I have already shared mygreat enthusiasm for Wagyū with you here a time or two. Last week it was there again, the almost insatiable craving for that wonderful, tender, fat-covered meat. Fortunately, for a few years now, it has finally been possible to purchase genuine Japanese beef in Europe.
The preparation is extremely simple. However, some handles need to think a little differently than other beef. Due to the high content of intramuscular fat, Wagyū should really be kept in the refrigerator until the moment of preparation. The grease melts already from 25 degrees, even at lower room temperature, the good piece can deform. Of course, you should also keep an eye on the final core temperature; after all, it would almost be a sin to overdo the correct cooking point.
Ozaki Wagyue Beef comes from the breeder of the same name, Muneharu Ozaki from Myazaki Prefecture. A few months ago I had the opportunity to talk to him about breeding and quality of his animals – and also my visit to a Japanese Wagyue farm came about through his support. His cattle are the only ones that bear the name of the breeder. Usually the animals are named after the region, typically Kobe, but also Ohmi or Matsusaka.
I got my Wagyue Beef Loin through my colleagues at Otto-Gourmet. Cuts are made from ribeye and strip loin. With a price per kilo of 399€, the product is certainly not something for every day (at least not in my kitchen), but even from a small piece of about 100g you can conjure up a luxurious little dish for three to four people. Or, if it can be a bit more decadent (as in my case) you can serve it in one serving.
During preparation, high and controlled heat is important. An experiment with the Beefer a few months ago didn’t turn out quite as well, presumably the temperature is just too brute for the small cuts. In this case, I set my Panasonic cooktop to the highest temperature of 230 degrees. As soon as the induction hob signals that the desired temperature has been reached (my hob gives an acoustic signal in this case), the meat goes straight from the fridge into the pan. Without oil, by the way – the Wagyue brings enough of its own fat, which melts quickly. 
It is best to cook the Wagyū in two short passes. About 45 seconds per page is perfectly sufficient for the first step. The core temperature settles at just over 35 degrees during a subsequent short resting phase. Now comes the second pass. In this one, 20 seconds per side is enough to create a wonderful caramelized crust. After a further resting period, the core temperature is now at the targeted 50 degrees and the meat can be cut into thin slices. Before that, I spread it with nut butter, into which I stirred a generous teaspoon of miso paste. Top with some coarse sea salt and, if available, Japanese mountain pepper (even better: serve the pepper next to the steak, then the guest can adjust it himself).
The meat is intensely fragrant and has a delicately melting texture. The intense flavor also lingers exceptionally long on the palate. A great treat.
For a light and fresh accompaniment, I crisply blanched two spears of asparagus and tossed them briefly in the miso nut butter. The fresh peas are also briefly blanched and for the maximum Wagyū kick then briefly wetted in the (no longer quite so hot) pan with the fat that has escaped. This also provides a delicate sheen.
