this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2023
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Unpopular Opinion

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There, I said it. Had some Wagyu A5, genuine certified import from Japan prepared by an actual chef on a handful of occasions. The last one was on Saturday as part of a business conference in the exec suite of some fancy hotel, talking to potential investors.

The set menu cost the equivalent of $700 per person, wines not included.

And. I. still. don't. like. it.

The meat is simply too rich, too soft, too greasy. There's no bite to it. Every time I try it, it reminds me of sucking on a piece of beef flavored butter. A slightly solidified cube of beef lard.

Just give me a Black Angus rump or sirloin steak if you must, that's pretentious enough at a fraction of the cost and provides such a nicer eating experience.

And please, PLEASE, for the love of everything holy, don't give me Wagyu cubes topped of with steamed foie gras. That's akin to buttering your lard. Maybe in 50 years when all my teeth are gone, I'll appreciate being able to grind down a piece of beef between my gums. But as it stands, the Wagyu hype couldn't die fast enough.

/rant

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (7 children)

When I had it in Kobe they would cook the steak, slice it in to stripes and then cook the cut pieces. Lots of sear, most of the fat is rendered out and its great. You won't get it medium rare with this method but you really don't want a5 cooked less than medium or medium well because of the fat content.

If it's cooked like that and still too rich for your tastes then it's just not for you. If they're serving you a full steak of the stuff uncut and medium rare, they're fucking up the meat.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes I had stripes, cubes, whole steaks, burger mince and whatnot, and just don't enjoy it in whichever fashion.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm having trouble with your preference for rump or sirloin. Maybe you just don't like beef if you didn't list ribeye first? Or maybe you like things well done?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ribeyes can be nice, really depending on the particular piece of meat, but they can already be marbled beyond my liking. I eat my steaks rare, bordering on blue, so I want the meat to be on the leaner side since you don't render all the fat out in the cooking process.

When I make my own I'll usually go for picanha (rump cap), cut them into thick slices and grill them on the fat cap until it's rendering in the pan and then brown the meat just for half a minute on either side in the fat.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No, I love it. But then again I live in Asia where we get prime sushi, the stuff served elsewhere in the world is often miserable.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But you don't like fatty/smooth texture. I would think that would limit the fish you would like raw. I've lived East Asia, and currently live where one can get good sushi. Maybe it's a reverse problem. I grew up eating grass fed beef, elk, bison, deer, some straight from a farm or hunted.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For fish that's no problem at all, no idea why tbh., come to think of it. There are very few I don't enjoy - and that's usually due to that sweet mayonnaise and not the actual fish. As sashimi I couldn't name a single one I wouldn't eat.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Very different flavors and textures overall II suppose. I was just wondering. Fish definitely tastes more oily than greasy. Maybe that's a difference? Thanks for the polite conversation.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If I eat a meal that costs $700 and don't literally cum from how good it is, I'm demanding a refund.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't even WANT a $700 meal. Either you don't get your money's worth, or you do, and all other food is ruined for you.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Right there with you.

I eat beef to eat meat, not fat.

Yes, some intramuscular fat improves taste and mouth feel but when there is more fat than muscle...pass.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Exactly that. Nothing against a bit of marbling, or else the steak will just dry out when you put some heat to it, but if there's more fat than actual meat, I'm not impressed.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Take my upvote and take your broken ass taste buds back to Applebee's.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Never set foot into any of those establishments.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I too dislike eating a stick of meat butter.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Use of wagyu and it's consumption should be and usually is executed differently compared to most steaks and it's philosophy. Like you said that wagyu is so extremely rich and fatty that it cannot be eaten in large quantities.

When wagyu is tastefully used (no pun intended) it should be a few small slices on the side of a larger dish. It can also be added to smaller bite size pieces, like wagyu nigiri for example (I have had it and it is wonderful).

If it's properties are understood and it is used correctly it is certainly outstanding.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is a common error: people import food from other cultures and don't import with it the way it is prepared in that other culture. Then they say "this sucks".

Similar thing happens with even something as basic and trivial as tofu: it's not a meat substitute, and if you try to use it as that it's going to suck. Make it the way it's made in the culture that invented it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Funnily enough I also love tofu. My favorite recipe with it is very simple and only includes onion, scallion, mushroom, bok choy, pork, chicken stock, black pepper and of course tofu (soft).

It's also excellent when adding rice to thicken it, making it a sort of porridge

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do Wonder though because they said it was bought and paid for at a company function and prepared by a professional chef so you would think that their experience with A5 wagyu has been as Good as it gets.

As far as I am aware, I've never had it so I don't know which side to believe and I'm not about to shell out big money to give it a try.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

You'd think that ... and yet here we are.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That's how I had it and I really liked it. Of course it's not a typical western steak.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

I'm getting the sense that Arby's claim of have a Wagyu beef burger is not quite true.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

All that value isn't necessarily because it's good (which is wildly subjective) but because of the intensive preparations that go into raising it.

I think beluga caviar is okay. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't seek it out, never mind pay what it costs

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Right, so in that case I'd say it's time wasted on raising something of a sub-par standard.

Beluga is nice, very rich and intense, but unless someone else is paying, I'm having none of that either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I could spend 40 years sculpting a 1/4 scale Godzilla out of my boogers, that doesn't mean anyone should pay a lot for it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I sort of agree. I enjoy it but it's a specific thing and there's better steak experiences out there at better prices. The hype is silly but I don't think it's ever going away unfortunately.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Ground beef with lots of fat = low quality

Steak that's seemingly >50% fat = PREMIUM OMG

I don't get it. Give me a nice prime or choice steak please. I want fat flavor enhanced meat, not meat flavored fat...

[–] Sabre363 6 points 1 year ago

I have literally never had enough money to know wagyu beef even is, but if it's as you described, then I don't think I'm missing much.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Hard disagree. Best beef experience I ever had was a kobe steak in Japan, prepared by a top chef.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

That's fair. I've never had it. But I'm also not a fan of chewing on the fat even on a regular old steak.

I can't imagine id enjoy wagyu either.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

You're not obliged to like anything. Nobody can tell you how you feel. We may be a little sniffy if you tell us our cooking sucks.

[–] no_priority 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I agree with you. Something about the grease does not sit right with me. The last time I had wagyu, it was at a fancy restaurant tasting menu place where each dish contained some part of the animal. I ended up throwing up later that evening.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

When I want to eat steak, I want to eat steak, not fat masquerading as meat, thanks, keep your waygu kobe whatever nonsense

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I had a Wagyu ribeye last year that cost like $120 and it was very good. That being said I would never pay that much for a steak.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Sounds like you had some type of American "wagyu". And I'm not knocking it, I love steaks like these.

There are a number of American farms such as Snake River that have Wagyu/Angus hybrid cattle and the beef is very good. It strikes a good balance of having more fat marbling than prime Angus, but not the ridiculous high fat context like the genuine Japanese beef OP is talking about.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I've had it. I'm thankful I did not have to pay for it. Juniper paid for it. For the price, it was terrible. NY strip, ribeye, t-bone, tomahawk... A man steak is all I want. Wagyu is for pansies with money that are offended by real meat.

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