Shame on me for not knowing this before! I would have thought they’d have covered this Dirty Trick in culinary school. But they didn’t. And, now, I’m kind of feeling put upon. Taken advantage of. Whatever you want to say. I just think it’s really slimy and nefarious to make and sell fake Kobe and Waygu!
The Real Deal: Japanese Waygu Beef. Would you spend (US)$110 per l.b / (C)$240 per kg?
I was shocked beyond words to discover that some unscrupulous Beef producers and slaughter houses have secretly been ‘manufacturing’ fake top-tier Beef for as much as the last 50 years! They do it by injecting regular Beef with Fats and other mixtures that seep into the Beef tissues making it look more marbled when the USDA or Agriculture Canada inspectors go in to grade it.
That’s not a bad thing, if you don’t claim that the stuff is actually rare and sought-after Kobe or Waygu Beef, created through a painstaking process of diet control throughout a cow’s life. Kobe steaks go for around (US)$55 per lb. / (C)$120 per kg. Waygu Beef sells, on average, at around (US)$110 per lb. / (C)$240 per kg. Marbling is the main factor that government inspectors use to grade meat. What a rip-off when what you’re getting is barely the equivalent of USDA Premium or Choice, or Canada Prime or AAA!
How it works
Artificially marbled Beef must be labeled as such for sale in the supermarket. But you don’t see labels in restaurants – the places most folks usually plump for an expensive piece of Beef and expert preparation. Less-than-honest restaurateurs can easily sell you fake Kobe or Waygu and not get caught. Especially if you’ve only gone all out and spent the money for those exclusive cuts at a restaurant.
The deception, selling fake Waygu or Kobe Beef, can mean you’re paying double or triple the amount you should for your meal.
So…
When you go out for a special dinner and order Kobe or Waygu, beware. Unless you trust the restaurant implicitly, you may be getting ripped off…
~ Maggie J.