Prime Beef

Following up from my last post, when Mike mentioned he was taking me to a nice steak restaurant in Sydney I expected a 'Sizzler' or something like that. Instead, we went to the Prime restaurant in the GPO Sydney building where they have a steak on the menu for $155.

I thought I new about steak until I went there.

Their speciality is Wagyu beef and according to the menu:

Wagyu is a western term for a collection of Japanese bloodlines (Wa-Japan, Gyu-Cattle).

It is generally accepted that Wagyu beef is the highest grade, and tastiest beef in the world. The marbling of the Wagyu beef is the Prime characteristic that contributes to its tenderness, juiciness and most importantly its flavour.

The highest grade of Wagyu has a marbling score of A12. However, this is only available in Japan. While other breeds of cattle are not given a marbling score, it can be said for comparative reasons that other breeds of cattle having a maximum marbling score of 3.

In Australia, Wagyu branded meat is predominantly F1 crosses between Wagyu and Angus cattle. The Japanese preference when the Wagyu is not Full Blood, is for F1 crosses to be between Wagyu and Holstein cattle which we have chosen for your enjoyment in Prime.

Outside Japan there is a limited supply of Full Blood Wagyu and an even more limited supply of marble score plus 9 Wagyu.

The plus 9 Wagyu selected for Prime is the highest scored Wagyu product available outside Japan and has been sourced from David Blackmore, Australia.

So what did it taste like you may ask? God knows, the meal was on company expenses so I didn't dare go for the Wagyu. I would have been sacked on Monday!

Instead I went for the more modest Black Angus - Scotch Fillet (300g), Rib eye without bone, 200-250 days grainfed, full matured at 24-36 months old. It was nice, but I couldn't help wonder what the Wagyu would have tasted like.

I seem to be drooling.