I was one of the early Australian breeders of Wagyu cattle, importing semen and embryos from the USA. I enjoyed a lot of wagyu steak and appreciate it more now that I don't have it freely available. We used to long term feed a steer on a diet that included boiled grain that was allowed to stand for 24 hours often added green corn stalks and cobs that were chaffed and allowed to compost and ferment a little. Feeding is half the secret. We had our own small slaughter house and killed and dressed it. Aged it in a cryovac pack. The fat accumulated has a high oleo content and low stearine so it does have less a cholesterol problem. I tried feeding Herefords the same way and all they did was lay down excessive fat, back fat, kidney fat and caul fat.
I was shown by a Japanese buyer how they assess the carcass. They take a small fat sample and rub it on the palm of their hand. If the fat melts with body temperature it guarantees top quality. Most of the fat melts out on cooking. The preferred method of cooking is to have thin slices and just wave it back and forth a couple of times over a hot plate. You need a sizzling hot plate at the table and a supply of raw meat. You serve it to yourself by this fast short cookin method.
In the early days I used to buy Angus heifers, AI or mate them to pure Wagyu and sell them preg tested after 4 months for three times the price of a comparable Angus. I was lucky to get a bull calf by Mitchifuku from the first embryo as he turned out to be the best for marbling of the 4 bulls smuggled from Japan. Later on there became a lot more pure Wagyu available. Initially all that were bred in Australia were from those first four bulls. To breed to purebred we had to breed up four generations. I had a friend in Queensland that had a large herd, mainly Brahmans and his were bred using Brahman cows initially. He actually won a championshop carcass competition in a Japanese meat hall with a carcass sent from Rockhampton. He let everyone believe it came from an F1 female but it actually came from a Murray grey cow. a first cross. Thats another story. For 30 years i bred Murray Grey cattle.
and yes Meat eaters do make better lovers.
Those were the days my friend I thought they'd never end.
