How Wagyu Is Made (Farm To Table)

Nick DiGiovanni
13 Apr 202418:42

Summary

TLDRJoin Michael as he embarks on an insightful journey into the world of Wagyu cattle, exploring the luxurious origins of Kobe beef. From visiting a farm with Usunaga-san, the caretaker of some of the world's most expensive cattle, to witnessing the meticulous process of raising these prized animals, the video offers an intimate look at the life cycle of Wagyu. Discover the myths surrounding their care, including daily massages and classical music, and learn about the diet that includes a mix of sake, beer, whiskey, mirin, and soy sauce. Experience the thrill of a Wagyu auction, where these cattle are sold for millions, and follow the beef through the skilled hands of a master butcher, who transforms the meat into culinary masterpieces. Conclude the adventure with a tantalizing taste test at Wagyu Mafia, where Chef Hama, the 'Prince of Kobe Beef,' prepares a variety of dishes showcasing the distinct flavors and textures of this delicacy. This summary captures the essence of the Wagyu experience, from farm to table, and the dedication required to produce a product that is truly in a league of its own.

Takeaways

  • 🐮 Michael, a Wagyu cow, is so valuable that he has a personal security guard.
  • 🌍 Wagyu beef is auctioned and sold for millions of dollars daily, with Kobe beef being the most premium type.
  • 📏 Michael, the Wagyu cow, is nearly as tall as a six-foot-three human, showcasing the size of these cattle.
  • 🐄 Usunaga-san's farm started with 50 cows and has grown to over 500, indicating the scale of Wagyu farming operations.
  • 🍌 Baby Wagyu cows wear jackets and weigh between 25 to 30 kilograms, growing at a rapid pace of about one kilogram per day.
  • 🍜 Wagyu cattle are fed a diet that includes various alcohols like sake, beer, whiskey, mirin, and soy sauce, contributing to their unique flavor.
  • 🏅 The best Wagyu beef is graded A5, with marbling being a key factor in determining the quality of the meat.
  • 💰 The auction process for Wagyu cattle is competitive, with the highest quality cows fetching extremely high prices.
  • ⚖ Wagyu beef grading considers both the amount of meat that can be taken from the cow and the quality of the marbling.
  • 🔪 The butchery process is highly skilled, with butchers like Mr. Meat being referred to as 'meat artists' for their precision and presentation.
  • 🍎 The final preparation of Wagyu beef for dining is a culinary art, with dishes like Kobe beef sushi, yakiniku, and katsu sando being prepared by expert chefs.

Q & A

  • What is the significance of Wagyu beef and why is it so expensive?

    -Wagyu beef is highly valued for its rich marbling, which is the distribution of intramuscular fat between the muscle fibers. This gives the meat a distinctive, melt-in-your-mouth texture and intense flavor. The cost is high due to the specific and meticulous care given to the cattle, including the diet and living conditions, which are tailored to maximize the quality of the meat.

  • What is the difference between Wagyu and Kobe beef?

    -Kobe beef is a specific type of Wagyu beef that comes from the Tajima strain of the Japanese Black breed of cattle, raised in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan. Not all Wagyu beef can be called Kobe; it must meet strict criteria regarding the quality of marbling, color, and texture.

  • How does the size of a Wagyu cow compare to an average human?

    -The script mentions that a fully grown Wagyu cow can be almost as tall as a person who is six foot three inches tall. Tajima cows, a type of Wagyu, typically weigh about 700 kilograms (1,400 pounds), with the heaviest recorded at 950 kilograms (over 2,000 pounds).

  • What is the diet of a Wagyu cow?

    -Wagyu cows are fed a diet that can include fermented feed with different types of alcohol such as sake, beer, whiskey, mirin, and soy sauce. This unique diet is part of what contributes to the distinct flavor of the meat.

  • What is the process of raising Wagyu cattle from birth to maturity?

    -The calves are initially weighed around 25 to 30 kilograms and are kept warm with jackets. They grow rapidly, gaining about one kilogram per day, which is ten times faster than the growth rate of humans. As they age from one year to three years old, they are fed around eight kilograms of feed per day.

  • How do farmers determine which Wagyu cows will have good marbling?

    -Farmers inspect the sirloin area on the back of the cow to get an idea of the quality of the meat and the potential for good marbling. Experience allows them to identify the cows that are likely to develop the desired intramuscular fat distribution.

  • What is the purpose of the tags on the ears of Wagyu cattle?

    -The tags on the ears of Wagyu cattle in Japan have a 10-digit tracking number. This number can be used to look up various details about the cow, including its place of birth and where it was raised.

  • How are Wagyu cows auctioned and what factors determine their grade?

    -Wagyu cows are auctioned to buyers from around the world. The grading of beef is based on two main factors: the amount of meat that can be taken from the cow and the quality of the marbling. The grading scale ranges from A to C and one to five, with A5 being the highest grade.

  • What is the process like at a hygienic slaughterhouse in Japan?

    -The script describes the process as highly hygienic, with workers wearing protective gear, including air showers before entering the area where the cows are. The environment is kept clean, and the workers are cautious to avoid cross-contamination.

  • How is the meat from a high-grade Wagyu cow utilized in a restaurant?

    -The meat is carefully broken down by a skilled butcher into various cuts, with an emphasis on minimizing waste. The cuts are then sent to restaurants, where chefs like Chef Hama, known as the Prince of Kobe Beef, prepare dishes that highlight the quality and flavor of the Wagyu beef.

  • What are some of the dishes made with Wagyu beef as described in the script?

    -The script describes several dishes prepared with Wagyu beef: Wagyu sushi with sea urchin and caviar, Kobe beef yakiniku (barbecue) using the tongue, and Wagyu katsu sando, which is a sandwich using the tenderloin. Each dish is prepared with great care to showcase the quality of the beef.

  • What is the experience like for someone who has never had Wagyu beef?

    -For someone new to Wagyu beef, the experience is described as incredibly rich and flavorful, with the meat being tender and the marbling providing a unique texture. The various dishes prepared with Wagyu beef offer a range of tastes and preparations, from raw in sushi to cooked in barbecue and sandwiches.

Outlines

00:00

🐮 Introduction to Wagyu Cattle and Farm Visit

The video begins with an introduction to Michael, an exceptionally valuable Wagyu cow with his own security guard. The host, standing in Kobe, explains that not all Wagyu beef is Kobe, but all Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle, with Kobe being the premium variety. The host meets Usunaga-san, a cattle farmer who started with 50 cows and now has over 500. They visit the baby cows, which are kept warm and weigh between 25 to 30 kilograms, growing at a rapid pace. The host also learns about the myths surrounding Wagyu cattle, such as daily massages and being played Mozart, and discovers that the cows are indeed fed various alcohols as part of their diet, although they don't get drunk from it. Each cow has a tag with a tracking number that provides detailed information about its origin and upbringing.

05:01

🏆 Wagyu Auction and Slaughterhouse Experience

The host attends a Wagyu auction where the cattle are sold to buyers worldwide. He meets Yamamoto-san, who helps him gain access to the auction room. The video showcases the trophy for the best cattle of the day, which only the top-ranked cow receives. The host expresses his ambition to win the trophy by bidding against major players in Japan. They proceed to a hygienic slaughterhouse where the host is equipped with protective gear. The video explains the grading system for beef, which considers the amount of meat and the quality of marbling. The highest grade is A5, and the host is excited to see the A5 stamp on a carcass. The host actively participates in the bidding process and successfully wins a cow, which will be processed and sent to a butcher.

10:01

🔪 The Art of Butchering Wagyu Beef

The host visits a butcher, referred to as Mr. Meat, who is renowned for his skill in breaking down Wagyu beef. The butcher demonstrates his precision and care in removing fat and cutting the meat into usable portions, ensuring minimal waste. The video highlights the butcher's artistry as he presents the meat in an aesthetically pleasing manner using Wagyu beef tallow to enhance the presentation. The host observes the butcher at work, deboning and cutting various parts of the cow, including the ribeye, sirloin, and tenderloin. The process is meticulous, with the butcher using a giant machine to slice the Wagyu into thin pieces. The host is amazed by the beauty of the meat and the skill involved in its preparation. The video concludes with the meat being packed for distribution to customers.

15:03

🍣 Experiencing Wagyu Cuisine at a Restaurant

The host brings a piece of Wagyu beef to a restaurant called Wagyu Mafia, where he meets Chef Hama, known as the Prince of Kobe Beef. The chef prepares a multi-course meal featuring Wagyu beef. First, they make Wagyu sushi with ingredients like sea urchin and caviar. The host enjoys the sushi directly from the chef's hand, noting the delicate raw flavor of the Kobe beef. The second course is Kobe beef yakiniku, or barbecue, using the rare and expensive Kobe beef tongue. The chef demonstrates how to prepare and cook the tongue over Japanese charcoal. The third course is Wagyu katsu sando, a sandwich made with a special Kobe beef tenderloin, cooked to a golden brown and served with a secret sauce. The chef presents the final course, a Kobe beef Chateaubriand, which is a highly prized cut from the cow. The host is in awe of the culinary experience and the chef's skill in creating such a memorable meal.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Wagyu

Wagyu is a type of beef from Japanese cattle, renowned for its rich marbling and high quality. It is central to the video's theme as it explores the origin, auction, and culinary uses of Wagyu beef. In the script, Wagyu is compared to an 'average car' with Kobe beef being the 'Ferrari' version of it.

💡Kobe beef

Kobe beef is a specific type of Wagyu beef that comes from the Tajima strain of the Japanese Black cattle, raised under strict conditions in the Hyogo Prefecture. It is considered a luxury item and is featured in the video as the ultimate goal of the auction the host attends.

💡Marbling

Marbling refers to the intramuscular fat within a cut of meat that creates a characteristic pattern of fat and muscle. It is a key quality indicator for Wagyu beef and is emphasized in the video as the defining feature that makes Wagyu so special and sought after.

💡A5 Grade

A5 is the highest grade for beef in the Japanese grading system, indicating the highest quality of meat and marbling. The video discusses the A5 grade as the ultimate quality standard, with the host aiming to win an A5 graded cow at the auction.

💡Sake

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as one of the ingredients in the feed given to the cows, contributing to the myth that Wagyu cows are fed alcohol.

💡Cattle Auction

A cattle auction is an event where livestock is bought and sold. The video showcases the excitement and process of a Wagyu cattle auction, highlighting the competitive nature and the high stakes involved in purchasing top-quality cattle.

💡Meat Grading

Meat grading is the process of assessing the quality of meat based on factors such as marbling and the amount of usable meat from the carcass. The video explains the Japanese grading system, where grades range from C1 to A5, and the importance of this process in determining the value of the beef.

💡Butcher

A butcher is a professional who is skilled in the cutting and preparation of meat. In the video, the butcher is referred to as a 'meat artist' due to the precision and artistry involved in breaking down the Wagyu beef into various cuts for different culinary uses.

💡Kobe Beef Association

The Kobe Beef Association is a regulatory body that oversees the production and distribution of Kobe beef to ensure its quality and authenticity. The video mentions this association in relation to the high standards required to be part of it.

💡Wagyu Cattle Farming

Wagyu cattle farming involves the specialized raising of Wagyu cattle, focusing on factors such as diet, living conditions, and overall welfare to produce high-quality beef. The video provides an in-depth look at a Wagyu farm, detailing the care and processes involved in raising these cattle.

💡Wagyu Mafia

Wagyu Mafia is a members-only restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, known for its Wagyu beef dishes. The video concludes with a visit to this restaurant, where the host and Chef Hama, known as the Prince of Kobe Beef, prepare and enjoy various dishes made from the Wagyu beef won at the auction.

Highlights

This is Michael, a Wagyu cow worth so much money that he has his own security guard.

All Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle, but not all Wagyu beef is Kobe. If Wagyu is your average car, Kobe is a Ferrari.

Wagyu cattle can grow to be as tall as a 6 foot 3 human.

The farm started with just 50 cows and now has over 500 cows.

Wagyu calves weigh 25-30 kg at birth and gain about 1 kg per day, growing 10 times faster than humans.

There are many myths about Wagyu, such as them being massaged daily, listening to Mozart, and being fed alcohol like sake.

Wagyu cows eat about 8 kg of feed per day, with 5 different types of alcohol included in their diet.

Tajima cows, a type of Wagyu, can weigh up to 700 kg (1400 lbs), with the heaviest on the farm reaching 950 kg.

All cows in Japan have a 10-digit tracking number that provides information on their birth and upbringing.

Wagyu cows are given natural spring water that is drinkable by humans.

At auction, Wagyu cows are sold to buyers worldwide, with the best cattle of the day awarded a trophy.

The auction process involves bidding on individual cows, with the highest bidder winning.

Wagyu beef is graded based on meat yield and marbling quality, with the highest grade being A5.

The butcher breaks down the Wagyu into usable cuts, showcasing his skill and precision with the knife.

The butcher is referred to as a 'meat artist' for his artistic presentation of the Wagyu cuts.

The most expensive cut of Wagyu, the Chateaubriand, is only available from 10 pieces per cow and costs $3000.

Chef Hama, known as the Prince of Kobe Beef, prepares three levels of Kobe beef dishes at the Wagyu Mafia restaurant.

The Kobe beef sushi uses high-quality ingredients like sea urchin, caviar, and sake-infused rice.

Kobe beef yakiniku (barbecue) features the rare and expensive Kobe beef tongue.

The Kobe beef katsu sando is made with the tenderloin, coated in Japanese flour, egg, and milk bread crumbs, fried to crispy perfection.

Transcripts

00:00

This is Michael, a Wagyu cow worth so much

00:02

money that he has his own security guard.

00:04

In this video, we're gonna see where Wagyu comes

00:07

from, how it's auctioned and sold for millions of

00:09

dollars each day, and how it's eventually broken down

00:12

and served at restaurants.

00:13

And I came to Kobe for a reason.

00:15

All Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle, but not

00:17

all Wagyu beef is Kobe.

00:19

If Wagyu is your average car, Kobe is a

00:22

Ferrari.

00:22

Just for some size comparison, I am six foot

00:25

three, and this cow is almost as tall as

00:28

me.

00:28

I didn't know that they could be that big.

00:29

I would not want to mess with this guy.

00:31

Hey, buddy.

00:33

Usunaga-san, thank you for inviting me to your farm.

00:36

This man here is responsible for raising some of

00:39

the most expensive cattle on earth.

00:41

And when he started, he had just 50 cows,

00:43

but now he has over 500 cows.

00:45

And this is just one of the many barns

00:47

that they have here on the farm.

00:48

Wa in wagyu means Japanese, so wagyu means Japanese

00:53

cow.

00:53

Could we start by going and seeing the baby

00:55

cows?

00:55

Yes.

00:56

Let's go.

00:56

Let's go.

00:57

So these are the baby babies.

00:58

Yeah.

00:59

Oh, it's so cute.

01:00

They have a jacket on because they're so cold.

01:03

So how much do all these babies weigh right

01:06

now?

01:06

25 kilograms to 30 kilograms.

01:08

So how long will it take for these ones

01:10

to get to the medium-sized cows over there?

01:12

About three to four months.

01:13

They gain about one kilogram per day.

01:15

Wow, they're growing really fast.

01:17

Yeah, they grow about ten times faster than humans.

01:20

How old is this cow right here?

01:22

One week.

01:23

If this cow right here that's already this size

01:25

is only one week old, imagine how big the

01:27

ones we're going to see later in this video

01:29

that are fully grown are going to be.

01:31

There's so many myths online, I feel like, about

01:34

Wagyu.

01:35

Some say that they're massaged every single day.

01:37

I've also heard that some get Mozart played to

01:39

them while they sleep at night.

01:41

And I've even heard that a lot of them

01:43

are fed sake and different alcohol and they're drunk

01:45

all the time.

01:45

Is any of that true?

01:46

Let's find out.

01:47

So these cows now are a good size bigger

01:50

than the babies.

01:50

Like there's a big difference all of a sudden

01:52

in the size.

01:53

How old are these cows and what's happening now?

01:56

Well, here the cows are about one year old

01:59

to three years old.

02:01

And this is the phase where we feed them.

02:03

How much food do they eat?

02:05

They eat about eight kilos of feed per day.

02:08

How do you know which ones are going to

02:10

have that really beautiful marbling?

02:12

Because when I think of Wagyu, and when anyone

02:14

thinks of Wagyu, they think of that amazing intramuscular

02:16

fat, all the fat between the muscle, and that's

02:19

what makes Wagyu so special.

02:20

How do you know which cows are going to

02:23

have that good marbling?

02:24

I take a look at the area with the

02:26

sirloin, which is on the back, that gives me

02:28

an idea of the quality of the meat.

02:29

You can just tell just by looking.

02:31

Yes, once you get used to it.

02:33

He's a genius.

02:34

This just shows a scale of how wide and

02:36

how big one of these cows is compared to

02:39

a human.

02:39

He isn't really leading the cow right now.

02:41

The cow is sort of leading him and he's

02:43

just crossing his fingers that it doesn't freak out.

02:46

How big are these cows?

02:47

How much do they weigh?

02:47

Tajima cows weigh about 700 kilograms.

02:51

Wow.

02:52

700 kilos.

02:52

How much is that in pounds?

02:54

It's like 1,400 pounds.

02:55

What's the biggest cow you've ever raised or seen?

02:59

The heaviest we had weighed 950 kilograms.

03:03

Can we see how you make their food?

03:05

Let's go see it.

03:05

It smells very fermented here.

03:07

Is this maybe the alcohol or sake that we

03:10

were talking about earlier?

03:11

Sake, beer, whiskey, mirin, and soy sauce.

03:14

So there's five different alcohols in the feed.

03:16

Are the cows getting drunk?

03:19

If you give them too much, they'll get drunk.

03:21

Have you ever made one drunk?

03:22

I've never done it.

03:23

No?

03:23

They go to sleep.

03:24

So they don't really get drunk.

03:25

I guess they just knock out right away.

03:28

So this one right here is a sake feed,

03:31

mirin, which I use for like a sweet cooking

03:33

wine.

03:33

It's actually one of my favorite ingredients in the

03:35

kitchen.

03:35

And this is a sugar cane feed.

03:37

It smells like a mix of raisins and fig

03:40

newtons.

03:40

And this feed here is from beer.

03:42

Actually, it smells really good.

03:44

Kind of a gentle beer scent.

03:45

This one is whiskey.

03:47

These cows literally just seem to be sitting here

03:49

all the time and just eating, eating, eating, eating.

03:51

And I guess that's because that's their full-time job

03:54

and that's what they do.

03:55

That's how they're getting as big as they're getting.

03:57

Do you ever eat it?

03:58

No.

03:58

No?

03:58

No.

03:59

Would I be okay if I ate it?

04:01

No, you can't eat that.

04:03

All these cows have these tags on them.

04:05

What do the tags mean?

04:06

All cows raised in Japan, not just Wagyu, have

04:10

these tags with a 10-digit tracking number.

04:12

You can use that number to look up all

04:14

sorts of information, like where the cow was born

04:17

and raised.

04:17

Do the cows get excited when people walk around?

04:21

They're all causing this commotion now.

04:23

Their heads are all sticking out when we're standing

04:25

here.

04:25

Do they have personalities?

04:27

Yeah, they get interested by the different smells and

04:29

the different people that they haven't met before.

04:31

I can't stop watching these guys drinking.

04:33

They're fighting over the water.

04:35

It's natural spring water.

04:36

The water they give to Wagyu cattle is the

04:38

same water that humans can drink.

04:40

I think that's the secret recipe.

04:41

So it's really high quality water.

04:43

Yeah.

04:44

Now that we've seen a farm and how Wagyu

04:46

cows are raised, the next step is an auction

04:48

where Wagyu cows are sold to buyers from all

04:50

around the world.

04:51

Nobody can get into these auctions unless you know

04:54

Yamamoto-san.

04:54

Hello.

04:56

So we are entering the auction room.

04:58

Whoa!

04:59

So this is where the auction happens.

05:00

Yeah.

05:01

And the cows are going to eventually be coming

05:03

one by one.

05:04

Exactly, yeah.

05:04

Okay, so, what, I can't....

05:07

How... what am I supposed to do with these?

05:10

Do I look okay?

05:11

Yeah, very good.

05:12

They look very good on you, yeah.

05:13

I feel like you're lying.

05:15

Haha no, no, no, they're very good on you.

05:16

This should show you how big some of these

05:18

cows are when they come by.

05:20

Like they're hanging down to here, yeah?

05:22

Yeah, yeah.

05:22

So this right here, this is the trophy for

05:25

today.

05:25

The best cattle of the day.

05:27

Only number one gets this award.

05:29

Do you think we can try to win it?

05:30

It's really hard to win, but we will try

05:32

to get this cattle today.

05:33

We're just going to have to pay a lot

05:34

of money.

05:35

Yeah.

05:35

But we're going to be bidding against some pretty

05:37

big people in Japan here.

05:38

Yes, true.

05:39

Let's do this.

05:41

Okay, so we're going to go to the carcass

05:42

room next.

05:43

Whoa!

05:44

What's going on here?

05:45

Oh, new shoes.

05:46

New shoes, yeah.

05:47

Oh, over my hat.

05:48

Yeah.

05:48

Okay.

05:49

Like this?

05:51

Yeah, like that.

05:52

So this is the most hygienic slaughter house in

05:55

Japan.

05:55

Well, now I see why I have to wear

05:57

all this.

05:57

I hope you're fitting okay.

05:58

You hope I fit?

05:59

I know.

06:00

Nothing in Japan fits me.

06:01

I'm too big.

06:02

Another thing.

06:03

Yes.

06:03

Oh my god.

06:04

Protects your head.

06:04

Okay.

06:05

Anything else?

06:06

Oh my god.

06:07

This is crazy.

06:08

And finally you put this on.

06:10

And now we can see the cows.

06:12

Yes.

06:12

What is this?

06:13

This is an air shower.

06:14

You can just come inside.

06:15

I'm scared.

06:20

It's so cold.

06:22

Holy cow.

06:24

These are massive.

06:25

Look at the size of me next to these

06:28

cows.

06:28

These are the cows that we're about to see

06:30

at today's auction.

06:31

They're massive.

06:31

Yeah, this is 640 kilograms.

06:34

Look at the marbling on this beef.

06:36

It's unbelievable.

06:38

They all have different awards, certifications, different stamps on

06:41

them.

06:42

Every carcass has its own identifying things for people

06:44

to know how good the quality is.

06:46

The floor is also so slippery because there's Wagyu

06:49

fat everywhere.

06:50

It's the most expensive floor you could possibly find.

06:53

So here's how it works.

06:53

When grading beef, there are two main factors.

06:56

The first is how much meat can actually be

06:58

taken from the cow.

06:59

And the other one is how good the marbling

07:01

of the fat is.

07:02

The scale goes from A to C and one

07:04

to five.

07:05

So the worst possible cut of beef would get

07:07

a C1, the lowest grade you can get.

07:09

And the best of the best of the best

07:11

would get this stamp right here, A5.

07:14

So they cut all of these open so you

07:16

can grade it and see.

07:17

And this is the chuck roll part and this

07:19

is the chuck rib part.

07:20

This is the one that we want to get

07:21

today.

07:21

Yeah.

07:22

It's called the reward cattle.

07:23

And there's only one every single day.

07:25

Right here is the A5 stamp.

07:27

So this is the best grade you can possibly

07:30

get.

07:30

It's a beautiful, beautiful, huge cow.

07:33

Wow.

07:35

Look at that.

07:35

Why is this so good?

07:37

The body is very wide and big.

07:38

This cattle contains lots of beef as well.

07:40

And also the taste is very, very good.

07:42

And everybody's going to be trying to win this.

07:44

Yeah.

07:44

It's going to be hard, right?

07:45

Yeah, it's going to be very, very hard.

07:47

It's time to go to the auction.

07:48

People are starting to walk in.

07:49

My heart's starting to beat faster.

07:51

My competitive juices are starting to flow.

07:53

I want to win the number one cow and

07:55

I want to get that trophy.

07:56

Do you want to win?

07:57

Yeah, of course.

07:58

How does this work?

07:58

You press the buttons to bid?

08:00

During the auction, when everybody is pushing just this

08:02

button, one yen is rising every time.

08:04

But if you want to get this carcass, very,

08:07

very specifically this one, then you just put the

08:10

100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen.

08:11

This is when you wanna ball out.

08:13

Yeah, yeah.

08:13

Now that you've told me how this works, I

08:15

have a strategy for the bidding.

08:16

I'm gonna put this one in one hand.

08:17

Okay.

08:18

I'm gonna be clicking this as fast as I

08:19

possibly can.

08:20

Okay.

08:20

And then in my other hand, I'm gonna go

08:22

like this.

08:22

Okay haha.

08:23

Then you'll win every cattle.

08:24

The first cows are coming in.

08:26

My heart is beating so fast right now.

08:28

I'm nervous.

08:28

Be ready.

08:41

Oh a winner! There it goes.

08:56

Wow.

08:56

The trophy cow today is number 12.

08:58

We're almost there.

08:59

Tell me when.

09:00

Tell me when.

09:01

Right now? Hold it?

09:02

Yeah, continue.

09:05

Alright I am holding it. My heart's beating so

09:07

fast.

09:07

Wow, it's going high. It's going so high.

09:09

Oh, it's going to be so expensive.

09:14

It's going so high.

09:15

We got it? We got it.

09:18

Oh, nice. Good, good.

09:20

There's our cow.

09:21

I don't want to celebrate because I think everyone's

09:23

mad that we won.

09:26

You won?

09:27

We won, yeah.

09:28

That's good.

09:29

Wow, thank you.

09:30

One, two, three.

09:31

We did it!

09:32

This is the cow that we won.

09:34

And look how incredible that is.

09:35

He is so much bigger than me.

09:37

You did it.

09:37

You did it.

09:39

Our cow is now gonna be processed and sent

09:41

along to a butcher who's gonna break it down

09:43

for us.

09:43

Only Wagyu has kindly allowed me to take the

09:46

entire tenderloin to give away to 10 of you.

09:48

So comment your Instagram handle down below in the

09:50

video and make sure you're following me so I

09:52

can message you if you win.

09:53

And 10 of you are gonna get a beautiful

09:55

filet mignon from our exact cow that we won

09:57

today.

09:57

So we are now here at the butcher.

09:59

This is the place where they take the meat,

10:01

they break it down, and then they send it

10:02

to restaurants to get it cooked, which we'll go

10:04

to next.

10:04

What is your name?

10:05

Mr. Meat.

10:05

Nice to meet you.

10:06

So he's the meat artist, and that's why we've

10:06

come to the best butcher in the game.

10:10

Do I look good?

10:12

Good! Hahah.

10:13

This is what you get if you're in the

10:15

Kobe Beef Association.

10:16

It's so heavy.

10:16

Heavy, heavy!

10:18

What's his name?

10:20

Kobe Beef. Hahah.

10:22

So this is their freezer where they keep a

10:24

lot of their meats.

10:24

And this is our cow that we got today.

10:27

This is from the same area as where the

10:28

flat iron steak comes from.

10:29

And he's going to cut it down into a

10:32

beautiful platter of usable cuts of beef.

10:34

First, it looks like he's removing a lot of

10:37

the fat off the top of this meat.

10:39

This has a lot of fat.

10:40

Here's very quick and efficient with the knife.

10:42

You can also see that he's really making an

10:43

effort here as he cuts to not waste any

10:45

meat from this cow. It's incredible to watch.

10:47

So now is when the wagyu is really starting

10:49

to look good.

10:50

We're getting down to those beautiful parts on the

10:52

inside here. It's like a long train of wagyu.

10:55

Do you like to eat wagyu?

10:56

I love wagyu. Munch!

10:58

Munch, munch, munch.

10:59

Okay, so now you're about to see why they

11:01

call him the meat artist.

11:02

Most butchers will just break down the Wagyu just

11:04

like that, and then they'll package it up.

11:06

But he is literally an artist with how he

11:08

treats the Wagyu, and he does something a little

11:10

extra.

11:10

And it looks like he's using Wagyu beef tallow,

11:12

some fat, to prop up the edges of the

11:15

flower.

11:15

Wow.

11:16

It's insane.

11:17

Now what's gonna happen is he's going to cut

11:19

it down again and show us yet another presentation

11:21

that he can create with this same cut of

11:23

our Wagyu beef.

11:24

I love how with Wagyu, every time you cut

11:26

it, it makes a new art piece.

11:27

I have no idea what he's gonna be making

11:29

this time, but I know it's probably gonna be

11:31

something really cool again.

11:32

He's super, super careful and really specific.

11:35

Wow.

11:36

That is beautiful.

11:37

Now you see why they call him the meat

11:39

artist.

11:40

Okay, now we're moving on to this giant cross

11:42

section of our cow here.

11:43

What is your name?

11:44

Mr. CEO.

11:45

Nice to meet you.

11:46

Nice to meet you.

11:47

So this piece of beef has ribeye, sirloin, and

11:50

tenderloin all in one.

11:51

So he has a lot to work with here.

11:53

And he's going to start by deboning the whole

11:55

thing.

11:55

We have to remove all of those thick bones.

11:56

The way that he's using the knife here is

11:59

very surgical.

11:59

It's so precise.

12:00

He is tracing around every single bone.

12:03

So what he's working on right now is trying

12:04

to pull off the first bone.

12:06

And if you recognize it, it's sort of a

12:08

T-bone.

12:08

You'd have the tenderloin on one side and the

12:10

strip would be on the other side.

12:11

The cool thing here to me is you can

12:13

sort of see that the butcher has all these

12:15

different choices when they go to break down your

12:16

beef.

12:17

Right now, he's pulling out those bones that would

12:19

normally be left in a T-bone or a porterhouse

12:22

steak.

12:22

He's just pulling all of those out right now

12:25

because we already took off that tenderloin.

12:26

And then on the bottom side of these is

12:28

gonna be left this nice clean strip.

12:30

They work the knife in every possible way in

12:32

doing this.

12:33

They hold it in their hand in different ways.

12:35

A lot of people talk about how Wagyu cuts

12:37

like butter, but they're not just sitting here slicing

12:39

easily through this Wagyu.

12:40

They are masters of their craft with the knife.

12:42

It's crazy to watch.

12:43

So something's happening now.

12:45

He's going to cut this whole big piece here

12:47

in half.

12:47

This is really cool for me to see the

12:49

meat getting smaller and smaller and smaller.

12:51

Wow.

12:52

That's beautiful.

12:53

Look at the difference here between the fat that's

12:55

on the outside and then all of this beautiful

12:58

marbled fat that we think of when we think

13:00

of Wagyu.

13:01

So now we've got a different portion here of

13:02

our cow.

13:03

We're going to see him cut this into some

13:04

blocks.

13:04

So one really cool thing here is we have

13:07

so many cuts of the cow that we're able

13:09

to play with and work with here.

13:10

It should just show you how big one of

13:12

these cows really is and how much meat comes

13:15

from one of these massive, massive Wagyu cows.

13:17

Although you do pay a hefty price for it.

13:19

Every single piece of what he's cut here has

13:21

a completely different pattern on it, which I think

13:24

is one of the most amazing parts about Wagyu.

13:26

This is the last thing we're doing before we

13:28

get to cook and eat some Wagyu at a

13:29

restaurant.

13:29

This is a giant machine that's gonna slice this

13:32

Wagyu very thin.

13:33

So it goes into the machine.

13:34

Wow, this is intense.

13:36

Okay, here we go.

13:38

Whoa!

13:40

That's not what I expected to just happen.

13:43

This is so fast.

13:44

Look at that.

13:45

It's the thinnest piece of Wagyu.

13:47

How much is one of these?

13:48

Can I buy one?

13:48

Three million yen.

13:49

Thirty thousand dollars.

13:50

Okay.

13:51

All right.

13:51

Nevermind.

13:51

So now that we're finished, they're just packing all

13:53

of this up.

13:54

Although I wish we could just sit together and

13:56

eat all this Wagyu together, but it's going to

13:57

go off to different customers now.

13:59

Thank you.

13:59

Thank you very much.

14:01

I'm bringing this to the restaurant.

14:02

It is time to go eat some Wagyu.

14:06

This is Wagyu Mafia, a members-only Wagyu restaurant in

14:09

Tokyo, Japan.

14:10

And this is Chef Hama.

14:11

He's known as the Prince of Kobe Beef.

14:13

Mr. Nick!

14:14

I brought you a gift!

14:16

Oh my god, where'd you get it from?

14:17

How are you?

14:18

Very good, no?

14:19

Can we cook it?

14:20

Let's Wagyu Mafia!

14:22

Let's go!

14:22

Chef, you are the Wagyu expert, so I am

14:25

not cooking today.

14:25

I'm going to step back and let you do

14:27

your magic.

14:28

Sound good?

14:28

Right on, Mr. Nick!

14:29

Today, I'm going to cook three levels of Kobe

14:34

beef.

14:34

Level one, Wagyu sushi.

14:37

Let's go!

14:38

We have all the most amazing ingredients in the

14:40

world here.

14:41

This is my favorite sea urchin from Hokkaido, Japan.

14:44

The best flavor, so sweet.

14:46

We also have royal ossetra caviar, fresh wasabi, and

14:49

of course, our Kobe beef.

14:50

The process to make this one is quick.

14:52

You have to be gentle when shaping the rice,

14:55

which we cook with sake for extra flavor, and

14:58

the nigiri comes together quickly.

14:59

To finish, you brush it with eight-year barrel-aged soy

15:02

sauce and top with the sea urchin and caviar.

15:05

Mr. Nick your sushi is ready.

15:07

One bite.

15:08

One bite?

15:08

Pick it up from my hand.

15:10

I've never done omakase right out of the chef's

15:14

hand.

15:14

Holy cow.

15:16

Not bad, huh?

15:17

Not bad at all.

15:20

You get a little soy sauce sea urchin right

15:21

away because it hits the roof of your mouth.

15:23

At the very end of the taste, Kobe beef

15:26

comes after.

15:27

And it's so nice to have the Kobe beef

15:29

just raw and delicate like that.

15:30

So level two and level three, you're going to

15:32

have a tough time.

15:33

Let's skip it.

15:35

Level two is Kobe beef yakiniku, which means barbecue.

15:40

For the meat, I'm using the Kobe beef tongue.

15:43

They're impossible to get since there is just one

15:46

per cow.

15:46

Breaking it down is similar to flaying a fish,

15:49

just like you're removing the skin from the fish.

15:51

So you see the dimple on the tongue.

15:53

This is a sign where you cut it.

15:55

And this here is all fat.

15:57

And fat is flavor.

15:58

This is the best part of the Kobe beef

16:01

tongue, one of the most expensive tongues in the

16:05

world.

16:05

Three hundred grams, easily two thousand US dollars.

16:08

We're going to cut it into small pieces like

16:11

this, and then gently score it on both sides

16:14

for some textures.

16:15

We have already prepared the Japanese charcoal.

16:17

You want it to be a nice gray color

16:19

when it's time to cook.

16:20

This is Kobe beef back fat, which we use

16:22

to oil the grill.

16:23

Listen to that nice sizzle.

16:29

Oooh.

16:29

Grill for one minute on each side and finish

16:32

it off with a bit of salt and it's

16:34

ready to eat.

16:34

Let's go.

16:35

Level two.

16:36

Let's see.

16:37

It looks good.

16:38

And it smells even better than it looks.

16:41

It's just the right amount of chewy and still

16:43

soft and fatty.

16:44

It has a little bit of crunchiness.

16:46

Level two is gonna be hard to beat.

16:48

Level three is Wagyu katsu sando.

16:51

I'm going to use this special three thousand dollar

16:55

Kobe beef tenderloin.

16:56

This is one of the most difficult cuts to

16:59

find anywhere in the world.

17:00

First, I'm going to carefully cut it into these

17:03

small portions.

17:03

The marbling on this beef is incredible.

17:06

Then we'll roll it in our special Japanese flour,

17:08

dip it in the egg, and finish with our

17:11

homemade bread crumbs, which is made from Japanese milk

17:13

bread.

17:13

For the size of this, the thickness, cook for

17:15

two and a half minutes. Shall we go?

17:22

We'll fry until it looks nice and golden brown

17:24

like this.

17:25

This is our sauce.

17:27

It has fifteen different ingredients.

17:28

The main ingredients are soy sauce and rice vinegar,

17:32

but the rest is a secret.

17:34

To assemble the sandwich, place down the beef and

17:36

close the sandwiches.

17:37

And now I will trim off all the edges.

17:45

Wow.

17:45

And I finish by slicing through the middle.

17:47

Mr. Nick, level three is ready.

17:49

Come on.

17:51

I was drooling back there watching this whole time.

17:53

Oh, level three, we need to have gold.

17:57

Yes.

18:07

I feel bad even eating this.

18:08

Look at this.

18:09

Then don't eat it.

18:10

All right.

18:11

Okay, so this is a Kobe beef Chateaubriand.

18:15

In an entire cow, you can only get ten

18:18

pieces. Let's go!

18:18

Okay.

18:24

Words cannot really describe that bite.

18:26

Even though I create it, I still love it

18:29

every day.

18:30

Well done.

18:31

Oh, one more thing.

18:32

Yeah?

18:34

You ready for dessert?

18:36

No.

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Wagyu BeefKobe BeefAuction ProcessCulinary ArtJapanese CuisineMeat GradingFarm to TableLuxury FoodBeef AuctionGourmet ExperienceCattle Farming
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