Cooking with Futari Wagyu can be minimalist simple or intricately complex. The common benefit is that the flavour and tenderness delivered by the marbling offers variety and crosses many styles of cuisine, making all equally rewarding.
Wagyu does not need to be treated too differently from cooking other beef and many of the cuts that have traditionally gone into grinding beef for mince, hamburgers and sausages have a whole new cooking profile of their own. Wagyu is more tender in some cuts that have traditionally been considered tougher cuts as the marblingand are tenderized when thinly sliced resulting in fast and simpler cooking. Brisket and Topside are commonly used as smoking or slow cooking and present incredible dishes on their own. With a hot and seasoned hotplate, there is no need to cook with oil, as Wagyu has enough of its own oils that melt through and onto the pan as the cooking process begins.
Authentic Japanese dishes such as Sukiyaki, Shabu Shabu, Yakiniku, where the raw meat is finely sliced and proudly presented with all the other prepped and arranged raw ingredients can be as much a feast for the eyes as a feast to devour. The drama of cooking centre table and eating directly from the pot or grill is an exciting dining experience. Due to the richness of the flavour of Wagyu, portions of meat are smaller, and knives are no longer required – of course chopsticks or a fork.
Other easy and uniquely Japanese recipes require little preparation and are delicious. Gyu Don or beef bowl using thinly sliced beef, cooked quickly in a hot pot of broth and served on a bed of rice or vegetables.
Having said that, there are many more familiar ways to enjoy your Wagyu at home. Whether you thin slice, roast, cube, smoke, grill, braise or slow cook, it’s important you select the correct cutting preparation for your method of cooking. As Wagyu is rich and buttery, portions are smaller – 150gms per person should suffice.
Ensure your knife is sharp and appropriate.
Slicing and dicing your wagyu is easiest whilst the meat is well chilled or semi frozen.
Always aim to cut across the grain of the muscle when slicing a steak, as this will ensure tenderness once cooked and allow even distribution of marbling through the meat.
Preparation
After cutting allow your wagyu to return to room temperature or ‘temper’ before it goes onto your hotplate or cooking pot.
A fine sprinkling of sea salt over the meat is a nice addition. Some say that pepper can burn when grilling, so add that on completion of the cooking.
We prefer to keep additional flavours simple, but you can add rubs and flavours if that is your preference.
Prepare and cut your steak across the grain, with a thickness between 2-4cm.
Have your hotplate on high heat and ensure that your meat is tempered (at room temperature).
Cooking times depend on thickness of your steak. As an example for a medium slightly rare 2cm thick steak: Cook 1 minute on 1st side then flip. Cook 1 minute on 2nd side then flip. Repeat, cooking another minute on side 1, then 1 minute on side 2. (For each additional cm of thickness, cook the meat for that number of minutes on each side.
If you like to eat your Wagyu hot, have your plate ready with the accompanying vegetables or salads and serve the meat immediately it leaves the bbq hotplate.
Recommended Cuts: Cube Roll, Striploin, Tenderloin, Rump Cap, Flank Steak, Oyster Blade (requires further preparation – remove the central silver skin) or Whole T-Bones and Tomahawks.
For the simplicity and consistency of thin slices, a slicing machine is highly recommended, though a semi frozen cut of meat with a great knife can also work.
As before, ensure you cut across the grain.
Recommended Cuts: Tenderloin, Chuck Tail Flap, Striploin, Cube Roll, Deckle, Karubi Plate.
Roasts and smoking depend greatly on the size and cut of Wagyu you are using. Generally, you can cook a Wagyu roast as you would with any other roast, remember, it will be more tender so the cooking process can often be shortened slightly.
Recommended Cuts: Tomahawk; Rost Biff; Chuck Roll, Brisket, Bolar Blade, Short Ribs, Chuck rib Meat, Rib Cap
This is where the traditionally grinding beef cuts come into their own. Our favourite is Shin Shank. Cut and trim your wagyu into any size and add to your recipe and slow cook pot. Cooking time is reduced to around 1.5-2 hours and the meat texture will amaze you.
Recommended Cuts: Shin Shank; Topside, Eye Round, Outside Flat
It is important to eat Wagyu whilst it is hot, as the melting of the marbling is what delivers the incredible taste and texture. If the meat cools too much the molten marbling will solidify and lose its flavour and tenderness.
Rest the meat for only a short time and enjoy the best there is!