How should I cook this expensive steak?

[paulraphael]

29 minutes ago, TicTac said:

With Ducasse's medium cooking method, a large gradient is not an issue.

 

Results in an amazing steak with a great crust.  Much more even cooking IMO.

 

Your experience doesn't match the good number of side-by-side trials that have been conducted to test this idea. And the science is there to back it up. All else equal, you'll get a smaller gradient with frequent flipping.

 

Kenji Lopez: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/07/the-food-lab-flip-your-steaks-and-burgers-multiple-times-for-better-results.html

Harold McGee: https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/harold-mcgee-on-flipping-steaks-resting-meat-and-char-from-electric-grills/

Russ Parsons: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/01/food/la-fo-calcook-20100701

[btbyrd]

Depending on how marbled the steak is, you can start searing in a dry pan. The only time I've cooked a wagyu ribeye, it was imported from Japan and rated a 10 or higher and was tremendously fatty. 

 

 

I seared this in a scorching hot, totally dry pan and by the end, it was shallow-frying in its own fat. Since the OP is dealing with American wagyu, I doubt it's anywhere near that fatty... but it still bears noting that the amount of wagyu you can eat is much smaller than you might initially suspect. I regularly eat large ribeyes and thick strip steaks; I can put away a ton of prime rib in a single sitting. But a 6oz portion of this wagyu was still to much for me. My wife could only manage three small slices (but she's a lightweight). There's a reason that this kind of meat is typically served in very small portions. 28 ounces -- or even 14 -- would be torture. Delicious torture, but torture nevertheless. The diminishing marginal returns on fat to deliciousness are steep, at least in this instance.

 

But assuming that your ribeye is much leaner (but still fattier than typical Prime), I'd suggest coating the steak in oil and searing it in a very hot pan, flipping frequently until you get the crust looking good. Then move it to a rack and put it in a low-temp oven (200-225F) until the core comes up to temp. This is the method ChefSteps suggests for cooking steaks without SV, and I've done it on a few occasions with great results.

[Smithy]

@Mike Forman, you're certainly getting a lot of advice here.   Please let us know what you end(ed) up doing, and how you like(d) the results.

[FeChef]

9 hours ago, btbyrd said:

Depending on how marbled the steak is, you can start searing in a dry pan. The only time I've cooked a wagyu ribeye, it was imported from Japan and rated a 10 or higher and was tremendously fatty. 

 

 

I seared this in a scorching hot, totally dry pan and by the end, it was shallow-frying in its own fat. Since the OP is dealing with American wagyu, I doubt it's anywhere near that fatty... but it still bears noting that the amount of wagyu you can eat is much smaller than you might initially suspect. I regularly eat large ribeyes and thick strip steaks; I can put away a ton of prime rib in a single sitting. But a 6oz portion of this wagyu was still to much for me. My wife could only manage three small slices (but she's a lightweight). There's a reason that this kind of meat is typically served in very small portions. 28 ounces -- or even 14 -- would be torture. Delicious torture, but torture nevertheless. The diminishing marginal returns on fat to deliciousness are steep, at least in this instance.

 

But assuming that your ribeye is much leaner (but still fattier than typical Prime), I'd suggest coating the steak in oil and searing it in a very hot pan, flipping frequently until you get the crust looking good. Then move it to a rack and put it in a low-temp oven (200-225F) until the core comes up to temp. This is the method ChefSteps suggests for cooking steaks without SV, and I've done it on a few occasions with great results.

Don't take this the wrong way. I noticed you mentioned this being the only time you cooked a Wagyu rated on a scale of 10? I am not sure what that means as i have not seen what Wagyu looks from 1-10. But to me, that looks like way too much fat to meat ratio. Does that actually cost more then lets say....Wagyu rated a 5 on this scale? I am just trying to understand this. Dont get me wrong, i love marbling but this looks like way too much and people are getting ripped off.

[paulraphael]

1 hour ago, FeChef said:

Don't take this the wrong way. I noticed you mentioned this being the only time you cooked a Wagyu rated on a scale of 10? I am not sure what that means as i have not seen what Wagyu looks from 1-10. But to me, that looks like way too much fat to meat ratio. Does that actually cost more then lets say....Wagyu rated a 5 on this scale? I am just trying to understand this. Dont get me wrong, i love marbling but this looks like way too much and people are getting ripped off.

 

Read up on Wagyu beef, marbling, quality and BMS scales. It's a whole nuther approach to beef. 

 

[article in link is titled "everything you need to know ... " but it's little more than an intro. I just offer it because it has a concise chart on the grading system.]

Edited February 14, 2017 by paulraphael (log)

[btbyrd]

The whole point of Wagyu is marbling. Insane marbling. Marbling like you ain't never seen before. Japanese Wagyu is rated on a Beef Marbling Scale (BMS) of 1-12, and the highest grades have slightly more fat than muscle. Australian Wagyu has a slightly different rating system, but the highest end steaks are similarly marbled. Steaks from these steer are extremely tender, extremely flavorful, and extremely expensive. And you don't want to eat them like a steak. (For reference, the steak in my picture was on super-duper special sale at a price of $65/lb, which is the cheapest I've ever seen Wagyu of that quality.) Given the genetics and diet, the fat on these cattle contain more monounsaturated fats than conventionally raised or grassfed beef; the fat will melt in your hand -- and in your mouth. And it has a pleasantly sweet flavor that other breeds (with other diets) don't have. It's a mistake to think of a high-scoring Japanese wagyu ribeye (or strip steak, or tenderloin, or whatever) as the same product as non-Japanese, non-Wagyu equivalents (unless there's another breed with similar genetics that also gets fed a similar diet that produces similarly insane marbling). They're like the foie gras of beef, but in muscle form, not liver form. If you want to tuck into a nice, satisfying ribeye, you don't want to sit down and eat a 16oz Japanese BMS10+ Wagyu steak. Because these aren't meant to be eaten like steak. "Lower" grades of Wagyu are less marbled and can be eaten in a "normal" fashion... they're like a super-deluxe version of American "Prime" rated beef.
The most insanely decadent culinary experience of my life was at L2O in Chicago (which had 2 Michelin stars at the time) where the main "protein" course of our tasting menu consisted of slices of A5 Wagyu striploin layered with slices of smoked foie gras. It was absurd. The fattiest of fat bombs. But they had the restraint to serve a decent portion -- just 3 slices of foie and 4 of beef -- so you didn't die right there at the table. I had no problems though, eating my entire portion and most of my wife's (who was sated after four bites). 

[btbyrd]

Also, what @paulraphael said.

 

And here's a link to DeBragga's selection of Japanese Wagyu (which rate quite high on the BMS scale).

Edited February 14, 2017 by btbyrd (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

 

Read up on Wagyu beef, marbling, quality and BMS scales. It's a whole nuther approach to beef. 

 

[article in link is titled "everything you need to know ... " but it's little more than an intro. I just offer it because it has a concise chart on the grading system.]

 

 

Don't feel bad @FeChef. I will get shot down and condescended to for my opinion too!

 

Don't get me wrong, I love marbling and fatty meat, but I would have to experience that degree of it expertly prepared by experienced hands before I could draw a conclusion. It seems off-putting to me at this point.

 

I also did not care for the video from chef Magnus Nilsson, although I do admire his technique for equalizing the pan temp to keep the cooking butter and meat where it doesn't burn. If I absolutely must cook a steak inside, (which is a waste of an expensive ingredient, IMO) I always turn it up on its side to sear and crisp the fat cap. It's just de rigueur. M. Nilsson did not do this. 

 

The only way I will cook one inside though is when the forecast has been for good weather, and it turns out to rain so hard at cook time that I can't get a charcoal fire started. I love me some fire roasted meat, which I expect, with the well marbled specimen the OP showed would take much of the technique M. Nilsson showed by moving it around on the grill instead of the pan. This is what I do with the fatty rib eyes I adore, but I turn it up on the fat cap with long-handled tongs and let it burn, baby burn! The flames leap up both lateral surfaces of the meat, sizzling away. Watch your fingers!

 

For thicker steaks, it's necessary to move them off the fire to a cooler area of the grill and close the lid so the heat can build up and they can heat through without oversearing the exterior. There is nothing like a fire roasted steak in this girl's opinion. 

 

All that said, though, I have seen meat such as the OP depicted thinly sliced and cooked on hot rocks, vicariously on TV and in videos. It does not brown, but the fat melts. It might even be as good as the steep prices it commands, but I have no direct experience with that.

[Paul Fink]

On 2/12/2017 at 10:17 PM, FeChef said:

Get that cast iron hot as hell and sear it with a tbsp of salted butter for one minute per side (or until you get a nice crust). The transfer to a 250F deg oven until it probes 130F. Let it rest covered for 5 minutes and enjoy.

That's close to what I would do. Add fresh ground pepper.

And I would use a hotter oven but the lower oven should give a nice even cook.

 

I guess my only change would be the 130° I would want that baby nice and pink 120°

[FeChef]

18 minutes ago, Paul Fink said:

That's close to what I would do. Add fresh ground pepper.

And I would use a hotter oven but the lower oven should give a nice even cook.

 

I guess my only change would be the 130° I would want that baby nice and pink 120°

I read somewhere that because of the higher fat content of wagyu , it is better served at internal temps in the 130F and above range. But since i have only experience with well marbled "prime" and the fact that i prefer my all my steaks above 130F, my opinion is just that.

[paulraphael]

5 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

Don't feel bad @FeChef. I will get shot down and condescended to for my opinion too!

 

Don't get me wrong, I love marbling and fatty meat, but I would have to experience that degree of it expertly prepared by experienced hands before I could draw a conclusion. It seems off-putting to me at this point.

 

No one's going to condescend to you. You don't have to like this stuff. BT and I are just trying to show that people aren't getting "ripped off" ... the Wagyu thing is a totally different product and different approach. It's one that many happen to covet, for reasons different from the ones that draw people to other kinds of beef. YMMV.

[Shalmanese]

9 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

The only way I will cook one inside though is when the forecast has been for good weather, and it turns out to rain so hard at cook time that I can't get a charcoal fire started. I love me some fire roasted meat, which I expect, with the well marbled specimen the OP showed would take much of the technique M. Nilsson showed by moving it around on the grill instead of the pan. This is what I do with the fatty rib eyes I adore, but I turn it up on the fat cap with long-handled tongs and let it burn, baby burn! The flames leap up both lateral surfaces of the meat, sizzling away. Watch your fingers!

 

At least in Japan, it's not typical for a strong smoke flavor to be put on Wagyu as it's felt it would interfere with the natural sweetness of the meat. More traditional would be an inside, tabletop grill cooked with binchotan charcoal which is a clean burning and mild charcoal. There's typically also not a hard sear put on Wagyu as that too is believed to overpower the flavor of the meat. Wagyu browns amazingly well so just a mild, even sear is typical. Often, top Wagyu is served shabu shabu style so there's no sear at all and all you're tasting is the flavor of the meat.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Shalmanese (log)

[JoshuaT9]

On 2/13/2017 at 11:16 AM, paulraphael said:

 

I'd advocate for doing it in a pan start-to-finish, if your priority is a thick crust, or sous-vide with a pre- and post-sear if your priority is perfectly cooked meat with minimal gradient.

 

 

Are searing torches recommended at all in addition to pan searing? There's a few sous vide sites that recommend both, I believe Serious Eats as well. Not saying I should listen to them, but I was curious if these are recommended at all for some additional crisp or does it affect the flavor? I'm a bit new to this.

[dcarch]

Nicely pan seared charred steaks are really partially for aesthetics.

 

Consider that grilled steaks only have about 30% to 40% of the meat grill marked.

 

Sometimes you can even sear only one side of the steak.

 

dcarch