Are "Rare Cuts" of Yakiniku Really That Good? Comparing Saga Beef Tenderloin, Neck, and Megane with a Meat Pro

In response to Ryuji's doubts, the guest answered that Ryuji was "half right." Not just butchers but any business wants to raise unit prices, so there really are many products that butchers have come up with for that purpose. But the other half is different: the guest's position was that there genuinely are differences between cuts. When Ryuji asked the price of the meat they had brought, the answer was that it varies by part, but roughly 200,000 yen in total.

The first cut was the tenderloin, which the guest said is their favorite. Ryuji admitted to not even knowing which part chateaubriand comes from, and said this might be the first time seeing a whole tenderloin in its original form. According to the guest, chateaubriand is the central part of a whole tenderloin, where it is tallest and can be cut into a neat shape. The end portion is called the "head," and another portion is called the "filet mignon."

The guest said that, honestly, the flavor doesn't change much, because it's the same cow. However, the lean meat and marbling differ slightly from section to section. Chateaubriand is what the guest most wants ordinary people to try, while connoisseurs prefer the head. The head is said to have the strongest lean character of the tenderloin, and it is also a part that is hard to cut into a neat shape. When actually cut, it had less fat than the chateaubriand. When Ryuji said, "I might like the head better," the guest replied that they also prefer the head. The head is cheaper, too. At teppanyaki restaurants and the like, some places serve the ordinary parts of the tenderloin as a regular tenderloin steak and serve only the center as a "premium tenderloin steak."

Noting first that butchering methods differ completely from person to person, the guest explained that their own approach is to remove the surrounding fat. They also trimmed away a good deal of the sinew on the head. The reason: tenderloin is the most delicious cut, so they want people to enjoy it cleanly, without sinew getting in the way in the mouth. The guest also said that the meat near the bone and the trimmings are incredibly delicious too. You can tell right away whether meat is good by looking at the marbling, the guest said; what matters is that the marbling is fine and even, and not excessive.

When Ryuji asked whether Saga beef is really that good, the guest answered that the producer's raising methods and the bloodline matter more than the brand name. It's not a matter of being delicious because it's such-and-such beef. Even at the same farm, there are good cows and not-so-good ones, and telling them apart is the butcher's job, the guest said. While acknowledging that the producers are of course amazing, the guest emphasized that their company's commitment lies in the ability to pick out meat that is "definitely going to be delicious."

The meat this time was from a female Saga beef cow raised long-term, to 36 months. The guest explained that with a cow like this, the flavor of the meat stands out without being overwhelmed, even with something like garlic soy sauce.

Ryuji did the cooking, using a household gas stove. Staff member Morita had suggested that salting in advance would be good, but Ryuji judged that it probably wouldn't matter with this meat, and salted it and cooked it right away. There was also talk that it would be good to let the meat, which was cold straight from the refrigerator, sit for a bit, but Ryuji said that probably didn't matter either since it's domestic beef. No oil was used, and Ryuji figured pepper wasn't needed either.

The seasonings were salt, wasabi soy sauce, and garlic soy sauce. Garlic soy sauce is properly made by steeping whole garlic cloves for several days. To make it quickly this time, they went with a simplified version: one clove of garlic, grated and steeped in about 80 cc of soy sauce.

As for doneness, the guest said it should be cooked hardly at all on the inside, just the surface. As it cooks, a "wagyu aroma" rises, and once it actually started cooking, Ryuji too reacted to how amazing the wagyu smell was.

First they ate the filet mignon, cut into cubes. Ryuji was surprised, saying it was "insanely good," and described how it comes apart when pressed with the tongue. It felt like the fibers just disappeared, the way a scallop adductor muscle falls apart. When Ryuji asked whether it tasted good because it was freshly cut, the guest said that doesn't really matter. Feed and raising methods are the big factors, and it starts from the product being good. Ryuji said, "This might be the best steak I've ever had." In addition to the wasabi soy sauce, Ryuji praised the quick garlic soy sauce as delicious, letting the flavor of the meat come through.

Next was the head. The guest said in advance that because its lean character is strong, both its texture and flavor would be completely different from the filet mignon. The idea for cooking it is to sear one side over high heat and cook the other side over low heat. Eating the head, finished rare, Ryuji said it was completely different from the earlier "falling apart" texture. Even with just salt, it had plenty of beef umami; Ryuji's impression was that, if compared to fish, it would be like flounder.

Finally, they cooked the central chateaubriand. Because it is thicker than the filet mignon, it was cooked a bit longer. Ryuji said that being able to enjoy it this rare would be impossible unless the meat was good, and was surprised that the fat was melting even while it was being cut.

When Ryuji asked what the guest looks at when choosing meat, the guest answered that the number one thing is the fat. They touch it with a finger through the vacuum packaging and see how much the fat melts from the warmth of the finger. It varies from animal to animal; good meat has fat with a low melting point that melts at around body temperature, 36°C.

Ryuji said wasabi goes well with it because it's a fatty cut. At the same time, Ryuji also said, "I thought it would be greasier," and guessed that the lack of greasiness was due to the low melting point. The guest added that, in addition to the melting point, there is a tenderness characteristic of female cattle. Ryuji described it as nearly sashimi on the inside, with the seared exterior adding aroma, and also said, "It's like a sandwich of meat between meat."

Afterward, they actually touched the raw fat. Even refrigerated, the fat immediately clings to the hand. Yet it feels smooth rather than sticky, and the guest explained that this is a sign of good meat.

You can't press supermarket meat in its package. So how do you tell? The guest offered two points. One is to choose meat that hasn't been sitting too long since it was processed. The other is the guest's own method: gently tilt the package and see how the fat inside slides. However, the guest introduced it as a "trick," with the caveat that it's something you really aren't supposed to do.

After the tenderloin, they butchered the neck, the part of the neck that connects to the chuck roll. Ryuji said it looked like skirt steak, but according to the guest, it is from the neck and runs along the spine. There's almost no fat. The surrounding membrane can be removed or left on.

According to the guest's explanation, because it is close to the shoulder it is slightly tough, and it is really a cut that is outstanding in stews or curry. If it weren't wagyu, it would be too tough to grill and eat, but with wagyu it can be grilled. Frank Meat sells it for around 250 yen per 100 g. Since it's from the same cow as the tenderloin, it allows a pure comparison of the difference between cuts.

Ryuji said tougher cuts bring out more beef flavor, which is why they suit curry, and that shank works on the same principle, because the gelatin comes out. The shared understanding between the two here was that you can't say across the board which cut is "good"; each cut has its own way of being cooked. Ryuji also said that if you made a steak from imported neck, it would be so tough you'd think, "What is this?"

Grilled rare, the neck had strong springiness and was completely different from the tenderloin earlier. Ryuji said it was rich in flavor, and that it let you taste the beef most clearly, like a broth of lean meat. Tenderloin comes apart and disappears smoothly, but with the neck, the more you chew, the more juice and flavor come out. Ryuji called it a "wild steak," different from skirt steak too, and said it was close to the beef flavor they know, and that this is more like what they normally eat.

The last cut was "megane." It's meat from above the inner thigh, around the pelvis. According to the guest, it isn't cut out of a particular primal. It's meat stuck around the bones, something like the meat between the ribs, that only comes out when an entire cow is broken down, and it's scraped off the bone. For that reason, it's only available from companies that buy whole cattle, and it doesn't make its way to shops that only buy round or only tenderloin. The guest said almost no yakiniku restaurants carry it.

Megane is also a tender type of lean meat, and they ate it with garlic soy sauce. Ryuji said, "This is my favorite." It doesn't have the strong chew of the neck, yet it isn't too fatty either. The beef flavor is rich, and Ryuji remarked that it might have the best balance of all. The price at Frank Meat is around 280 yen, and Ryuji was surprised at how cheap it is compared to tenderloin. Ryuji said that if this came out at a yakiniku restaurant, you'd have hit the jackpot, and that it's meat you could keep eating forever, naming megane as the cut everyone should definitely try.

To finish, Ryuji made garlic rice. It's generally made with butter, but Ryuji said that with this much wagyu beef tallow on hand, making it with beef tallow alone would taste better. Ryuji chopped 30 to 40 g of beef tallow and cooked it over heat until it was crisp and shriveled. Garlic was added, along with the slightly fibrous part at the end of the tenderloin called the "himo" (string). 400 g of rice was stir-fried and seasoned with about 3 tablespoons of dashi soy sauce, which Ryuji said they've been into lately. The meat was added near the end and left on the rare side, and black pepper and green onions were added too. Ryuji said that at home, you can get beef tallow from a butcher or buy it.

After eating, the two reacted with, "So beef can taste this good." Ryuji said the deliciousness came from using beef tallow rather than butter, explaining that they had really wanted to use beef tallow all along but use butter because households don't have it. Ryuji also said it might even beat a teppanyaki restaurant. The guest also praised it, saying the fat had a sweetness and was good enough to sell on the tallow alone.

At the end, Ryuji revealed that, to be honest, they hadn't been very fond of wagyu because it's fatty. But this time, Ryuji was keenly aware that there are factors that determine selection and quality, and wrapped up the study session by saying they hadn't really known much about wagyu. To the opening question of "are rare cuts really that good," the guest had answered "half right." When they actually compared them, what Ryuji liked most was not the expensive chateaubriand, but the inexpensive, rarely distributed megane, along with the head and neck with their strong lean character.