Marble meat: myths and reality. Marble beef is the most expensive meat in the world

Everyone tried it in restaurants, but almost no one cooked it on their own. What are we talking about? Oh yes, marbled beef! After all, joking aside: how often have you had to serve this delicacy product for dinner at home? No? And absolutely in vain! After all, home-cooked marbled meat steak contains a unique ingredient that not every restaurant chef has. We are talking about a piece of soul and mood that you put into a dish made by yourself. And if you add a little more “knowledge of the matter” to this, then the success of the venture is guaranteed.

For those who are just discovering such a delicious delicacy as marbled beef and want to learn how to cook it in their kitchen, we have prepared a series of articles. In the first of them, we will tell you why marbled beef is so famous and why it cannot be compared with the meat of an ordinary cow, which is sold on the market.

Believe it or not, you want it, but it was like this

It is believed that marble cows originated in Japan. According to an ancient legend, this happened even before our era with the light hand of a certain local goddess. Like it or not, it has not been established for certain. However, there is still a certain historical clue: references to this wonderful animal are contained in the chronicles of the Land of the Rising Sun a thousand years ago.

Since then, the breeding of this variety of cattle has become a real cult. All the Japanese dreamed of tasting this “divine” cow meat, but only a few representatives of the authorities were awarded such an honor. And only at the end of the 17th century, when Buddhism became the state religion of the country and eating beef was banned, interest in this topic subsided. But, as it turned out, not for long. Changes in the cultural and political life of the country allowed the tradition to revive: in the 1860s, during the Meiji Revolution, marble animal husbandry began to develop rapidly again. And today the country supplies more than 120 varieties of similar meat products to the world market.

There is an opinion that one of the first statesmen who became interested in her was N. S. Khrushchev. During an official visit to the United States, he happened to taste a surprisingly fragrant beef steak. Khrushchev liked the taste of this dish so much that, upon returning home, he asked his chef to conduct a gastronomic experiment. And then everyone was in for a surprise. It turned out that the recipe for preparing the dish played by no means a paramount role. Much more important was the type of meat from which such a steak was made. And the necessary beef in the USSR of those times was simply not found. Therefore, the Secretary of State had to open a special farm, where special bulls of meat breeds were imported from abroad.

Marble vs. "regular" beef: the difference is significant

“This is all understandable, but what is worse than the meat of an ordinary cow, which I can buy cheaper at the nearest market?” - you ask. And we will explain to you that it differs in everything, from the quality of the product to its taste. The fact is that there are cows of dairy and meat breeds.

• As the name suggests, the first designed to give milk. This is what they do all their lives. And when a dairy cow becomes old, it is allowed to be slaughtered. Do not throw away such "valuable" meat! You can easily find such a product in the market or in the nearest supermarket. Even after prolonged heat treatment (boiling or stewing), dishes made from it remain tough, hard to chew and have a characteristic aftertaste.


• Meat breeds of beef are bred precisely in order to get to your table after a certain period of fattening - grass or grain. These animals are genetically predisposed to the formation of an intramuscular fat layer. Thanks to this, a marble pattern appears in the texture of their meat, according to which such beef is easy to distinguish visually. It is incredibly juicy and tender, because bulls are slaughtered at a young age. Therefore, steak and other marbled beef dishes are cooked very quickly - in just a few minutes.

There is a market for marbled beef in modern Russia!

One of the leaders in this agricultural segment is the Zarechnoye group of innovative companies, whose products are known under the brand. This meat is a high degree of marbling - Choice, Top Choice and Prime, which is obtained from bulls of the Aberdeen Angus breed. Animals are grazed and fattened in ecologically clean areas of the Voronezh and Kaluga regions. For 10-12 months they simply live in an environment close to natural and eat meadow grasses. Then young bulls are transferred to feedlots, where they are given a special 4-component grain mixture based on wet corn for 180 days. No hormones or chemicals! The output is amazing world-class quality marbled meat, from which juicy and fragrant steaks are made. And in order to fully reveal the taste of beef, before getting on the cutting board to the chef, the product undergoes a 2-week wet ripening procedure.

We can talk for a long time about the "evolution" of marbled beef in Russia and in the world, provide information from history and genetics. But the facts are inedible ... What can not be said about or any other dish of marbled meat. So treat yourself to it tonight, just like that! And you yourself will feel and understand.

For many people, this type of meat is associated with a special and exclusive variety, available only to a select few. In order to dispel this fairly common myth, it will be useful to learn more about how marbled beef is grown. After that, it becomes obvious that many of its types are quite affordable and are widely represented on the meat products market. The main distinguishing feature of the variety is peculiar streaks of fat, which have a special recognizable color and texture.

What does marbled beef mean: a detailed analysis

Since the direct meaning of the word “marble” is closely associated with veins of a lighter color against a dark background, such an associative array and the name itself look quite appropriate. The streaks of noble aged fat in some way repeat the structure of the natural material of the same name. They are present only in the body of young bulls, which is directly determined by the production technology of the product.

So, in the process of producing marbled beef, the cultivation of the bulls themselves must meet certain requirements:

• Proper selection of cattle breeds - Hereford, black angus, Aberdeen and limousines are genetically predisposed to the development of fatty layers;
• proper technology of keeping and feeding - drinking milk for the first six months, free growth in the pasture for 10 months and adding a balanced grain mixture;
• observance of periods of artificial and natural feeding;
• slaughter - 4 months of limited movement in the stall, which affects the formation of a "fat" pattern in the meat.

The answer to the question of how marbled beef is obtained directly depends on the conditions of livestock, and the professionalism of the manufacturer plays an important role. Often there are cases when the same breed from different manufacturers as a result gives meat that is completely different in taste and characteristics.

These moments give an understanding of how marbled beef differs from ordinary beef. There are even ways to raise calves on a purely grain diet, when their meat acquires similar properties. This process is quite complicated and costly, although it is popular with some manufacturers.

It should be noted that marbled beef from the above breeds of cows is considered the highest quality and most popular. Despite this, meat from other representatives of cattle can turn out, if not better, then about the same level of quality. The key difference is the difficulty of forming a recognizable pattern, which is considered one of the main indicators, in addition to the direct taste characteristics.

Marbled Beef Parts: An Anatomical Atlas

In total, there are three varieties of beef, which are formed depending on which part of the carcass they are cut from:

• Higher. It consists of the dorsal and chest parts, fillet, butt, rump and rump. Due to its structure, such meat is considered the most delicious and is very popular in many restaurants, including the most elite ones.
• First. Shoulder, shoulder, flank and neck are classified in this category. According to its taste characteristics, the pulp, for example, shoulder blades, is slightly inferior to the highest grade, and for some connoisseurs of marbled beef, it is even considered more preferable.
• Slash, front and back shank (knuckle) - more fibrous and tough meat, which is widely used in the preparation of simple and affordable meat dishes in various catering establishments.

It is noteworthy that each part in traditional cooking has a strictly defined branch of purpose:

• The cut or neck is great for making broths and stewing.
• The spatula is ideal for cooking soups, making chopped meatballs and goulash. For the same purpose, the shoulder part is well suited.
• The back part is intended for chops, cutlets, ribs in borscht and large pieces of meat when baking.
• Fillet is a very thin meat without excess fat, suitable for most kitchen dishes.
• For dishes that require slightly loose meat and easy to sear, marbled beef from the thick edge of the Black Angus breeds, which also has proven itself in the ribeye steak, is suitable.
• Brisket is often used as an exclusive product for the manufacture of special meat dishes.
• Rump is considered an excellent option for cooking over an open fire or in the manufacture of escalopes and medallions.
• The flesh of the marbled beef thigh (aka rump) is popular in the manufacture of escalopes or when baked in the oven due to its rather fibrous and complex structure.
• The flank is perfect for preparing rolls and minced veal in various variations, as well as for cooking meat slices with vegetables.
• The knuckle is suitable for stewing with or without a bone. Another great option for its use is the preparation of jelly.

Types of marbled beef steaks

In any country in the world, this meat is considered one of the best and is subjected to a variety of kitchen experiments. Its production technology lies in the strict adherence to the "grass" diet of livestock, so it can be considered lean and extremely healthy.

Since there is a lot of controversy regarding how marbled beef is made in different countries, Japan can be taken as an example - as an example of a professional attitude to the culinary arts.

There are some recipes that are considered, if not the most difficult, then one of the most expensive for sure. This is due to the popularity of the product and its relative rarity in the Land of the Rising Sun. So, the most expensive marbled beef is considered Japanese "kobe". The technology of its production is very ancient, which significantly affects the cost of the final product - a price tag of $ 150-500 for 200 grams of meat is considered quite normal. A distinctive feature of this beef is that it is produced from the only breed of Japanese Wagyu cattle. An interesting fact is that the name of the breed corresponds to the region of Japan where it is grown. Moreover, this meat is considered a national treasure of the country and is popularized in every possible way.

As for steaks, different in terms of cost, availability and taste characteristics, there are two most popular ones:

• Striploin. It is considered traditionally a masculine dish due to its pronounced taste and large fibers. For meat connoisseurs, marbled beef striploin steak is also known as "New York", since it was in the steakhouses of this city that they began to make it.
• Ramp. Such a dish is made from the femoral part of the hind leg of a young bull. If you delve into the anatomical features, it becomes clear that this meat is quite tough. Nevertheless, with proper preparation, a marbled beef ramp steak can amaze with a rich meaty taste and a delicious pronounced aroma.

It is important to understand that marbled meat is very sensitive to heat treatment, so traditional steaks from it are cooked several times faster, and their taste characteristics fascinate with their versatility and sophistication.

For the meat industry.

The most delicious steaks come from marbled beef. But what breeds of cows can boast of this type of meat? How to ensure that the beef turned out marbled? Few people know the answer to this question. Let's take a closer look at this issue black angus cow breed.

aberdeen angus, which is also called the black angus, is an elite breed of cattle. Aberdeen Angus meat is superior in taste to any other breed of beef. Aberdeen Angus cattle breed was bred 2 centuries ago in Scotland. The breed was bred in the county of Aberdeenshire. That is why the breed of cows was named so. Aberdeen Angus cows come in red or black colors. The black suit of cows is more common. Black angus meat is the best for steaks.

refers to meat KRS. Angus bulls are considered especially large. Animals have thick black withers. The main distinguishing feature of the Aberdeen Angus is the absence of horns. Animals are programmed from birth to increase their muscle mass. Bulls and cows of the Aberdeen Angus breed are very growing fast. If certain conditions are met, then one animal can gain up to 1.5 kg of weight per day. As for the yield of meat after slaughter, it is about 70% of live weight, which is much more than other meat breeds of cattle.

Gallery: Aberdeen Angus cows (25 photos)

What exactly is called marble meat? Marble beef is called the meat of cows and bull in the Black Angus or Aberdeen Angus breeds. In the muscles of animals there are thin layers of adipose tissue, due to which a marble pattern is formed on the steaks. The more such fatty layers there are on a piece of meat, the juicier and more tender it will be after cooking.

Such fatty fibers are formed due to the genetic predisposition of animals and proper fattening. Up to 4 months, a young bull is fed fresh grass, and after this time it is transferred to grain feed. Such nutrition contributes to the formation of fatty thin layers on muscle tissue. In cattle of other breeds, such fatty fibers are not formed, and fat simply grows on top of the muscle. This is why meat of other breeds is tougher, which makes the steak taste rubbery.

Thanks to such small and thin fat inclusions on marbled beef, the steak is soaked in juice and melts in the mouth.

Regardless of where the animal was raised, the meat must always be vacuum-packed. A fresh steak can be stored in a vacuum for no more than 45 days. However, when buying a steak, you should also pay attention to the following points:

• Black Angus meat should be deep red if it comes from a mature cow or bull, or pale red if it comes from a calf;
• If you touch the beef with your palm, it should remain dry. The surface of the steak should not be covered with slime;
• A piece of meat should have a pleasant smell, not sour;
• A marbled piece of beef should have approximately the same veins throughout the steak.

It is not necessary to evaluate the meat immediately after opening the package. The piece must be removed from the vacuum for at least half an hour, after which it can be cut and cooked.

Both premium and alternative cuts can be used to make marbled beef. The ideal option would be a rib-eye steak (with thick edges) or a striploin steak (with thin edges). Such meat pieces from the back of a cow have the greatest marbling, which means that the steak will turn out to be more juicy and tender after cooking.

In addition to beef, for cooking fried meat you will need salt, black pepper and vegetable oil. Chefs do not recommend marinating marbled beef in advance.

• Before cooking, beef must be cut into steaks at least 2 cm thick.
• After that, the steaks should lie down on the table and “rest” a little. The temperature of the meat before frying should be at room temperature, in no case should you cook steaks from the refrigerator.
• After letting the steaks warm up for about 30 minutes, the meat can begin to fry. Before this, you need to heat the pan.
• Steaks must be greased with vegetable oil and put on a hot frying pan.
• The pieces of beef should be fried on each side for 3 minutes, and then a few more minutes until the desired degree of doneness.
• After that, the steak can be removed from the stove.
• Salt and pepper the meat on both sides and let it cook for about 5 more minutes.
• At the end, the steaks are transferred to a warm plate and served at the table.

Attention, only TODAY!

This is a special product, characterized by the presence of many fatty layers that make the meat very juicy and tender. The tenderloin looks unusual - the pink color is riddled with white stains, which forms the marbling of the meat. During cooking, the fat layers are melted, filling the dish with juice, due to which it acquires a unique softness and aroma. The most expensive meat is the one in which the maximum number of such layers.

What is marbled meat

More often this term is used for beef (beef), but it can also be used for pork, horse meat (cutting of the Yakut horse). Marble meat is a piece of red fillet that contains a sufficient amount of intramuscular fat, arranged in layers, and resembles a marble pattern. In young cows and bulls, marbling is rare, since in veal fat develops first in the region of the heart, kidneys, near the pelvis (under the skin). Only after the maturation of the animal, fatty fibers begin to form in the intermuscular space and directly inside the muscles.

What is the difference between marbled beef and regular beef?

There are two main types of cows - beef and dairy breeds. The latter are designed to give milk, which is what they do all their lives. When a cow of this breed gets old, it is allowed to be slaughtered. Such meat is sold in markets and supermarkets. Beef cows are specially bred to be slaughtered after a certain period of fattening (grain or grass). Such animals are genetically disposed to the growth of intramuscular fat, due to which the beef has a marbled pattern.

The meat with streaks of fat is very soft, juicy and tender. Marbled veal does not often enter the store shelves, it is highly valued, since it requires strict adherence to cultivation technology. Marble pork, like beef, is considered a delicacy due to its small share in the total volume of meat products produced, while the demand for it is increasing. Selected steak with fatty layers is cooked very quickly - young meat takes only a few minutes.

How marbled beef is grown

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the selection of beef cattle is only gaining momentum. One of the leaders in this agricultural segment is the Zarechnoye group of companies, which manufacture products under the Primebeef brand. This marbled meat is obtained from Aberdeen Angus bulls, which are herded and fed in the ecologically clean region of the Kaluga and Voronezh regions.

During the year, the animals live in an environment close to natural, they eat meadow grasses on free range, after which they are transferred to feedlots. The manufacturer gives them a special multi-component cereal mixture based on wet corn for six months. As a result, high-quality marbled meat, from which juicy steaks are made, gets on the shelves. So that the taste of beef has time to fully reveal, before deliveries to stores, it undergoes a two-week wet maturation.

Factors affecting marbling

This term refers to the presence of intramuscular fat in meat. Evaluators look at the volume and distribution of fat fibers in the longissimus dorsi muscle in a section between ribs 12 and 13. The degree of marbling is one of the main criteria for determining the category of product quality. This indicator depends on the breed, genetic data of the animal, selection. Beef cattle (Wagyu, Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn, etc.) and dairy breeds (Holstein, Jersey) have more adipose tissue in the muscles.

Marble meat will not work without proper nutrition. The longer cattle are fed high-calorie feed, the more likely it is to get the highest quality beef, but at the same time a significantly smaller amount of marble tenderloin will be produced (the ratio of lean meat to marble with the age of the animal changes in favor of the first). Feeding cows and steers large amounts of grains such as corn and barley will change the color of the zhivo from yellow to white. In addition, the chances of obtaining higher quality in accordance with accepted standards will increase.

Insufficient physical activity is a factor that also affects the cultivation of marbled meat. Bulls and cows that have grown up in cramped stalls have softer meat than animals that have been allowed to walk a lot. So, animals, limited in movement, easily accumulate fat inside the muscles, their tenderloin becomes soft. Free-range cattle eat a lot of fiber-rich grass (instead of grain) and have a lot of force on the muscles when walking, so the muscle tissue becomes dry.

The globally accepted technology for growing and feeding livestock to obtain marbled meat is feedlots, which are sites for fattening high-calorie feed for at least 4-5 months before slaughter. The initial growth time of the animal falls on free grazing. The breed of Kobe gobies is fed with milk until the age of six months, after which they are transferred to a pasture, where they grow with little or no human intervention in free grazing.

The grown cattle are transferred to individual rooms with soundproof walls and hung on the reins so that they cannot move, but also do not lie, because then the muscles will be in tension for uniform layering of tissue with fat. At this time, the bulls receive selected grain and high-quality beer (the latter is needed to improve their appetite). Such a diet enhances the deposition of fat. The average standard for grain feeding is 200-300 days. In order for fat to penetrate deep into, forming thin layers in the muscles, the bulls are periodically given vibration massage.

Types of marbled meat steaks

Beef steaks are an expensive dish, the meat for which is taken from the best parts of beef carcasses. Only a tenth of the whole cow is suitable for their preparation. Modern cooking distinguishes the following types of steaks, the names of which indicate the place of the carcass from which the meat was cut:

• club steak - cut off from the back at the site of the thick edge of the longest spinal muscle, has a small costal bone;

• ribeye steak - taken from the subscapular part of the animal's body, has a large amount of adipose tissue;

• teebone steak - meat on a T-shaped bone, cut on the border between the lumbar and dorsal parts near the thin edge of the longest back muscle and the thin edge of the tenderloin, due to which it consists of two different types of fillets (New York bones and filet mignon) ;

• striploin steak - taken from the strip of the lumbar part, without bones;

• porterhouse steak - cut from the loin of a cow at the thick edge of the tenderloin;

• roundramb steak - tenderloin from the upper part of the hip area;

• sirloin steak - marbled meat, which is cut from the lower back in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe head of the tenderloin;

• skrit steak - a very tasty, expensive piece from the diaphragm of an animal;

• filet mignon - a transverse thin section of the central region of the loin tenderloin with the most tender meat;

• tornedos - small slices from the thin edge of the central part of the tenderloin, which are used to make medallions;

• Chateaubriand - the thick edge of the central part of the tenderloin, which is fried whole, is not much different from filet mignon, but is served not standing on a plate, but laid out in length.

How to cook meat

To fry the marble fillet on a grill or pan, use the tenderloin from the rib part, which is characterized by a high degree of fat content and juiciness. This type of dish in restaurants is valued more than others. Steamed beef is not recommended. When cooking a steak, it is better not to rush, otherwise the piece will remain raw inside. The optimal temperature for marbled beef according to the classic recipe is 160 degrees.

Marble beef

Marble beef

Marble beef is perhaps the world's most famous meat delicacy.

\"Marble \" it is called because the cut is very reminiscent of its appearance veined stone. This effect is achieved due to the presence of thin layers of fat in the muscle tissue, which make the taste of meat surprisingly juicy, light and tender. Such meat is obtained from bulls grown using a special technology. This technology consists in the intensive feeding of the animal, during the last three to four months before slaughter, exclusively with grain, with a complete restriction of its movement. The source of high-quality marbled beef is only the meat of young bulls. This allows for a low content of connective tissue, which gives the beef greater tenderness.

Marbled beef obtained from bulls grown according to the old Japanese technology "Kobe" is especially appreciated. According to this technology, first a young bull is walked for some time in clean meadows. Then he is kept suspended from the ceiling by reins in a room with soundproof walls, fed with rice and soldered with beer. The process goes under the continuous sound of classical music. And so that the poor animals do not have bedsores and shortness of breath, they are given daily vibration massage. When the bull reaches the desired weight, it is slaughtered. The meat is very tender, and the veins do not look like stripes, but a real marble pattern.

Cooking marbled beef

\"Marble\" meat as a species appeared in Japan in the 1860s, so the classic recipes for its preparation came to us from there.

This type of meat has 120 varieties, each of which bears the name of the village in which it is produced. For example, "Kobe" is a variety from the capital of Japanese "marble" meat - the city of Kobe. There is even a saying in Japan: "You don't need teeth to get meat from Kobe."

Usually a Japanese chef prepares \"marble\" meat right in front of the eyes of visitors on a large stove - teppanyaki, or hibachi-table, as the Americans call it. These are special brazier tables located next to the tables. The meat is fried in vegetable oil with the addition of sesame seeds and spices. The rest of the details are a chef's secret.

Shabu-shabu (boiled thin pieces of meat, vegetables, noodles) and sukiyaki are prepared from \"marbled\" beef, the history of which goes back 150 years. When the Japanese still ate little meat, they kindled a fire near the house to cook it, and to fry the meat, they used a shovel (in Japanese - \"bitch\"), and they call any roast \"yaki\". This is how the name of this dish came about.

In restaurants, you can most often find sukiyaki nabe - boiled marbled meat with bean curd, vegetables, noodles and a raw egg. For this dish, the chef only prepares the ingredients, and the guests themselves cook thin slices of beef in a saucepan with water or weak broth. Ready slices of meat are dipped into a small cup with a beaten raw egg. While everyone is eating, the chef adds various spices to the sauce as needed. If his taste gets too spicy, he adds more sake or water.

The most important criterion for evaluating such meat is its “marbling”, that is, the quality of the intermuscular fat layer. “If we accept the division into categories A and B, in each of which marbling is indicated by a number from 1 to 5 (A5 is top of the top), then in Moscow restaurants you can find meat of category A2 and A3, rarely A4,” says Gennady Kim. “Its purchase price is between €140 and €180 per kg.” However, wagyu gobies are also bred in other countries. “Wagyu beef of the penultimate quality level can be found, for example, in Australia,” says Anton Lyalin, co-owner of Global Foods. “But the highest level is possible only in Japan, because the methods that the Japanese use to produce it are prohibited in other countries.” So the search for real meat from Kobe or Matsusaki in Moscow is better to start with expensive Japanese restaurants such as Sumosan or Seiji ..

Dictionary of culinary terms. 2012 .

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