Japan is a nation that is known for producing quality goods, and this also extends to their food and drink. You’ve likely heard of A5 wagyu beef, which is widely considered to be the best in the world, but have you ever heard of a burger made out of it?
So, what is a wagyu burger? A Wagyu burger is a burger that is made with Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef is a type of Japanese cattle that is renowned for its marbled meat, which gives it a unique flavor and texture. While Wagyu burgers are typically more expensive than other types of burgers, their rich flavor and tender texture make them well worth the price.
While you’ll find wagyu burgers in the United States, there is no guarantee that these burgers are made out of real Japanese wagyu.
While a wagyu burger may sound like the epitome of lavish eating, you have to be sure that you’re getting the real thing when you go out and buy one. I’m going to explore what separates a real wagyu burger from a fake one and also answer a few burning questions that people tend to have about these burgers.
What’s a Wagyu Burger?
I’m going to take a look at what goes into making a wagyu burger, and in essence – what is wagyu burger.
From the outside, this question may seem like a relatively simple one. It stands to reason that a wagyu burger is one that is made using wagyu beef, but there’s a lot more that goes into a wagyu burger than that.
What is a wagyu burger made of? A Wagyu burger is made of high-quality, well-marbled meat. The meat is extremely tender and juicy, with a rich flavor that is often described as buttery or nutty. This is due to the fact that wagyu cows are raised with care and in a specific way.
Wagyu burgers are usually made from ground beef, but they can also be made from steak or roast. The patties are typically cooked on the grill or in a pan, but they can also be cooked in the oven.
The first thing to consider is that the definition of wagyu beef can be relatively flexible, depending on where you are.
For example, if you’re in Japan, then you can be reasonably assured that you’re consuming real wagyu beef in your burger when it’s advertised as such. Be sure to pay close attention to the grade of the beef, as most people looking for the best possible wagyu beef will want a burger that is made of A5 wagyu, which is the highest grade.
This means that the wagyu beef had the best possible level of marbling according to the Japanese grading system. This kind of grade would typically be off the charts if the USDA was grading the beef since A5 wagyu features about twice as much marbling as even the best cuts of Angus in the US.
True A5 wagyu beef is notoriously difficult to import into the USA, and American wagyu beef is typically born and bred in the United States. Unfortunately, the USA has very lax definitions of what constitutes wagyu beef, and you may be misled into thinking that you’re having the world’s best beef when it isn’t really comparable to it.
Types of Cows Used for Wagyu
Now that you know what is wagyu beef burger, and what type of meat is used for making them, let’s see from what breeds of cows it comes. Here are the breeds used for wagyu:
- Japanese Black,
- Japanese Polled,
- Japanese Brown,
- and Japanese Shorthorn.
This is because the Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) only operates in Japan, as you’d expect them to, and they’re the only ones that hold wagyu beef to such high standards. Since wagyu beef is literally off the charts of other bodies that govern food grades, it’s only natural that wagyu in other countries will be held to less exacting standards.
Unfortunately, the exacting standards in Japan are exactly what makes it so that their wagyu beef is the best in the world. Think of it as the difference between a huge, beautifully cut, and clear diamond being compared to a diamond of equal size that has poor refractive qualities and is rough.
This may have you wondering whether a real wagyu burger even exists, and you’ll be happy to hear that a large number of American tourists in Japan has led to many Japanese restaurants and hotels offering a wagyu burger. In fact, one hotel even offers a burger that weighs three kilos and is worth $946!
Does Turning Wagyu into a Burger Ruin It?
While wagyu burgers are certainly possible, many culinary experts doubt whether or not they’re even worth the money because of how ground beef diminishes the advantages of a cut of wagyu steak.
The main advantage of wagyu is how perfectly the meat is marbled but does this matter when you grind it up?
What is wagyu ground beef? Wagyu ground beef is a type of premium ground beef that is made from Wagyu cattle. These cattle are known for their high-quality meat, which is why Wagyu ground beef is considered to be a cut above the rest.
The meat is well-marbled and very juicy, making it perfect for burgers, meatloaf, and other dishes where ground beef is typically used. Wagyu ground beef can be found at specialty butcher shops or online retailers.
Making ground beef out of wagyu meat means that it loses the natural distribution of fat throughout the meat, detracting from one of the main reasons why people love it. Since the marbling in a wagyu steak is responsible for its juiciness and tenderness, this diminishes the quality of the burger, relative to wagyu in steak form.
When you grind up wagyu beef, it also means that the burger patty will become a lot more saturated with fat than your typical burger, meaning that it may not be quite as suitable for cooking burgers in the first place.
If you were to grind up genuine A5 wagyu into burger meat, you’d end up with a patty that is so filled with fat that it would literally break into pieces the moment that you tried to cook it. This is because the fat holding the meat together would essentially liquify and break down the meat.
Another thing to consider is that the maximum allowable amount of fat in ground beef is capped at 30%, and even that’s considered above the reasonable limit for the meat used in a burger. Even the fattiest of ground beef that is typically used in burgers is around 25%.
Yet another issue is that wagyu beef is cooked with the intent of tasting the meat itself, especially due to how flavorful it is compared to your typical beef. When you place it in a burger, you diminish your experience of the flavors due to the toppings that are typically on burgers.
Even if you have a plain wagyu beef burger, the inclusion of the bun will only add unnecessary blandness to the palate, making the wagyu taste less prevalent.
Of course, it’s still possible to make a quality wagyu beef burger. You have to be sure not to season the meat too heavily to ensure that its flavor remains in it. You’ll also want to be sure that you cook your burger to the point that it’s medium rare, as cooking it until it’s well done will eliminate many of the best flavors in the meat.
There is much debate between chefs and cooks when it comes to whether or not wagyu burgers are worth the money and effort of preparation.
Wagyu Is Great for a Healthy Lifestyle
Wagyu beef is considered one of the healthiest options when it comes to meat. If you incorporate it into your already balanced diet, it can be to your benefit, because this type of beef is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. It has up to 30% of these kinds of acids than typical beef used for burgers. If you want to keep your cholesterol levels within the norm, this is a great option. Keep in mind that many types of research suggest that a larger intake of monounsaturated fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
According to beef enthusiasts, grilled steak is the ideal way to appreciate the melt-in-your-mouth marbling characteristic of wagyu. Steak is also an excellent method to sample and evaluate wagyu of various grades and regions. Remember to always cook the beef to at least medium or medium-rare temperatures in order for the marbled fat to achieve its optimum melting point.
