cows' bodies. Cattle are massaged together with the application of sake on their skin while being scrubbed, all at the same time.

Once the cattle are ready for slaughter, they are brought to a select number of authorized slaughterhouses which are all located in Hyogo Prefecture. Currently, these authorized abattoirs are in Himeji, Kakogawa, Sanda, Nishinomiya and Kobe. Even if these methods are all followed, if the cows are not butchered in any of these places, the cows’ meat can never be labeled as Kobe beef; such is the strictness of the production process.

It doesn't end there. Once the cows are butchered and the meat is cut and sliced, to pass the first quality test, the total weight of beef from one cow shouldn't exceed 470 kg. After that, the meat should reach the quality score of either 4 or 5. Final test is passing the BMS or marbling ratio of at least level 6. With such a unique and complicated process, it is no wonder Kobe beef is so prized and so costly.

Feb 26, 2012

Choose the Right Steak for a Very Special Dinner Date

Are you running out of ideas when it comes to impressing a loved one? Or maybe there is an extremely attractive colleague in your office that you have not yet worked out how to woo.

There are many ways to date a girl or guy, with the initial aim being to get to know one another better. Dating is essentially a process during which two people assess each other on whether they would be compatible in different aspects of life. An early attraction to someone often leads to dating in order to find out more about that person. However, a successful and romantic dinner date is not something that just happens; it often pays to plan it very carefully and thoughtfully.

In order to make sure a dinner date is an occasion to remember, it is important to consider doing or eating something that neither you or your date have done before. With that in mind, when it comes to the food you are going to cook, it pays to search for an online steak for a meal that neither of you will forget.

Kobe steak makes for as special a dinner date as you can find. This type of meat can only be produced in Japan on cattle farms in Hyogo Prefecture that breed the black Tajima-ushi cattle of Wagyu cows. The cattle cannot be butchered just anywhere. There are only few slaughterhouses located in Hyogo which are authorized to extract the meat. These are located in Himeji, Kakogawa, Sanda, Nishinomiya and Kobe.

Wagyu cattle are fed primarily on expensive grains and fresh grass, and they are also given beer on a regular basis by way of stimulating a greater appetite in the animals. The already spoiled cows are even massaged and have their coats scrubbed with sake wine from time to time. According to Japanese tradition, the outside appearance of a cow gives an idea of what its meat inside looks and tastes like.

Steaks are cuts of beef that add a touch of class and romance to any dining table. It is best served with a glass of red wine and a side of vegetables, salads, potatoes or French fries. To buy Kobe beef and cook it yourself will not fail to thoroughly impress your special one and make the night a truly memorable occasion for the both of you.

Feb 23, 2012

Wagyu Steaks, the Best in the World

Japan, although a relatively small country geographically, has long been recognized as one of the world’s leading exporters of top-of-the-line electronic machinery and vehicles in the world. But fewer people may know that Japan is also the producer of the highest quality and most expensive meat in the world: Wagyu steaks.

More popularly known as Kobe steaks or Kobe beef, this sort of meat is known for its price, marbled texture, extra tenderness, juiciness, fattiness and also for the unique method of its production. It’s a local delicacy in Japan, where if it is not served raw in the form of sushi, it is lightly cooked in the forms of teppanyaki, sashimi, shabu shabu or sukiyaki. Outside Japan, diners are most likely to enjoy it cooked as steak.

Production of Wagyu beef started as an old tradition in the early days of Japan. This traditional method of meat production was passed from one generation to another with virtually no changes or alterations to the procedures. Meat cannot be called Wagyu beef or Kobe beef if does not originate come from the Tajima breed of cattle or if the cattle are then not born and raised in Hyogo Prefecture.

Strict farm feeding is key to the process. Cattle are regularly fed with beer to maximize their appetite and farm owners even hire masseurs to habitually massage the cows and ensure level distribution of fat in the body. The bulls are then castrated to purify their meat. Once the cows are ready for slaughter, they are taken to a select few authorized slaughterhouses in Hyogo Prefecture. The only places where cattle are allowed to be butchered are Himeji, Kakogawa, Sanda, Nishinomiya and Kobe.

The process does not end with the slaughter. It is then required that the maximum weight of meat obtained from one cow is only 470 kilograms. After the slicing of beef, it is then graded and must score at least at level 6 in marbling ratio or BMS and 4 to 5 in meat quality.

If you’re going to buy steak online and want to experience the unparalleled flavor of Wagyu steak, keep in mind that Kobe meat is very expensive. Compared to its imitation called "Kobe-style beef," which usually costs about $50 per pound, it can be 10 times the price. But who says you need a pound of meat to be able to experience the Wagyu steak at least once in your life? A slice is all it takes for you to fall for this great Japanese delicacy.

Feb 21, 2012

How to Recognize Real Kobe Steaks Online

If you are a lover of steaks, then chances are that you have once tasted Kobe beef steak or it will soon become your favorite. The only downside is that Kobe steaks are more expensive than any other of its beef counterparts. It is, in fact, the most prized steak in the world. This leads to the obvious question: is it worth it? The answer is a resounding yes, at least once in your lifetime. So it might be time to save up some cash and experience this popular native delicacy of Japan.

The massive popularity of Kobe beef has led to many attempts at reproducing and imitating the product outside of Japan. An ever increasing number of these attempts are unsuccessful because of Japanese producers’ strict compliance to equally strict quality standards. Many farm owners and cattle breeders around the world claim they have communicated with, and even employed, Japanese professionals in order to achieve the same quality of beef. Some even breed the same particular Tajima cattle used for Kobe beef, but their methods still remain futile. Perfect Kobe beef production remains an expertise of Japan’s alone and a great mystery to other countries. As a result, these efforts at imitation are called Kobe-style beef. These are generally more affordable, more dark-colored and have a different flavor compared to the original.

Therefore, it is important to learn more about Kobe steaks online first; rather than trying to embark on the delicious experience by eating at the nearest restaurant available. Almost every detail one could wish to know is now widely available on the Internet and it is easy to explore the characteristics and differences of both Kobe beef and Kobe-style beef.

The first and obvious difference is price. Kobe-style beef can cost around $50 per pound. Original Kobe beef can cost a lot more, but it is true to say that the desire to sample the world’s finest meat can cost a small fortune.

Kobe beef can only be called as such if it comes from Tajima cattle raised in Japan, specifically inside Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe-style beef on the other hand, usually comes from a mixed breed of Wagyu and Angus cattle in the United States where these cows are being fed on almost the same diet as the Tajima are in Japan.

In short, Kobe beef is significantly more expensive than Kobe-style beef. They are both marbled in appearance and tender, but Kobe-style beef, according to those who have tasted both, is a little darker and has a bolder taste.

Feb 20, 2012

The Best Wagyu Steaks for Sale Online

Shopping through television channels has evolved into purchasing goods online. Consumers today can buy almost anything with the use of a credit card, debit card or bank card without going out to the store or supermarket, making it rather convenient. This is all possible thanks to the invention of the Internet. The process of online shopping usually happens between two businesses, two consumers or a consumer and a business. Thus, the buy and sell commerce easily became a worldwide phenomenon. Things that are being purchased and sold over the Internet may include services, foods, equipment and virtual items.

Food can be ordered and then delivered to your doorstep. This evolved from free delivery services that you could get by dialing your landline. Today, instead of doing that, you can simply go online, have a little chat with a representative of a supermarket or a fast food chain, give or enter details of your orders, and wait for it to be delivered. We now can often see foodstuff such as cakes, pizzas, donuts, soups or steaks for sale online. You may have a discovery by further online research about what foods are expensive and what are affordable; in this case you’ll later find out something like Wagyu steaks are the most expensive of all steaks and its flavor is indeed the best.

Yes, Wagyu steaks are the most expensive of all steaks. In fact Wagyu beef, more popularly known as Kobe beef, what Wagyu steaks are roasted from, is the most expensive cow meat in the world. Kobe beef is not as rare as caviar. The reason why it is insanely expensive is because of its exclusivity.

So how exclusive is the luxurious Kobe beef? First of all, only the land of the rising sun can produce this sort of meat. In Japan, they have this place called the Hyogo Prefecture which consists of several towns and cities. This is the only place in Japan where the raising of the black Tajima-ushi cattle is permitted for future production of Kobe beef. Cows there are pampered by regular massages, a costly diet of high-quality grains and fresh grass, and regular fur scrubbing with sake wine. By the time of butchering, the cattle can only be slaughtered within the Hyogo Prefecture as well. Once the meat is extracted, it goes through some quality tests and exported outside Japan as the world’s best tasting beef.

Feb 19, 2012

Kobe Beef: Know More About This Prime Steak

If you are one of the few people yet to hear about Kobe beef, then you will soon. In simple terms, it is regarded as the best quality meat in the world, but sadly that high regard also comes with an extravagant price tag.

If you search prime steak online, you will quickly learn more about its current market price. Yet, while Kobe beef is costly, it remains in high demand and it sells like the proverbial hotcake. People who have been lucky enough to experience the taste have often described it as simply heavenly. And despite the cost, they keep on coming back for more, prompting those who haven’t tasted it to want to see what all the fuss is about.

In Japan, Kobe beef is considered a delicacy and its production a national tradition, but it is not produced on a massive scale. The meat can be eaten raw in the form of sushi or served as teppanyaki, sashimi, shabu shabu or sukiyaki. In places outside of Japan, however, the beef is mostly appreciated as Kobe steaks.

Kobe beef has created a big splash in the culinary world. When that happened, Japan was not yet ready for such an international demand. A few top end restaurants were able to import authentic Kobe beef at huge expenses. Today, Japan permits other countries such as the U.S. to import and breed Wagyu cattle (the breed of cow local in Japan where Kobe beef comes from) because of land shortage at home. However, for the meat to be officially qualified as Kobe beef, the cows still need to be exported back to Japan and slaughtered in Hyogo Prefecture. With this new cattle farming strategy, the production of Kobe beef increased but not sufficiently enough to meet worldwide demand, meaning no reduction in the high price of the Wagyu meat.

Because of this shortage, the United States created an alternative beef to try and satisfy local demand. This cattle meat became known as Kobe-style beef or American Wagyu beef, and people who had already tasted the original commented that it is a poor imitation of the world's best meat, The U.S. also cross bred Wagyu cattle with their local Angus cow, producing a different flavored meat again. Meanwhile Kobe beef continues to sell at a staggering rate, even though Kobe-style beef is readily available at a much lower price.

Feb 16, 2012

Buy Kobe Beef for an Annual Family Reunion

Family reunions are very special occasions where extended family members gather to catch up on how everyone is doing and get to know each other even better. Some larger families that always keep in touch with one another will even go so far as to arrange a reunion once a year as a tradition to keep family ties strong.

It is always exciting to meet up and learn more about relatives that you do not see so often or know so well, be it an uncle or aunt, some distant cousins or even one of your great grandparents. Family reunions are celebrated in various ways, such as picnics, outings to the beach or parties where there would be some special activities and recreations. Usually a significant number of the attendees will logically have the same surname. But what shouldn’t be missing on these rare occasions is the barbecue.

There is always at least one person, if not more, who will gladly volunteer to take on barbecuing duties and, more often than not, this will usually be one of the male family members such as a dad or an uncle. They busy themselves with grilling and roasting while others have fun.

If a big extended family all chip in or have enough money to spend, then it is essential to get the best meat possible in the market for such a special gathering: Kobe beef. To buy Kobe beef is like hunting, but you already know what you’re looking for. If you check online steak, and Angus steaks and Kobe-style steaks come up in your search, then you will soon see that they are way more affordable than Kobe steaks. But taking that into consideration, Kobe beef is definitely worth the extra expense once you see every member of the family enjoying its unparalleled taste. It will leave everybody at the reunion with an everlasting memory, well one that lasts until it all happens again the following year!

Kobe beef is widely considered the best meat in the world. It can only be produced in Japan, where it comes from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle. Compared to Angus and American Wagyu beef, it is highly marbled, juicy, tender and very flavorful.

So next time the whole family decides to meet up for an annual family event, surprise them with a very tasty, healthy and exciting dinner of Kobe steaks.

Feb 15, 2012

Buy the Widest Selection Of Steaks Online

If you are a meat lover, you may know of some of the large steaks that are served in specialty restaurants. Steaks refer to beef, the meat that comes from cows. Many people prefer beef than pork because it is leaner, has more nutritional benefits and is less likely to cause disease. Even in the Bible, though it is permitted by God that we butcher and consume meat from pigs in The New Testament, The Old Testament revealed that animals with split toes could cause disease. Consequently in the early days, people were more likely to eat beef rather than lamb. This religious information from ancient Christian teachings is now an established fact with scientific founding. Pork is not as healthy as beef and may have dangerous toxins.

To buy steak online requires neither knowledge of the different types available nor why they are named as such. Depending on the cut, steaks have different names such as chuck, round, sirloin, top sirloin, Delmonico, rib eye, rib, t-bone and many more.

Chuck steaks are known for their rich flavor, their approximate 1-inch thickness and their rectangular shape, as well as having a balance of meat and fat. Round steaks are cut as such and have less fat, or any at all. The cut is often thin and moderately tough. Sirloin steaks are cuts from the rear back portion of the cow. This steak is often served in the United States with French fries and garlic butter. The top sirloin steak is a sub type of sirloin and usually has about 1 inch of lean meat and less than half an inch of pure fat. The name Delmonico steak came from a famous specialty restaurant in New York City in the mid 1990s that popularized this kind of beef cut. Rib eye steaks are also known as Scotch Fillet, which come from the rib section and are usually boneless. Rib steaks are famous for the marbling of fat, which make it one of the most flavorful of all steaks. T-bone steaks are one of the most expensive cuts around because they contain large chunks of the tenderloin and short loin. They are considered by many as one of the highest quality cuts.

As for cuts of meat named after the origin of the cattle, four such types are: Kobe steaks, Angus steaks, American Wagyu steaks and Australian Wagyu steaks.

Feb 13, 2012

How the Japanese Produce Kobe Beef

Kobe beef is produced from black Tajima-ushi, a breed of Wagyu cattle, native to Japan. These cows provide marble-textured, fatty, tender and flavorful meat. What is known as oleaginous unsaturated fat causes Kobe beef to marble in that way. This high-quality and very expensive meat is produced through a strict and traditional Japanese way of raising cattle.

Before the 1960s, cattle in Japan, especially the bulls, served simply as beasts of burden for various farming activities. But the time came when the demand for quality food, and meat in particular, became so high that farm owners and cattle raisers began to breed cattle mainly for their meat.

Kobe beef cannot be called as such if it does not come from Tajima cattle, born and raised in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan. Calves are kept close and raised most of the time together with their mothers inside small pens. The cows' diet is comprised of commercial feeds including grains, roughages, fodders, rice straws, hays, silages, beers and freshly cut green grass. The cows' bodies are also periodically hand massaged to generate an even proportion of fats in their meat.

Specialized veterinarians are hired to castrate the bulls when they are two to three months of age. This is done to purify the meat. Fattening techniques applied to the steers, or bulls, and female cattle are different. Steers are subjected to what is known as an "ordinary" fattening system, where they are induced to enter the fattening stage at 10 months of age, and then prepared for slaughter once they reach 28 months. Female cattle, on the other hand go through the "old cow" system, where they start to be fattened at 6 to 8 years of age. Then they are treated with tender care for another five to eight more months before slaughter.

There are only a select few qualified slaughterhouses in Japan where the traditionally raised cattle can be butchered, all located within Hyogo Prefecture. Once produced, the beef must achieve a high-quality meat score of between 4 and 5.

Many restaurants around the world today that offer Kobe steaks online for purchase, find much of their investment is in buying and importing meat from Japan. Although extremely expensive, there is still a very high demand across the globe for Kobe beef. People who have already tasted the meat always come back for more and others who hear about it are constantly intrigued to try it despite the cost involved.