Tu_triky wrote:

uh...i don't know about that.....it's made from a reduction of beef stock so....it has to be dark.....

Maybe it's just those pics.

Anime Dad wrote:

Maybe it's just those pics.

yeah all kidding aside it does look dark but it ain't no friekin' black pudding...that looks like straight yack.

Yeah.... I may have been born in Scotland, but you can keep your black pudding..... or use it as a hockey puck, like you said

Anime Dad wrote:

Yeah.... I may have been born in Scotland, but you can keep your black pudding..... or use it as a hockey puck, like you said

I was thinking more like roofing cement.

bmwracer wrote:

I was thinking more like roofing cement.

actually i could use it to patch the potholes i suffer when i drive

Next weekend's menu:

bmwracer wrote:

Next weekend's menu:

�ؓ��̐��I�Ă� (butaniku no shougayaki - ginger pork) vs. �A�W�t���C (aji furai - fried horse mackerel)

dochira wrote:

�ؓ��̐��I�Ă� (butaniku no shougayaki - ginger pork) vs. �A�W�t���C (aji furai - fried horse mackerel)

speaking of mitsuwa, i went to little tokyo today for lunch and picked up a mitsuwa flyer and they actually advertised REAL KAGOSHIMA super premium beef imported from Japan...this is a FIRST!!!

it's only available at the Torrance & Costa Mesa locations...

but this is a FIRST time ever that "Kobe" style beef has been available imported DIRECTLY from Japan......

Tu_triky wrote:

speaking of mitsuwa, i went to little tokyo today for lunch and picked up a mitsuwa flyer and they actually advertised REAL KAGOSHIMA super premium beef imported from Japan...this is a FIRST!!! it's only available at the Torrance & Costa Mesa locations... but this is a FIRST time ever that "Kobe" style beef has been available imported DIRECTLY from Japan......

Yeah, I was gonna scan that portion and post it in the Food thread... $95/pound.

Yow.

bmwracer wrote:

Yeah, I was gonna scan that portion and post it in the Food thread... $95/pound. Yow.

I wonder if people will go to Mitsuwa just to take a look at what real Kagoshima beef looks like. Maybe there'll be tour groups, complete with flag-waving tour guides and lines of people waiting to get their picture taken with what is arguably the most celebrated beef in the world. BTW, if it's $95.00 a pound here, how much is it in Japanese markets?

shin2 wrote:

BTW, if it's $95.00 a pound here, how much is it in Japanese markets?

Probably $4.99/pound like our domestic beef.

bmwracer wrote:

Probably $4.99/pound like our domestic beef.

nah dood i've seen prices for premium beef in the depachika of the matsuya ginza department store...for about 800 Yen per 100 grams (which is about 3.5 ounces)

for the superpremium stuff it's probably about the same price as the mitsuwa:

some quotes from articles

"The cost of agricultural products in Japan is high, but they still sell," says Tokyo University's Tomohiro Kono. Superpremium Matsuzaka beef roasts, for example, cost $100 a pound"

-------
There are Wagyu beef lines produced throughout Japan that command prices in excess of $100 per pound. But they, like a rare bottle of Lafite Rothchild, represent the very top of the scale. Even in Japan the high-end grades of Wagyu beef are extremely limited and very expensive.
"Kobe beef is a truly high-end luxury. Cuts of this meat are upwards of $100 bucks a pop, much of this cost due to the slow, organic manner in which the cattle are raised. Kobe beef comes only from a Japanese black-haired breed called Wagyu cattle ("wa-" means "Japanese," and "gyu" means "cattle." Considered the foie-gras of beef, Kobe is so highly marbled that the fat seems almost as prominent as the lean"
------
American beef, at about $11.70 a pound, is a fraction of the cost of Japanese beef, which can cost 10 times that, because of higher labor costs in Japan and the economies of scale at American farms
---------------------

If a Japanese meal comes with meat, it is for certain to be a very small portion of meat and at a high cost. When I made my way to the city of Kobe, Japan, I just had to try their world famous kobe beef where people say the cows are treated to organic meals, massage and music therapy. My dinner cost about $50 and consisted of a small steak of kobe beef, vegetables, soup and rice. The kobe beef was prepared right in front of me. The beef was so incredibly tender, it almost melted in my mouth and I barely had to chew it, unlike the typical steak here.

Wagyu: steak your life on it


Cheong Liew

Wagyu Matsuzaka beef from the Hyogo prefecture is the most sought after beef in Japan. Matsuzaka beef is from heifers; Kobe beef is from steers.

My first taste was from the teppan grill at the Teppanyaki restaurant in the Tokyo Hilton. The meal cost 35,000 yen (about US$350 then) for each person. Served first was a �gdish of the season�h sashimi plate consisting of Japanese tuna belly torro, spring red bream and a whole Japanese abalone cold sliced in its jelly.

Then we watched the chef perform his skills cooking on the teppan – a display of perfectly-practised expertise. He cooked large sea scallops, about seven centimetres in diameter, sealing them on both sides on the hot point of the teppan with some extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and pepper served with grilled asparagus. Next, a slab of loin Matsuzaka beef was put on the teppan. The fat was cut off, chopped into bits and fried until crisp. It was given to us with grilled matsutake mushrooms. The Japanese regard this mushroom in the same way that the French regard truffles.

The rest of the beef was pushed to the warm side to cook slowly. It was seasoned with salt and pepper and brushed with extra virgin olive oil. Then it was pushed to the medium heat area of the teppan and cooked for about 20 minutes. The steak was then sliced thickly. We were all given two slices with freshly cooked rice, pickles, garlic chips, and two dipping sauces, rich soy sauce, miso cheese sauce, and a bowl of miso soup. The beef was rich, perfectly cooked to a ruby red colour with very clean flavours and had a melt-in-the-mouth texture; almost like eating foie gras. It was one of the best steaks I have ever tasted.

Australia, at last, has 100 per cent full-blood Wagyu beef cattle. Two of the most reliable breeders are Blackmore in Victoria and Mayura Station near Millicent. At the Grange restaurant, we have formed a close relationship with Mayura over the years.

Any cut of Wagyu makes for a great taste experience. Cuts like the rump are good for grilling. Or make extravagant meatballs or hamburgers to die for from the brisket. You will never be disappointed with any cut – the rich intercostal meat (between the ribs) or shins for a winter beef soup with ginger and wine. Or try cheeks braised slowly. Or brisket semi-frozen then cut very thinly and lightly grilled. Eat it cold later in a sandwich. Yum! Another possibility is brisket trussed and slow roasted. Whatever you do, the flavour is always uniquely Wagyu. You can get, or order in, these cuts at Barossa Fine Foods or Feast in the Central Market.

http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/_archives.php?subaction=showfull&id=1151635006&archive=1152842503&start_from=&ucat=4&

Tu_triky wrote:

Wagyu: steak your life on it well said. hehehehe Cheong Liew Wagyu Matsuzaka beef from the Hyogo prefecture is the most sought after beef in Japan. Matsuzaka beef is from heifers; Kobe beef is from steers. My first taste was from the teppan grill at the Teppanyaki restaurant in the Tokyo Hilton. The meal cost 35,000 yen (about US$350 then) for each person. Served first was a �gdish of the season�h sashimi plate consisting of Japanese tuna belly torro, spring red bream and a whole Japanese abalone cold sliced in its jelly. Then we watched the chef perform his skills cooking on the teppan – a display of perfectly-practised expertise. He cooked large sea scallops, about seven centimetres in diameter, sealing them on both sides on the hot point of the teppan with some extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and pepper served with grilled asparagus. Next, a slab of loin Matsuzaka beef was put on the teppan. The fat was cut off, chopped into bits and fried until crisp. It was given to us with grilled matsutake mushrooms. The Japanese regard this mushroom in the same way that the French regard truffles. The rest of the beef was pushed to the warm side to cook slowly. It was seasoned with salt and pepper and brushed with extra virgin olive oil. Then it was pushed to the medium heat area of the teppan and cooked for about 20 minutes. The steak was then sliced thickly. We were all given two slices with freshly cooked rice, pickles, garlic chips, and two dipping sauces, rich soy sauce, miso cheese sauce, and a bowl of miso soup. The beef was rich, perfectly cooked to a ruby red colour with very clean flavours and had a melt-in-the-mouth texture; almost like eating foie gras. It was one of the best steaks I have ever tasted. Australia, at last, has 100 per cent full-blood Wagyu beef cattle. Two of the most reliable breeders are Blackmore in Victoria and Mayura Station near Millicent. At the Grange restaurant, we have formed a close relationship with Mayura over the years. Any cut of Wagyu makes for a great taste experience. Cuts like the rump are good for grilling. Or make extravagant meatballs or hamburgers to die for from the brisket. You will never be disappointed with any cut – the rich intercostal meat (between the ribs) or shins for a winter beef soup with ginger and wine. Or try cheeks braised slowly. Or brisket semi-frozen then cut very thinly and lightly grilled. Eat it cold later in a sandwich. Yum! Another possibility is brisket trussed and slow roasted. Whatever you do, the flavour is always uniquely Wagyu. You can get, or order in, these cuts at Barossa Fine Foods or Feast in the Central Market. http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/_archives.php?subaction=showfull&id=1151635006&archive=1152842503&start_from=&ucat=4&

_________________

If I don't see it, it's not illegal.

I meant well said
_________________

lifunk wrote:

I meant well said

just an article i came across...but it's quite fascinating.

Tu_triky,

Thanks for posting all this info about Japanese beef. Very interesting stuff. An uncle of mine who used to work in Japan once had Kobe beef, but it was used as an ingredient in shabu-shabu. I thought that was a waste of top quality meat.

shin2 wrote:

Tu_triky, Thanks for posting all this info about Japanese beef. Very interesting stuff. An uncle of mine who used to work in Japan once had Kobe beef, but it was used as an ingredient in shabu-shabu. I thought that was a waste of top quality meat.

sorry if the info wasn't as coherent as i would have liked...i tried earnestly to find ONE article replete with the information that would have answered most of your questions...but i couldn't...i was forced to resort to excerpts from various articles...i assure you tho...the information is from actual sources on the Web


off topic, shin2....where is a good place where i can order your recommendation of "Gakkou" (1993)? thanks

shin2 wrote:

Tu_triky, Thanks for posting all this info about Japanese beef. Very interesting stuff. An uncle of mine who used to work in Japan once had Kobe beef, but it was used as an ingredient in shabu-shabu. I thought that was a waste of top quality meat.

In my singular trip to japan i had high quality Matsuzaka beef in sukiyaki which is another nabe (pot) dish...it was extraordinary.

----------------------------------------------------

Just over the hill from the noise and hustle of central Akasaka, at the end of a dimly lit alley, is Yoshihashi, the best sukiyaki and shabu shabu restaurant in all of Tokyo.

Since its establishment in the 39th year of the Meiji Restoration, Yoshihashi - situated in a traditional house, surrounded by gorgeous Japanese gardens and once home to a famous kabuki actor - has prided itself on offering only the finest Matsuzaka beef served sukiyaki, shabu shabu or teppanyaki style. For those still uninitiated into the rarified world of cattle ranching in Japan, Matsuzaka cattle have a life for which many of us would gladly end our days as a plate of sukiyaki. Matsuzaka are given only the finest fodder, plenty of beer and milk and are massaged daily. This final luxury creates the highly-prized, fat-rippled beef which cooks evenly, leaving the meat tender and juicy, dripping with succulent fat. Vegetarians best look elsewhere.

Upon entering Yoshihashi you will be shown either to the polished wood counter or, like us, to one of the many tastefully-appointed private tatami mat rooms which overlook the lovely Japanese garden. We settled on the sukiyaki course along with a few seasonal dishes and a nice dry Kubota sake served chilled to start it all off. Our meal started with tender young bamboo shoots with fuki, small meatballs of chicken breast seasoned with shiso and ginger served with the first turnips of the season and an assorted sashimi platter. The meat, vegetables and tofu began to arrive signaling the start of the sukiyaki course. The attentive and discrete staff brought literally anything we required, with a psychic timing that had us searching behind the handpainted scrolls for hidden cameras. Miso soup with small clams and steaming rice arrived to finish the entire affair off. When we were about to burst, the staff graciously offered us chilled fresh fruits for dessert. For those with the will to go on, Yoshihashi has on its grounds what has to be the coziest bar in all of Tokyo. Once an attached guest cottage it has been transformed with leather armchairs, a fireplace and red cut glass lamps into a chic spot to sip a cognac or brandy before venturing out into a world where such gentility and refinement seem a thing of the past.

Dining at Yoshihashi is a gastronomic experience and as with most things in Tokyo you pay for what you get - dinner for two with sake or wine will run to JY25,000. Coming to Yoshihashi for lunch is one of the best deals in town - at JY2000 to JY3000 you get the same fabulous food and attentive service for a fraction of the price.

1-5-25 Moto Akasaka, Minato-ku.
Tel: 03-3401-3129 (reservations required).
Access: Nagatacho station (Yurakucho, Hanzomon lines), eight minute walk from Exit 7.
Lunch: 11-3pm (last order 2pm); dinner 5-11pm (last order 9pm).
Closed Sundays, national holidays.

Tu_triky wrote:

off topic, shin2....where is a good place where i can order your recommendation of "Gakkou" (1993)? thanks

I got both Gakkou (A Class to Remember [1993]) and Gakkou 2 (The Learning Circle [1996]) from YesAsia.com. Both are Region 3 DVDs and come with English subtitles. Even though they are Hong Kong versions, the subtitles are grammatically correct. Panorama is the HK company which distributes them; they are part of the "A Century of Japanese Cinema" series which includes some really good Yoji Yamada movies. I believe each title costs 13 dollars. There are four movies in the Gakkou "series" (they're not true sequels; they just all take place in alternative-type schools); only the first two, however, have been subtitled.