Kitchen

[Biftu]

I went to a cookout where they were serving grilled foods and hamburgers. I bit into my hamburger and it sure tasted different and not in a good way.  I had to discretely find a trash can.  I couldn't figure out why it tasted so different so I asked my host what flavoring she put on the hamburgers.  She said it was wagu beef. I told her I had heard of wagu beef and was glad I had a chance to try it and let it go at that. Must be me because everyone was happily eating them.

If you have tried this beef what did you think?

[I am still oxox]

Wage beef is very pricey and tastes great 

[Biftu]

Yes, wagu beef is expensive for sure.  Just didn't appeal to me.  Do you find the taste very different than regular hamburger @I am still oxox?

[kitcat51]

I'm another one who doesn't like Wagu...at the cookout I smiled thru a few bites, wrapped it a napkin under the table & tossed it. 

[Tissyanne]

@Biftu , you are not alone. I don't care for it either. Oďd taste.

[Jk9]

We buy it and use it all the time.  

[gizmogal]

I have had wagyu beef a few times, once as a steak and the other couple of times as burgers. Always from a hot outdoor grill.  It's very rich meat as it has a very high fat content. That’s marbling in steak form and just juicy moisture in a grilled burger on a potato bread bun. 

I did recognize it as different, more in its richness than taste. It's a distinctly beefy taste, almost buttery, too, from the fat. I didn't find it unpleasant, but I agree it's different.

I think the wagyu cattle are a particularly breed and they are definitely fed and cared for differently (well,  in Japan, where they originated) than beef cattle raised in the USA.  

Flavor is so subjective, I can understand it might be an acquired taste. I like it, but don't prefer wagyu. I don't think it's worth the big extra money it seems to cost. Beef prices are crazy high enough. Tried and true and affordable is my first choice. 

[kze]

The first time I had it I liked it.  The second time, in the same dish, I didn't.   Although it tasted the same I just thought it was too strong the last time.

[bmorechick]

@Biftu  We eat burgers maybe 3 times a year and when we do, it's wagu beef.  Always cooked medium on the grill...nothing should be mixed in the meat.  Just salt and pepper your patties as you make them.  We only cook them maybe 3 minutes each side on a hot grill.  Love that beef.  Man it's so tender.

Now, we buy American wagu because I can't find Japanese wagu in my area.  If you're wanting the gourmet of beef - it's wagu beef from cattle in Japan.   I've had it in a Washington DC restaurant and the taste and texture is amazing.  We like it because it's a definite treat when you rarely eat red meat - even the American wagu.

[Etoile308]

I think unless it was something you purchased yourself, there's no way to know if it was actually Wagu. Seems some places are loose with the term, or use phrases such as Wagu-like. Or it may have been a product mixed with other types and cuts of beef.

But an interesting topic, and literally food for thought.