We bought a new gas grill this weekend, and decided to use it tonight. I stopped at a specialty market on the way home to get something to throw on the grill and there starts my story.
Now I've seen a lot of hype about Kobe beef on the food shows, in the food mags, and on the web over the last few years. For those who have been living in a cave, it's supposed to be the ultimate beef. The cattle is fed a special diet, they get MASSAGES (really), maybe even pedicure (j/k)! I don't know all the scoop on them, I just know the meat is highly marbled, supposedly very beefy flavored, and VERY expensive. I think it's one of those things that you can only get in the high-end restaurants in New York and L.A. I've never even seen it in my grocery stores (Publix or Harris Teeter) in Fresh Market of Whole Foods, the top butcher shop around here..... not anywhere.
So I stop at Mazarro's on the way home from work, and they have Kobe beef in the butcher case! Now it's not the rib eye or the filet; it's not even the strip steak. It's sirloin. But it's Kobe. Some places I'd doubt their claim, but I know and trust this place. They really have Kobe sirloin! I've got to take advantage of the opportunity and try it.
New gas grill - - - - Kobe beef! We're in for a treat!
No fancy treatment for this piece of meat - just a little smoked salt (from a spice shop in Sarasota) and fresh ground tellicherry pepper. I figure if I'm working with designer beef, I had better use name brand spices.
Now the new grill has a side burner they called a 'searing burner'. You're supposed to put your food on it for a minute or two before moving it to the main grill to sear and give it the ultimate brown crust. NOT!!!!!!!!!!! It didn't hurt anything, but it was just a side burner. You can see in the pictures that it did a p*** poor job of browning this expensive steak.
Move the meat (at this price it needs a name other than meat), to the preheated grill. And...watch...it...CAREFULLY!!! Poke a finger in; do the palm test; call SousChef to look; aw heck...be sure - use a thermometer. At 120F, pull it off the fire and on to a plate.
Clip some lettuce from the garden and assemble the salad. Why not put some candied walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese on those fresh greens? Maybe some leftover beet slices.
Saute some Crimini mushrooms and degalze the pan with a little red wine and some demi-glace (the real stuff, from my freezer).
Not that it's rested, slice the steak. OOOOOOOOOOoooooooo..................
Was it worth it? You bet! This sirloin was as tender as a filet. The beefiness was unrivaled. With the beef, the mushrooms, the Gorgonzola and the red wine, the umami in this meal was over the top.
Verdict? If you get the chance, try it once. Keep it simple. Don't try to over-gourmet this stuff; it can stand on its own.
Oh yeah. The pics.