Burger King's $200 Wagyu Burger

[Dragon]

Wagyu doesn`t taste good at all as a burger.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Wagyu, lean? What kind of show are they running at the Guardian?

First thing I thought when I read 2% fat too. More like 60% or so.

 

[dtmt]

I think I made this point before in another thread, but wagyu is just a breed of cow. What's really important is how the cattle are raised which determines the quality/taste/fat content/etc. In Japan, the cows are extremely pampered and given the highest quality feed and such, which is why Japanese beef tastes so good.

However, I noticed that beef from this BK burger is actually from Australia, so I think it's a huge ripoff because it's not "real" Japanese beef. It's akin to paying top dollar for some European-branded shoes because you expect old-world craftsmanship only to find out that they were glued together in China.

 

[Tarmac]

well, thats why they call it wagyu and not kobe. people understand the difference

 

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by dtmt

I think I made this point before in another thread, but wagyu is just a breed of cow. What's really important is how the cattle are raised which determines the quality/taste/fat content/etc. In Japan, the cows are extremely pampered and given the highest quality feed and such, which is why Japanese beef tastes so good.

However, I noticed that beef from this BK burger is actually from Australia, so I think it's a huge ripoff because it's not "real" Japanese beef. It's akin to paying top dollar for some European-branded shoes because you expect old-world craftsmanship only to find out that they were glued together in China.

You can get exceptionally good Australian-produced wagyu, but it costs quite a lot.
AACo, the Australian Agricultural Company, markets at least three different levels of wagyu, produced from livestock originally imported from Japan.
The top level is very nice indeed and to my tastebuds it compares very favourably with the meat that I've eaten in Japan - and in fact much of it is exported to Japan for consumption.
The lower two levels contain progressively less fat and are accordingly less juicy and less tasty.
I've had it and there is little marbling and not a great deal of flavour.
I would think that the BK burger would use the lowest level of AACo wagyu.

Don't forget that there are different levels of wagyu in Japan, too - not all Japanese cows are hand-massaged and given buckets of beer and sake to drink.

 

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

well, thats why they call it wagyu and not kobe. people understand the difference
Kobe is just a region of Wagyu. Wagyu is Japanese beef. Kobe is Japanese beef (Wagyu) that comes from Kobe. There are many other regions/type of cows that produce Wagyu other than Kobe.

 

[ppllzz]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Wagyu, lean? What kind of show are they running at the Guardian?

+1

wagyu is known for its marbling...

 

[Huntsman]

This is so wrong (and pretentious and stupid) on so many levels.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Dragon

There are many other regions/type of cows that produce Wagyu other than Kobe.

Actually Wagyu is the name for the family of cattle. Like Texas "Longhorn" and etc.

The name Wagyu refers to 4 related breeds of Japanese cattle. Many heads of these cattle have been shipped elsewhere, to be raised outside of Japan, but many times, as long as the carcass is dressed in Kobe, they will call it Kobe beef. Carcasses dressed in other countries are just called Wagyu, or sometime Kobe-style beef.

 

[Connemara]

I want BK right now.

 

[hisroadside]

rediculous, by adding all of the best, and by best I mean exotic and expensive, components to the stupid burger they end up cancelling it all out. Imagine going into a small butcher shop in Mallorca for Pata Negra and having the thing covered in safran!!! add pink himalayan salt???? as if sea salt such as Fleur de Sel isn't enough???? and by trufle flour I imagine they mean trufle as in the mushroom whose taste is overpowering. all this wasted with a good bottle of champagne and what began as good meat. This is one of those, I have cash and no culinary taste but if I mix all this s**t together people will think I am intelligent, burgers. This somehow reminds me of beggining skiers who go to Chamonix or Courchevel (which aren't the best) with all the best equipment and new skis and end up looking like idiots when having to face off little 7 year olds with hand me downs pulling off backflips. I'm hoping this was coherent to someone other than me but I'm sure my hatred has shown through.

 

[gordon gartrell]

I'll take a $6 Burger from Hardees over this mess anyday

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Actually Wagyu is the name for the family of cattle. Like Texas "Longhorn" and etc.

The name Wagyu refers to 4 related breeds of Japanese cattle. Many heads of these cattle have been shipped elsewhere, to be raised outside of Japan, but many times, as long as the carcass is dressed in Kobe, they will call it Kobe beef. Carcasses dressed in other countries are just called Wagyu, or sometime Kobe-style beef.

And all of the "wagyu" cows raised in the US (possibly Australia as well) are crossbred with Angus to adapt them for US ranching practices. It may be urban myth, but I also recall being told that the Japanese would not allow the export of wagyu breeding stock and allowed only the export of wagyu **** for the insemination of females of other breeds. At any rate, unless a restaurant shows you the noseprint card for their "Kobe beef," expect the product to be Kobe-style or crossbred Wagyu.

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

what a waste of wagyu. why grind it up?

So you can get nice markup on trimmings and floor sweepings.

 

[brittain]

editor 1: "hey, BK has a new burger out, who should we have review it?"
editor 2: "how about Rebecca, she's a former vegetarian who has never eaten any meat products from a fast food joint."