Japan itself (to give you an idea of its quality at wholesale on average Kobe beef costs 6,500 JPY per 150g whereas Matsusaka's beef costs 10,500 JPY for the same amount.)
We ordered a platter of mixed cuts ranging from common to rare (rare being the cuts in which you only get very little from each whole cow: Chuck Flap, H Bone, Chuck Rib, Bottom Flap, Top Blade, Flank, Knuckle Main Muscle).
We sat around a table with a Barbecue in the middle and were told to grill the beef which had been sliced into approx 3-5mm slices for approximately 15 seconds on each side twice. Following instruction we proceeded to do so and sprinkled a small amount of the salt onto the slice before sampling.
I can only explain what happened next as pretty much an out of body experience. I quickly realised that I had never truly experienced melt in the mouth beef until now, the fat coated my tongue with a richness I had never experienced previously and the pure beefy savouriness that filled my mouth was like nothing I had eaten before.
In a state of shock we proceeded to work our way through what can only be described as one of the best meals of my life, for a foodie this evening was one of those special moments that you come across every once in a while.
For the rest of our trip we chased this meal, trying to beat the best beef we’d ever tried as surely there was no way on our first night that we could have reached our Wagyu climax. This journey took us through plenty of highs and a couple of lows to be completely honest. A few experiences which were in more commercial establishments at the lower end of the budget were quite frankly not that great and reminded me of those bad Wagyu memories I mentioned at the beginning of the piece as well as some OK samples along the way in the form of croquettes, beef sushi, bao, sandwiches, marinated, served with sauces and more. On the flip side we feasted on some amazing beef, Kobe, Hida, Iga, Ohmi, Yonezawa and Saga beef which all were incredible in their own right and like no other beef I had ever eaten before.
I think what this demonstrated to me was that in its purest form, a decent to high grading, enjoyed on its own as a REAL delicacy is what Wagyu Beef is all about. The real joy that you can get from eating such a special ingredient and paying it the respect it’s due is how Wagyu should be enjoyed. At least one time in life.
Our first night in Japan, Matsusaka Beef, cooked over charcoal and eaten with a sprinkling of salt was our one time in life. And I don't think we will ever beat it.
Now returning back to the UK, still after that experience, some of the best beef I have ever eaten is from the UK. The quality of some beef produced here is unbeatable, the flavour, the texture, the tenderness, the fat, it's just incredible. Some of the best meals I have ever eaten have been made with British Beef. But it’s just different. Like Pizza.
Dan
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