Matsusaka beef

Matsusaka beef

Matsusaka loin for sale in Tokyo
Type	Beef
Place of origin	Japan
Cookbook: Matsusaka beef   Media: Matsusaka beef

Matsusaka beef (松阪牛, Matsusaka-ushi, Matsusaka-gyū also "Matsuzaka beef") is the meat of Japanese Black cattle reared under strict conditions in the Matsusaka region of Mie in Japan. It has a high fat-to-meat ratio. Within Japan, it is one of the three Sandai Wagyū, the "three big beefs"; the others are Kobe beef and Ōmi beef or Yonezawa beef. About 2500 cows are slaughtered for Matsusaka beef each year; the meat commands high prices.^[1]

History[]

Matsusaka beef, showing heavy marbling

A Shabu-shabu meal

Before the 19th century, beef was not typically a part of the average Japanese diet.^[2] Farmers in the Mie Prefecture would raise smaller and more muscular, female cows to do agricultural work.^[2] When westerners introduced them to eating beef, farmers began to raise the cows to have traits that were more favorable for human consumption.^[2] The "National Beef Exposition" awarded Matsusaka with the medal of high honor in 1938.^[2] The award helped make Matsusaka more well known.^[2] The beef became famous for its marbling, rich flavor, and tenderness.^[3]

Original standards[]

The cows take roughly three years to mature.^[2] In order for the meat to be sold under the Matsusaka name, it must meet strict standards.^[2] Only virgin female cows can be sold as Matsusaka beef and all calves must be of a breed registered by the Matsusaka Beef Management System.^[2] Most of the meat is sold through stores owned by the Matsusaka Beef Cattle Association.^[4] To prevent cheap meat from being sold under the Matsusaka name, all authentic stores have an "Association Member's Certificate".^[4] The Mie Prefecture Matsusaka Shokuniku Kosha public corporation implemented a system for tracking the cows to ensure authenticity.^[4] All cattle are given a 10-digit ID.^[4] The date of birth, location of birth, date it was slaughtered, shipping information, and the bloodline of each cow can be found by entering the ID on a website.^[4]

Cooking[]

While Matsusaka beef can be eaten as a steak, there are more traditional methods of cooking the meat.^[5] Shabu-shabu is prepared with very thin slices of meat which are quickly dipped in a kelp broth and then eaten.^[5] Sukiyaki is a method that involves simmering thin slices of meat in a pot with a sauce of sugar, sake and soy sauce.^[5] After the meat has been cooked, it is removed from the pot, dipped in a raw egg and eaten.^[5] The melting in one's mouth sensation comes from the unsaturated fatty acids in the beef.^[4]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Stephanie Strom. "In Japan, A Steak Secret To Rival Kobe". The New York Times, 18 July 2001. Accessed 16 June 2008.