Doesn't TaZte Like Chicken

Location: Kobe, Japan

Author: My Husband

Kobe beef in Kobe. Kind of poetic isn’t it? When we were traveling in Japan, we managed to get our guide to order us a wagyu steak. He got the beef shipped to our hotel via overnight delivery and took us to a self-serve BBQ joint to cook it.

The beef was shipped in a clear air-tight bag along with a piece of fat. We didn’t think it was top-grade wagyu as the marbling wasn’t as extensive or well-distributed as some of the stuff we’ve seen in pictures, but it was still miles better than any steak we’ve seen sold in North American stores.

We threw it on the grill along with some other items we picked up at the restaurant’s food cabinets. We rubbed the slowly melting square of fat all over the surface of the wagyu steak to keep it moist – not that it needed a lot of help in that department.

After browning both sides, we took it off the grill and dug in. It was the most tender piece of beef we’ve had. The reports about the meat melting in your mouth are not far from the truth – it really did melt a little in our mouths, similar to the way foie gras or oh-toro would. Also similar to foie or oh-toro is the rich, pleasing, unctuous mouthfeel. Flavour-wise, there was sweetness and a huge sense of umami. Interestingly, the ‘beefiness’ (or gaminess) was pretty subtle compared to North American breeds. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

For our readers in greater Vancouver looking for a taste of real Wagyu, visit Nikuya Meats in Richmond. They sell a range of products spanning Japan-raised Wagyu to American “Kobe” beef (along with other interesting meats). Bring money…

Location: my tiny kitchen

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As ET mentioned in his recent post, we had a great BBQ at H’s place last weekend. We spent a joyful evening with good conversations while enjoying H’s great BBQ creations. I love every BBQ dish H cooked, but if I had to choose, my favourite would be the pork ribs. H’s ribs are innovative. They are not cooked in a traditional BBQ sauce like the variety made by Tony Romas or Kraft. H’s ribs are marinated and barbecued in a Korean BBQ sauce. The Korean BBQ sauce has a distinctive soy sauce flavour, which makes it the perfect seasoning for pork. Another unique characteristic about H’s ribs is the texture. H’s ribs were tender, but still provided enough firmness to provide a satisfying chew. Before having H’s ribs, I would never be convinced that anything short of fall-of-the-bones tender could taste so fantastic. In fact, I like them so much that on the next day, I rushed to the Asian supermarket and picked up a big bottle of the Korean BBQ sauce. On Monday, that is less than 48 hours after I had H’s pork ribs, I was in my kitchen replicating his creation.

Because I don’t have a BBQ grill (yeah, I can’t believe this either, but it’s a fact), I bake the ribs in the oven. My opinion might be a little biased, but I think the result is quite close to H’s.

You will need:
- 1 slab of back ribs
- 1 bottle of Wang Korean BBQ sauce (if the brand “Wang” is not available, use any Korean BBQ sauce)
- 2 tbsp Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper

Put salt and pepper on both sides of ribs. Place ribs flat in a dish. Pour a generous amount of BBQ sauce all over ribs. Marinate the ribs for at least 12 hours.

Heat oven to 450F. Place ribs in a baking pan lined with foil. Bake ribs for 1/2 hour. After 1/2 hour, bake ribs for another 1/2 hour by basting ribs every 15 minutes with the marinate .

Take ribs out of the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes. Cut and serve.

I try to be good and therefore I also made some veggie to go with the ribs. These grilled zucchinis are sweet and tasty. They are also one of H’s creations.

After discovering the Korean BBQ sauce at H’s, I have been going nuts about it. I have used it at every chance I find, or with every type of meat that I can get my hands on. The application is endless – it’s a great marinate for short ribs, for chicken wings etc.

Location: H’s Place

Author: My Husband

I met H many moons ago, when the world felt like a different place. “Offshoring” wasn’t in the general lexicon, risk management in the financial markets was a lot more effective, and the world was seemingly at peace with itself. H and I were both interns at a technology company then, and because we were seated next to each other, ended up becoming fast friends. Back in those days, I learnt two things about H very quickly – he was a brilliant engineer, and he was also quite the enthusiastic cook and gourmand.

Fast forward to the present and these characteristics still hold true for H. He still is a brilliant engineer, and if anything, has developed into an even more superb cook and foodie. Over the years, Christina and I have been lucky enough to be beneficiaries of H’s considerable culinary skills, and when the summers roll around, we’ve always looked forward to BBQs at his place. After viewing the following photos, gentle readers, you will understand why…

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This past weekend, we were at H’s place for the last BBQ of this season. Being the engineer that he is, H had all the mise en place done, all the meats & veggies marinated, and the grill pre-fired before we got to his place. When we arrived, the cooking went like clockwork and the food didn’t stop coming until we were fully sated.

As usual, H showcased his culinary skills to great effect by putting out the following dishes.

Two squabs on the BBQ, slowly grilled over indirect heat.

A beautiful slab of babyback ribs that were tender and flavourful. In fact, Christina liked it so much she asked for the marinade recipe and went out and bought all the ingredients to make it herself.

Grilled chicken skewers – these were awesome.

The finished squabs. Beautiful, don’t you think? These were really tasty – much better than my main course at Gastropod, imho. And no, they don’t taste like chicken.

The grilled veggies look and taste great. It’s always good to balance all the meats with some greens – the one allowance we make for healthy eating…

To finish the meal, home-made strawberry trifle. By this time, Christina was stuffed, so I ate my trifle as well as the half that she couldn’t finish.

We washed the meal down with a Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec. It was a youngish, fruit forward wine with loads of black fruit and a hint of spice. Rounded tannins made it quite quaffable, and it was great accompaniment for the meat dishes. However, I feel there is a little too much alcohol on the finish, and I wonder if it would be better if it had some time to breathe…

All in all, it was a really enjoyable and satisfying meal. Good food, good drink, and good company. H, our good friend – brilliant engineer, great cook, talented painter, Wii master, fellow car enthusiast, and all round great guy – what else can we ask for? Thanks for your generosity and hospitality dude; Christina and I are already looking forward to our next meal with you guys!!