Kobe Beef: Facts and Myths

[Rita Y]

I have read so much conflicting information about Kobe Beef -- that it is difficult to find real Kobe beef here in the States, and that it is often mislabeled.

A conversation about Kobe beef would be interesting.

Rita

 

[Bob H.]

I can't remember ever having tried Kobe Beef anywhere or having seen it in a store. I think that it would be interesting to try.
Even more interesting to try a blind taste test, to see if I, or someone I know could tell the difference. Might have to head over
to Aldi after dinner, just to see. Now, should that be a smoked Kobe burger?

 

[Bob Correll]

Rita,
I did a little digging and it seems you're right.
For one thing, if Aldi's "Kobe" ground beef was real, it would not be priced at only $7/lb.
I'm still curious about what they are selling and if I can find some will take one for the team and give a report.
Maybe Kobe Bryant raises cattle.

edit
Bob, if you do go please let us know what you found.

 

[Rita Y]

Thanks, Bob. It is my understanding that all Kobe beef is produced in Japan, so one can image that shipping would only add to the cost. Does anyone know if someone in the States produces beef "Kobe Style?" They would also probably have to use the same type of cattle food, and methods.

Rita

 

[Phil Perrin]

Rita, the American style Kobe is called Wagyu and it is usually bred with Black Angus, to be called "American Style Kobe Beef". At least, that's what I got from Wikipedia!

 

[JBooker]

I though real Kobe was also about the animals life style / how it was rased, not just genetics.

 

[JimK]

I'm still curious about what they are selling and if I can find some will take one for the team and give a report.

Here you go, Bob. Give this a try.

 

[Robert T]

Here you go, Bob. Give this a try.

Unbelievable. I guess if you've got it spend it but I shudder at anything over $10.00 per pound.

 

[JimK]

Unbelievable. I guess if you've got it spend it but I shudder at anything over $10.00 per pound.

Hey, it's Costco, so it must be a great deal, right?

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

Somene should but that and run it through their grinder for burgers!

 

[Rita Y]

Thank you, Phil. I've heard of Wagyu and should have thought of checking Wikipedia.

At first I thought the Costco ad was a joke. For those who would like a good steak, here it is.

Rita

 

[Bob Correll]

Just grilled a couple "Kobe" sliders, will post in photos in a bit.
Aldi's ad said Kobe ground beef, the package says Kobe style, and the back says it's Wagyu from Australia.

edit:

 

[Robert T]

Somene should but that and run it through their grinder for burgers!

That's pretty funny!

 

[Rita Y]

Bob, thanks for accepting the challenge for us. You did volunteer, right?

"Style" seems to be the operative word. How is 'style' different from the original, besides being produced in a country other than Japan? Your challenge "if you choose to accept it" (....you are not old enough to recognize that quote) is to compare "Kobe-STYLE" beef with the original.

And is 'ground' a reliable comparison to whole cuts?

What was the cost of your Aldi's Kobe-Style Ground Beef in the mid-west?

You have a high batting average....I AM interested in your opinion about the Aldi's ground Kobe-STYLE ground beef results to see if you think it is any better than an 85/15 ground chuck or some of the home-ground beef mixtures.

Have you checked your wallet lately? Maybe a research grant might be in order.

Love your approach to cooking and your investigative nature, not to mention your sense of humor,

Rita

 

[Bob Correll]

Bob, thanks for accepting the challenge for us. You did volunteer, right?

"Style" seems to be the operative word. How is 'style' different from the original, besides being produced in a country other than Japan? Your challenge "if you choose to accept it" (....you are not old enough to recognize that quote) is to compare "Kobe-STYLE" beef with the original.

And is 'ground' a reliable comparison to whole cuts?

What was the cost of your Aldi's Kobe-Style Ground Beef in the mid-west?

You have a high batting average....I AM interested in your opinion about the Aldi's ground Kobe-STYLE ground beef results to see if you think it is any better than an 85/15 ground chuck or some of the home-ground beef mixtures.

Have you checked your wallet lately? Maybe a research grant might be in order.

Love your approach to cooking and your investigative nature, not to mention your sense of humor,

Rita

Rita,
My mini test with sliders is here.
I'm 70, so I'll go with Mission Impossible for your quote.
The price was $7/lb.
I want to do full size burgers before making a definitive decision, but first impression is that it's very good, just not sure about it being $7 worth of very good compared to Costco's GB.
Stay tuned.

 

[Clint]

Thank you, Phil. I've heard of Wagyu and should have thought of checking Wikipedia.

At first I thought the Costco ad was a joke. For those who would like a good steak, here it is.

Rita

I can't believe the marbling on that - looks as fatty as bacon (I'd eat it!)

at ~$90/lb I'm definitely not their target demographic, but I've paid nearly $30 for dry aged porterhouse before.

 

[Bob Bass]

Harry Soo posted pics, on his Facebook page, of the A4 grade Wagyu steaks from Japan that were being cooked this evening at the NBBQA conference by the Japanese BBQ Association !!!

Like individual works of Art

Almost as beautiful as those Costco A5s !!!

 

[Rita Y]

Right, Bob. Mission Impossible. Bet you looked it up, huh? (...chuckle).

Your sliders look perfect. They were my favorite color too. Was the color indicative of the rareness of the meat or was the meat cooked more than the color suggests and only the color was affected? (How to phrase that question????)

I see that you use the flat side of your Grill Grates like I do. Sometimes I will crust one side and put grill marks on the other for presentation if people are going to dress their own burgers.

I too use Costco's ground beef. I usually add about 2% olive oil to the mix before shaping the burgers to make up for the leaner mix. Using the grill grates I get no flareups.

Rita

 

[Pat G]

Here you go, Bob. Give this a try.

That is some serious marbling.

 

[Bob Correll]

Right, Bob. Mission Impossible. Bet you looked it up, huh? (...chuckle).

Your sliders look perfect. They were my favorite color too. Was the color indicative of the rareness of the meat or was the meat cooked more than the color suggests and only the color was affected? (How to phrase that question????)

I too use Costco's ground beef. I usually add about 2% olive oil to the mix before shaping the burgers to make up for the leaner mix. Using the grill grates I get no flareups.

Rita

Thanks Rita!
You got me, I remembered the quote, but couldn't remember the TV show.
Thanks for that tip about adding oil to lean GB!

Long story about the pink center.
My Thermapen read 175 while they were still on the GrillGrate, false reading maybe?
I said in my post I wasn't concerned, but later got a bit worried, so I tested it against another T-pen and it was spot on.
Then I googled around to see if burgers could be done (at least 160 for 15 seconds) and still be pink inside, some sites said yes.

Still a bit worried I looked up symptoms of e-coli illness and found it takes 4 to 5 days, or up to 10, before the symptoms appear.
Slim chance I'm sure, but still....
Next time I'll lift the burgers before checking the temp.