AMERICAN WAGYU
For some chefs, medium rare is regarded as “perfectly cooked” because the proteins have not yet been broken down but the fat is already rendered so it retains that juicy flavor
Are you one of the many Filipinos who prefer their steaks well (done) because you’re afraid that it’s not cooked? Well, it’s time to end that belief.
Steak 101
Any chef and steak connoisseur will cringe at the idea of a steak that’s cooked “well.” They will never recommend it. Of course, they don’t argue with the customers if that’s their preference. Hence, that option is always there.
Food safety is a valid concern, and no one wants to get food poisoned; more so, to be the one to cause it.
Studies show that E. coli is a rare bacteria that can be found in beef. Also, they might live on the steak’s surface but not inside. Hence, cooking the steak well on the outside is enough to kill any living bacteria.
Therefore, the key to preparing steak rare, medium rare, medium and medium well is all about making sure that the utensils touching the meat are clean, so they don’t (re)contaminate the meat’s surface.
A rare steak is usually characterized by having a red center and very cool with an internal temperature of 110°F. Medium rare is red with a warm center and an internal temperature of 120°F, while medium is pink throughout with an internal temperature 130°F. Meanwhile, medium well has a pink center with an internal temperature 140°F. Cooking the steak well means drying out the meat, removing its tenderness and making the steak tougher to eat. For some chefs, medium rare is regarded as “perfectly cooked” because the proteins have not yet been broken down but the fat is already rendered so it retains that juicy flavor. According to Chef Carlo Miguel, executive corporate chef of Foodee Group Concepts, “Each cut has its own properties and all of us have different tastes but it is important to start with the right ingredient and the answer to that is the American Wagyu.”
Snake River Farms
The next question is, where does one get these prime beef cuts? Usually, these are only available at fine dining restaurants or hotels. The good news is Alternatives Food Corporation (AFC) is locally distributing American Wagyu steaks from Snake River Farms (SRF). American Wagyu beef is the hybrid of the traditional American cattle breed and the Wagyu breed (Japanese cattle that’s popular in Kobe, Japan). Hence, it combines the buttery marbling of Wagyu and the strong American beef flavor. In America, only three percent of all beef receives the “Prime” label but the American Wagyu exceeds that standard, putting it in the higher-thanprime category.
SRF has been maintaining purebred Wagyu cow and bull herds from renowned Japanese bloodlines since 1989. It is also considered to have one of the best success stories of crossbreeding the American breed and the Wagyu breed outside of Japan.
These hybrid cows are raised in the high plains of Snake River in Eastern Idaho, USA. SRF combines traditional Japanese feeding methods with an all-natural, sustainable diet consisting of Idaho potatoes, soft white yeast and alfalfa hay, which are responsible for the beef’s exemplary intramuscular marbling. This is what chefs look at to determine the beef quality because more marbling means more flavor.
The better news is these higher-than-prime steaks are now available for retail in supermarkets. These include the South Supermarket that sells the Wagyu Striploin Black and the Wagyu Rib Eye Black, and S&R that retails the Wagyu Ribeye Black at P1,499 per 300g pack and the Wagyu Ribeye Gold at P1,699 per 300g pack.
The Wagyu Ribeye Gold is the highest-graded roast in SRF’s product offering. It is more marbled, perfectly aged and then hand-trimmed for a cap-off roast.
“In the industry, we know that American Wagyu is of the highest quality beef but not many people know about this,” shares AFC managing director Kawshik Sehwani. “Now, we are going mainstream by making these prime beef cuts available in retail because usually, people can only buy lower-grade commodity cuts in local meat shops.”
Since 2005, AFC has been supplying these steaks to several hotels and restaurants in the country, which include City of Dreams, Manila Peninsula, Okada, Solaire, Shangri-la, Amanpulo, Tsukiji, Yabu and Wildflour.
For orders and inquiries, please check out their social media sites and website via Instagram: @afcphils, Facebook: Alternatives Food Corp, and www.alternatives.ph.
SRF has been maintaining purebred Wagyu cow and bull herds from renowned Japanese bloodlines since 1989.