Kumamoto Wagyu
The Kumamoto Wagyu is tied with Hida Wagyu as my current favorite. It had a buttery mouthfeel but was less oily than say the Hitachino. The meat itself looked to have a slightly leaner structure while still maintaining the signature fat distribution of the other steaks. I felt this really gave great balance to the meat and reminded me of the Hokkaido marbling, which I also loved. As far as cooking goes, I kept this one very simple using only a cast iron pan to cook it with some pink himalayan salt for seasoning. I decided to cook it more delicately this time versus blasting it on a rocket hot pan. I felt that it created less of a well-done ring around the immediate interior while still creating a nicely caramelized exterior. This cut was the finale of weekend tasting menu which can be found here.
The Kumamoto Prefecture is in the center of the Kyushu Island, which is the most southern of the four main Japanese Islands. It is bordered by both the Miyazaki Prefecture on it’s east and the Kagoshima Prefecture to it’s south. These cattle are said to be the only free grazing cattle in the region, which is near Mt. Aso.
Cooking Instructions
Preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes
Five minutes before cooking, add a few drops of oil to the meat and spread it across the surface to help the salt stick. Season the meat with the salt, including the sides of the meat as well.
Sear the meat for 1-2 minutes on the top and then the bottom, then 30 or so seconds on the sides, which should be just enough to develop the caramelization.
It needed just about 4 minutes in a 400º oven to reach 130º after searing.
Rest the steak for at least five minutes
Sprinkle a little bit of salt across the meat before serving.
