Wagyu beef - worth the price?

[Marbling]

  Has anyone tried Wagyu steaks or roasts? Is it really worth the price?

[it is...]

  Has anyone tried Wagyu steaks or roasts? Is it really worth the price?

it is if you know how to cook it properly. I am a beef specialist (I am from Texas) so I eat steaks a lot.

If you know how to cook it and what kind of things you like on your steak then by all means go for it.

That being said, if you buy a steak like that and douse it with sauce that over powers the meat then you are wasting your time and money.

Most average cooks need to learn to cook with less expensive meat before they go off and start trying with something so expensive.

Different cuts of meat all cook differently so its important to know what you are getting and how to prepare it without messing it up.

If you have your regular steak cooking down to a science where your meat is cooked 'right' just about every time... then by all means go for it.

[Mystery]

to PP...
and....how do you expert cook it ? enlighten us, please !

[One more thing...]

I would not at all even attempt to mess with a Wagyu roast. NO WAY and I am a meat fanatic.

The skill level to cook something like that is very very high.

A steak on the other hand... you can do a steak.

If it was me though, I would buy maybe 2 normal steaks of the same cut (IE New York Strip) and cook one at a time with the right kind of seasonings on it, cut it to check done ness and get your cooking right first... THEN you cook your wagyu....

You can buy about 4 or 5 normal steaks (at least) for the price of 1 wagyu steak....but when you do it right... WOW. It MELTS in your mouth.

Salt and Pepper is ALL I put on my steaks. 3 minutes per side depending on the cut of the meat and thickness...on a PRE HEATED pan... wow.

The error again is 98% cook and 2% meat in most instances.  

[lots of factors]

to PP...
and....how do you expert cook it ? enlighten us, please !

It all depends on the cut of meat and the thickness as primary factors.

A New York steak is entirely different than a Ribeye. And BOTH are cooked completely different than a Sirloin, and a Filet Mignon is in world of its own.

A New York cut, here is a good place to start...lay your steak out for half an hour or so until it gets almost room temperature. (cold steak on a hot skillet drops the temperature too much and can cause lots of cooking problems)

If the steak is too cold the middle will be utterly raw and the outside will be fried... not good and the steak can be dry as a bone too by the time it gets done.

... lay out the steak and let it get to room temp... you can rub it with oil (olive oil works as will most cooking oils, but NOT corn oil) and then season it with salt and pepper to taste. too much salt is bad.

I use Kosher salt because normal table salt will melt and dissolve into the pan and not into the meat. The grains are too fine. With Kosher salt you can control the true saltiness you desire and it will stick to the meat better.

Put a small amount of oil into a skillet and heat it on the stovetop on medium heat (each stove is different--some are fire some are electric--hence the experimentation). You want the steak to sizzle when it hits the pan but the pan should NOT be smoking too much or glowing red. Pre heating is very important and even critical.

Do NOT slap a steak on a cold pan then heat them up together. NOT GOOD. Heat the pan up first and use a BIG pan to do it in..even for ONE steak.... and only cook one steak at a time. 

Once you get the temperature right then you will cook the steak for 3 minutes on each side flipping it over ONCE. DO NOT FLIP OVER AND OVER several times.

Just one flip. Time it with a timer. This is for a steak that is approximately 1 inch thick.

Another note about pans... use a bigger pan. Bigger than you think you need because it all conducts heat and you do not want to drop the temperature too much when you add the meat.

If you cook the steak on one side, it may be wise to take the steak out of the pan and let the pan heat up again before putting the steak back down again on the other side.

Total 6 minutes. Plus for more done less for less done. 3 minutes first side no matter what and then add or subtract time on side 2.

Other steaks are all cooked completely differently.  This is ONLY for New York cut.

[One more note...]

When I say 'cut of meat' for those unfamiliar... I mean from where on the cow the meat comes from.

As a general rule the farther from the feet of the cow the more soft and tender the meat will be. It doesn't mean more fatty, it just means more soft.

The middle of the cow up on his back doesn't get a workout daily near as much as the butt part right above the back legs.

Again, how to cook a good steak you have to know where on the cow your cut of meat came from. Each part has its own way to cook.

[T-bone]

 I made wagyu ribeyes and really wasn't that impressed for the money (about $14 each). Melt in your mouth yes, but I like a bit of chew that brings out the flavours. Perhaps it was just cut a bit too thinly. If you want a great spice rub for almost an grilled meat, try equal parts cumin, coriander seed, roughly crushed sea salt and a big pinch of black pepper or Schezuan pepper, plus a small pinch of cayanne. Paprika for a bit of colour or, for pork, even a bit of sugar to give it a nice carmelized colour.

[Mystery]

Thanks for all the info !

how about the right way to cook a Filet Mignon ? 

Info much appreciated
Cheers

[Filet tips]

Thanks for all the info !

how about the right way to cook a Filet Mignon ? 

Info much appreciated
Cheers

Filets have multiple ways to cook them...its too much to type, but if you are doing it indoors and have an oven handy that works pretty good for a beginner.

Google the following words "best way to cook a filet mignon" and you will see a youtube video titled "Filet Mignon Recipe"...should be #1 hit on the results.

That lady on the video has the right idea.

If you are cooking outside then its of course different and it requires a lot more attention.

I will give you a few tips in addition to what you see in the youtube movie.

Follow the directions used for the New York above regarding the pan and salt and pepper and oil and all that but your fire will be slightly lower than with the New York mainly because your meat is normally way thicker. You dont want it 'low' just lower than a 1 inch thick NY strip.

Although if you want to do a filet in a pan only with no oven you will need a lid.

Put the meat in a hot pan for 4 minutes with a slightly lower heat than the NY steak. Flip it over after the time expired and cover with the lid and wait.

With experience you will be able to feel the texture of the steak and tell how done it is merely by touch. But since you have not cooked 500 filets get yourself a probe thermometer.

Personally I use a probe thermometer with a long oven proof wire so I can monitor the temp. It works great and takes all the guess work out of the game.

If you are going to be cooking filets a lot its worth the $15 or $20 to get one. Same is true for any roast you plan to cook.

When it hits the right temp for your desired doneness then take it off the heat. Remember, anything you cook, say its 140 degrees F (I am american) after you take it off the stove it will continue to cook for at least 10 minutes and the temp can go up somtimes at least 20 more degrees.

You have to be real careful basically and not let it over cook regardless of the method. With filets the outside may look charred but the inside might still be cold and uncooked completely, hence the challenge of a filet.

A filet is really cooked like its half steak and half roast.

If I am roasting it or cooking it stovetop either one I can insert the probe thermometer and put it in the oven and still monitor it all the same because it has the long cord. it just has a long 3 foot oven and fire proof wire with a probe on the end attached to a little digital thermometer.

Don't mess with the filet until you get one of those thermometers.