Supermarket ditches self serve ., page-23

There was a campaign to take the fat out of beef. When that happened, beef lost its tenderness and flavor. The Japanese had the answer with the Wagyu beef. I imported some of the first Wagyu into Australia. It came from the USA. Some servicemen in Japan smuggled some Wagyu semen into the USA. It was from four different bulls. Breeders there bred up to purebred from Angus females, cattle being deemed pure bred after 4 generations. The semen I first used came from three of these bulls. Later on, the Japanese allowed more pure-bred cattle into the USA and I imported some pure-bred embryos. From these I used one bull and mated him to 100 angus heifers.

Some of the benefit of Wagyu comes from the feed and it is necessary to have long-term feeding to get the best. The fat in a Wagyu has a lower melting point than the usual beef fat. It is high in oleo and low in stearine. The Japanese buyers in the beef hall auctions will go from carcass to carcass, pinching a little of the fat and rubbing it on their wrist. If the fat doesn't melt with body temperature, they will not bid on that one. Wagyu beef has to be well marbled and evenly marbled to be top class.

I used to kill my own. It is best if aged in cryovac packaging. To cook on the barbie it needs to be thinly sliced and briefly cooked on a hot plate. My guests used to gather around the barbie, pick up a piece and just wipe it over the hot plate a few times and then just enjoy the meat. It requires little chewing. Years ago, when Wagyu first came out it was featured at a hotel at Rockhampton. It was served up with a butter knife substituting the usual steak knife. The customer was told that if they couldn't cut it with a butter knife it was free or would be replaced.

I have a nicely marbled Wagyu rib fillet for tomorrow's meal. Got it at Wollies last time shopping.