Lot of people only know wagyu but as someone who's eaten lot of beef, good hanwoo beef is hard to beat. It seriously might be the best beef. It's really good with that perfect balance of beef to fat ratio. I highly recommend seeking out and trying hanwoo beef if you visit South Korea.
https://www.10best.com/interests/food-culture/hanwoo-beef-best-world-south-korea/
interesting.. never thought about it that way. it looks like 25% of the ribeye is fat with all that marbling.I have never had a wagyu steak, heard they are great the above picture looks like a huge mound of fat with a little bit of meat.
Why is that so good?
You got American wagyu. Not remotely the same thing. American wagyu is basically wagyu crossbred with usually Angus cow. There's no standard on how little wagyu bloodline American wagyu can have. So it can have just hint of wagyu bloodline and still be called American wagyu.I got Costco Wagyu ground beef. Meh. I prefer generic store-brand 80/20.
I personally have never seen Hanwoo beef for sale in US store or served at any restaurant in the US. My experience with Hanwoo is from my visits to Seoul, South Korea.Is that available for purchase in the United States?
You got American wagyu. Not remotely the same thing. American wagyu is basically wagyu crossbred with usually Angus cow. There's no standard on how little wagyu bloodline American wagyu can have. So it can have just hint of wagyu bloodline and still be called American wagyu.
I don't buy American wagyu. Regular Angus beef is cheap and great and what I prefer for my burgers. If you buy American wagyu ground beef, you're getting ripped off IMO. I usually just buy Costco store ground beef that's 88% lean 12% fat when I'm in mood for burgers.
I was in mood for burgers yesterday and Lidl had a sale on 85% lean 15% fat grass fed Angus ground beef. It was on sale for $3.69 /lb. I bought the 4 lb limit and grilled some burgers yesterday. The beef and burgers were excellent. The sale ends tomorrow. If you have Lidl nearby, I highly recommend picking some up. And Lidl has great bakery so their store brand hamburger and hotdog buns are excellent as well. Can't beat $0.79 price. Lidl store brand buns are just as good if not better than most $4 name brand buns. Seriously.
I used to do smash burgers on cast iron skillet. I still like it but it's too much work. These days, I indirect grill 1/3 lb ground beef patties on Weber charcoal grill using lump charcoal. Open grill vents max, place the patties around the grill on indirect heat away from direct charcoal heat, and close the lid and set the timer for 10 minutes. Go back out after 10 minutes and flip the cooked patties onto the direct charcoal flame for like 20 seconds to give it good top sear and to burn off the pooled grease sitting on top of the cooked patties. Comes out perfect every time with no grease flareups to deal with like grilling direct from the start.I actually like Aldi's 70/30, when it's available. Mostly I just get 80/20 from the store. I've been experimenting with my LEM grinder, but man, I'm pretty basic when it comes to burgers LOL. I either do smashburgers on my cast-iron skillet, 7oz sous-vide "restaurant burgers", or ground bison over charcoal for the most part.
American Wagyu was pretty much for sure lol.
I used to do smash burgers on cast iron skillet. I still like it but it's too much work. These days, I indirect grill 1/3 lb ground beef patties on Weber charcoal grill using lump charcoal. Open grill vents max, place the patties around the grill on indirect heat away from direct charcoal heat, and close the lid and set the timer for 10 minutes. Go back out after 10 minutes and flip the cooked patties onto the direct charcoal flame for like 20 seconds to give it good top sear and to burn off the pooled grease sitting on top of the cooked patties. Comes out perfect every time with no grease flareups to deal with like grilling direct from the start.
Most people don't have much experience with grilling and don't know how to setup direct/indirect zones with grills. They think you must grill and cook food on direct heat the whole time. That's lot of work with constant monitoring and repositioning of the food items, and how you burn food.
Same way I do smash burgers except I use Weber Genesis S-330 propane gas side burner to heat the 12" Lodge cast iron pan. I use Lodge cast iron round press with piece of parchment paper to smash the burger as well. I haven't gone to Five Guys in years. There's this really good local pub with great burgers close to my house I go for burgers when I'm in the mood but don't want to cook. Similar price as Five Guys but better and larger burgers. But burgers are so easy I usually just cook at home. Just like with steaks.I have a pretty simple setup:
1. Plug-in induction hotplate (I do smashburgers & ultra-smashburgers outside because they smoke out like crazy. coincidentally, I don't care for the Smashburger chain's burgers)
2. 12" cast-iron skillet
3. 8" cast-iron press, which I wrap a piece of parchment around so that the meat doesn't stick
So I basically preheat it to 575F (1800w Nuwave PIC model hotplate), make a bunch of little 2-ounce burger balls, smash them, and then toss cheese on top after flipping. Super fast, super easy, love the thinness & the crunch! I haven't gone to Five Guys since!
I got Costco Wagyu ground beef. Meh. I prefer generic store-brand 80/20.
You got American wagyu. Not remotely the same thing. American wagyu is basically wagyu crossbred with usually Angus cow. There's no standard on how little wagyu bloodline American wagyu can have. So it can have just hint of wagyu bloodline and still be called American wagyu.
I don't buy American wagyu. Regular Angus beef is cheap and great and what I prefer for my burgers. If you buy American wagyu ground beef, you're getting ripped off IMO. I usually just buy Costco store ground beef that's 88% lean 12% fat when I'm in mood for burgers.
I was in mood for burgers yesterday and Lidl had a sale on 85% lean 15% fat grass fed Angus ground beef. It was on sale for $3.69 /lb. I bought the 4 lb limit and grilled some burgers yesterday. The beef and burgers were excellent. The sale ends tomorrow. If you have Lidl nearby, I highly recommend picking some up. And Lidl has great bakery so their store brand hamburger and hotdog buns are excellent as well. Can't beat $0.79 price. Lidl store brand buns are just as good if not better than most $4 name brand buns. Seriously.
It's like free range eggs or what not. Unless there are mandated regulations/standards to label something, it's usually just marketing crap. Be a cynical consumer.From what I've read "Wagyu" means about as much in the US as "organic" or "free-range" .... in other words there could be pretty much anything in that package provided it contains a TOUCH of wagyu DNA from 19 generations back.
I might have it once just to see, but I agree, even when I have a well marbled ribeye that I can get the fat to render well in, I don't find it particularly enjoyable.Not a fan of high fat beef like wagyu or 5A or whatever else, I would much prefer some lean grass fed steak.
I might have it once just to see, but I agree, even when I have a well marbled ribeye that I can get the fat to render well in, I don't find it particularly enjoyable.
Any recommendations for us peasants who cant quite afford the $200 price tag?
If I don't pass out and die from overeating! I'm even going to check out the buffet food at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. $130 per person buffet dinner. The most expensive previous buffet I ate was Caesars Palace Bacchanal buffet in Vegas which was like $65 or so per person. That was hugely disappointing buffet. For some reason, hotel buffets are really expensive and considered premium dining experience in Korea. My wife wants to check it out while we stay at the hotel so we'll try it once. I am looking forward to eating endless platters of abalone, bay scallops, lobsters, snow crab legs, and various sushi and sashimi at the buffet.
I liked the buffet at the Wynn way more than the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. The Wicked Spoon at The Cosmopolitan was way better than Bacchanal as well.The buffet at the Wynn used to be really impressive. It was in a similar price range, and the food was pretty impressive.
Japanese sushi is good but give me Korean sashimi instead. I like my fish and seafood as alive and fresh as possible.Found a respected sushi joint in Brooklyn that every few weeks gets a whole bluefin and it's $110 per person, no drinks or tip included. They start with the regular cuts of tuna in various preparations. But then get to the fattier otoro and toro belly pieces, and end with the cheek. So pace yourself, because the further it progresses is where it's at. I figure it's going to be like $180 dinner per person. So for me that's a very special occasion, a very very rare treat. Maybe next year for my birthday if money is good.
It's a bucket list item. So you try it once and then go back to USDA Choice and Prime. I have zero complaint with USDA Select, Choice, or Prime grade beef. Great ingredient is helpful but it's more important you know how to cook. We're blessed to live in a country where meat and food are so cheap.Any recommendations for us peasants who cant quite afford the $200 price tag?