Marble beef

Marble is called beef, in the thickness of the meat of which there are thin veins of intramuscular fat. On the cut, this meat resembles a pattern of real marble. From this the name went.

Marbled beef is a delicacy type of meat. The uniform distribution of fat in the thickness of the muscle tissue makes it unusually juicy and soft. According to the Japanese, marbled beef is meat for those who have no teeth. Exquisite appearance, juiciness and softness of marbled beef allow it to be used in the preparation of raw meat cuts – tartare and carpaccio.

History of occurrence

The first to grow cattle with marbled meat began in Japan. Information about him first appeared in the 17th century. At that time, ordinary Japanese did not have the right to eat animal meat, but bulls of a special breed of wagyu were raised in order to feed warriors and patients as directed by a doctor. ^[1]. These were the few herds in the Matsuzaki Valley. The cultivation of these bulls on an industrial scale was allowed only after the young emperor of Japan Mutsuhito lifted the ban on eating beef in 1868. ^[2].

In addition to the wagyu breed, marbled beef is obtained from other breeds of cattle – Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Aquitaine. The main modern producers of marbled beef from these breeds are the USA, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan. ^[3]. In recent years, bulls have also been mass-produced to produce marbled beef in Russia, for example, the Miratorg agro-industrial enterprise, which has a large population of Aberdeen Angus bulls ^[4].

Among respected culinary experts, the wagyu breed is considered the most suitable for obtaining marbled meat. Moreover, the most correct marbled beef is the meat of bulls grown in the vicinity of the city of Kobe in Japan, which is called “kobe beef” ^[5]. This is marbled beef of the highest quality, the price of which per kilogram can range from 200 to 700 dollars.

How cattle are raised

Delicious meat cannot be cheap. The high cost of marbled beef is due to two factors: the complexity and duration of raising cattle.

In Japan, calves are fed milk from birth to six months. The grown calves graze freely in the meadows. A few months before slaughter, bulls are hung on belts so that they move less and do not lie down. At this time, they are fattened with a high-calorie mixture of barley, corn, alfalfa and wheat straw.

Since animals are reluctant to eat in the humid and hot climate of Japan, they are drunk with beer. During this rearing period, the bulls are massaged to classical Japanese music. It is under such conditions, according to the Japanese, that marble veins are formed in meat.

The minimum duration of growing wagyu bulls to produce high-quality marbled beef is 30 months. The gold standard for the duration of grain fattening before slaughter is 200-300 days.

Degrees of marbling

The cost of marbled beef depends on the degree of its marbling. The more small grains and veins of fat in the muscle, the higher the degree of marbling ^[6]. In Japan, there are five categories of marbled meat:

• the fifth category is marble meat of the highest quality, which only goes to the elite restaurants of Japan;
• the fourth and third categories are soft darkish marbled meat, which is often purchased by European and Asian restaurants;
• The second and first categories are the most affordable Kobe beef. Due to the fact that marble meat of similar quality from Argentinean and Australian producers is cheaper, Japanese beef of these categories is not in great demand among restaurateurs.

In the US, there are also five categories of beef marbling: prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, which differ according to clearly articulated criteria. ^[7]. For the national American dish (steaks), only the first three categories of marbled meat are suitable. At the same time, the highest quality of them is beef of the prime category. In Australia, marbling is classified into 9 categories, with the ninth category being the highest quality.

Chemical composition

Marbled beef is rich in fats, proteins and contains virtually no carbohydrates. The calorie content of this meat is low – 170 kcal / 100 g, which relates it to dietary meat products.

The meat has a mild and juicy taste due to its moderate fat content (up to 10 g per 100 g of raw product) ^[8]. At the same time, saturated fatty acids in this fat contain little – about 3,5 g, which is only 30% of their total amount. Marbled beef also contains a small amount of cholesterol – 40 mg per 100 g (for comparison, lean beef – 57 mg).

The bulk of intermuscular fat is represented by unsaturated fatty acids, including those from the omega group (omega-3 and omega-6) ^[9]. Their presence allows you to use marbled beef even for people who have a high risk of developing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. ^[10].

Beef meat protein (18 g/100 g) is complete. It contains all the amino acids necessary for the human body. In addition to nutrients, marbled beef contains many vitamins and minerals. ^[11].

Marbled beef is a source of the vitamin-like substance choline, also known as vitamin B4. 100 g of this meat contains up to 20% of the body’s daily requirement for this substance. Choline, in combination with other vitamins, takes an active part in metabolic processes throughout the body, and also affects the functioning of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system, since it is a precursor of acetylcholine, a mediator of impulses in nerve endings.

Cyanocobalamin stimulates hematopoietic function, being an antianemic vitamin. Restoring the normal intestinal microflora, vitamin B12 improves immunity.

Nicotinic acid is useful to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and disorders of cerebral circulation.

This type of meat contains a lot of phosphorus – a chemical element that is part of many enzymes, hormones, proteins and phospholipids of the cell framework. Iron is found in marbled beef in a bioavailable, easily digestible form.

Useful Properties

Due to its balanced chemical composition and moderate calorie content, marbled meat has a positive effect on the human body. It is recommended to use:

• cores (lowers cholesterol in the blood, normalizes heart rate, dilates peripheral vessels);
• neurological patients (improves cerebral circulation, accelerates the reaction rate, restores impaired transmission of nerve impulses);
• with anemia (stimulates blood formation, increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood);
• to restore the body after injuries, surgeries, burns, severe infections (increases immunity, stimulates reparative processes in the body);
• hormonal dysfunctions (hormonal insufficiency of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, diabetes, dysfunctional sexual disorders);
• pregnant women and children (enriches the body with nutrients, vitamins, macro- and microelements) ^[13].

There is no scientifically based evidence of the anticarcinogenic properties of this type of beef, however, in the literature there is information that marble meat has anti-cancer properties. Probably, this effect is due to the presence in the meat of a large amount of vitamins that improve blood formation and increase immunity, which is important for cancer, especially after chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Possible harm

A high-quality and fresh product cannot cause harm. However, marbled beef, in addition to its high taste and useful properties, can be harmful under certain conditions.

Possible harm to this type of beef due to the high content of protein in it. Protein molecules are a source of purine bases, an increase in the level of which can provoke an attack of gout, renal colic or spinal pain in osteochondrosis.

Fatty meat can cause exacerbation of diseases of the digestive system organs (pancreatitis, cholecystitis). The extractive substances contained in marbled beef increase the secretion of digestive juices, so its consumption in food can cause an exacerbation of gastric ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer.

Contraindications to the use of marble meat in food are individual intolerance and allergies.

How to choose and store

Marble beef is a delicacy product. It is rarely available in butcher shops like other types of meat. In order not to be deceived and buy real marbled beef, you must:

1. Acquire it only in large stores or supermarkets.
2. Consider cost. The price of marbled meat cannot be less than 25 dollars per 1 kg. The meat of bulls grown in Russia can cost less (from 1900 rubles).
3. Buy only lumpy meat packed in a vacuum film. Marble pattern should be visible, so you need to give preference to transparent and the whole package.
4. Read the manufacturer’s label carefully. It must be indicated on it what breed of bulls the meat was obtained from, where and when it was produced, the degree of marbling, what method of maturation was used.

Meat ripening

Real marbled beef is not sold immediately after the slaughter of animals: it needs to ripen ^[7]. In the process of maturation, muscle fibers soften and the aroma and taste of meat increase. There are two ways to ripen beef: dry and wet.

During dry ripening, the meat (usually with the skin) is suspended in refrigerators and kept at a temperature from + 1⁰С to + 4⁰С for 15-28 days. After ripening, the meat is cleaned of skin and subcutaneous fat, divided into cuts and packaged under vacuum.

When wet ripening, bloodless beef is cooled to zero degrees and packaged under vacuum. In the future, it is kept in the refrigerator for 10-21 days.

Cooking application

Marbled beef can be cooked in different ways: fry in a frying pan, grill, boil, simmer, bake in the oven. Most often it is used to make steaks.

Americans consider marbled beef to be the ideal meat for steaks: they are juicy and soft from this meat. The method and recipe for their preparation depends on the thickness of the cut taken for the steak. There are four types of marbled meat cuts for steaks: tenderloin (tenderloin), ribeye (with a thick edge), striploin (with a thin edge) and tee-bone (on a T-shaped bone).

Cooks distinguish 6 degrees of roasting steaks, which are distinguished by the juiciness of the meat and the temperature inside it after the roasting:

• raw steak (blu-rea);
• with blood (“rhea”);
• medium crude (“medium-rea”);
• medium roasting (“medium”);
• almost roasted (“medium-vel”);
• fully fried (“vel-dan”) ^[14], ^[15].

The first and last degrees of roasting when cooking steaks from marbled meat is not used. It is believed that such delicate meat should be undercooked. To keep the juices inside the steak, the meat must be “sealed”, that is, roasted on both sides at 220-250 ° C by 1,5-2 on each side. As a result, a crust forms on the surface of the beef, which prevents it from drying out during frying.

Next, bring the steak to readiness at a temperature 170-180 ° С. Time to readiness depends on the desired degree of roasting. After cooking, the steak should be covered with foil and allowed to “rest” on a hot plate for a few minutes.

In addition to steaks, many other dishes are prepared from marbled beef: in Japan – sashimi, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, in Europe – carpaccio, tartar, roast. Steaks and dishes from this meat are combined with olive oil, herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary), grilled vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, sweet pepper, mushrooms), fruits (peaches, apricots, raisins, dried apricots) and fruit purees, berry sauces. Red wines well emphasize the delicate aroma and taste of steaks.

Conclusions

Marble beef is not in vain considered a delicacy: it has juicy, tender meat with a pleasant aroma and taste. The complexity and duration of raising cattle to obtain such meat determine its high cost. Only certain breeds of bulls are prone to marbling meat (Wagyu, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Aquitaine). They are grown first on free grazing, and then with the help of grain fattening.

Marble meat contains a lot of complete protein and fat. The peculiarity of the fats of this meat is that they contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). This is a rarity for meat products. Marble beef is also enriched with vitamins and minerals, and there are practically no carbohydrates in it. The calorie content of 100 g of marbled meat is low and amounts to 170 kcal.

Most often American steaks are grilled from marbled beef. The presence of a large amount of fatty layers in the meat makes the steaks juicy and tender. The high taste qualities and safety of this meat make it possible to use it even raw (tartar, sashimi).

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