Holy Cow and Joni Steak

When it comes to steak, Holy Moly!, it is such a complicated subject to write about. So let me share with you my limited knowledge on steak.

There are two distinct segments of steak enthusiasts, one who sees dry-aged steaks as superior and those who just do not find dry-aged steak enjoyable to eat. Dry aged steak is processed by hanging the meat, allowing it to breathe, lose its water, and bacteria to start digesting the meat. This process intensify the flavor of the beef, giving it its distinct flavor, more smoky, and more beefy since it is less water but the same amount of muscle. At the same time, certain enzymes in the beef break down the muscle tissue resulting in a tenderized meat. Due to the lengthy process and its lighter weight, dry-aged beef is generally more superior but many people prefer more commonly found wet-aged steak.

Wet-aged steak on the other hand is usually aged in a plastic bag. The steak is allowed to soak in its own blood and juices in an air-tight container or plastic bag, resulting in a beef that is juicier as it retains its moisture and has more metallic taste from the blood flavor.

I personally like a wet-aged steak, just like what Holy Cow serves. Holy Cow is known for its affordable steak, especially its affordable wagyu cut.

Another difficult term to digest is “wagyu”, more difficult to digest than my wagyu steak from Holy Cow. Some people believe in making wagyu cut, the beef has to be massaged and given sake/beer-alike. I think not all ranch practices this. Some ranches in Japan probably practices this in believing that it will result in a better quality of meat.

The term “wagyu” literally means Japanese beef. It refers to certain breeds of cattle that are also raised and fed by certain feedstock, together resulting in premium cut of beef. Wagyu beef contains higher percentage of softer fat in its meat results in a more marbled looking meat:

than in a non-wagyu meat:

The most exclusive wagyu comes from Kobe, the fifth largest city in Japan, capital of Hyogo. Hence the terms Kobe Beef comes around. When it comes to Wagyu, it is again divided into several grades, whereby its grades/quality depends on the “marble”, meat color, firmness, quality of fat, etc. Beef manufacturer around the world (American, Australian) trying to replicate the success of “Wagyu” creates their own grading imitating the Wagyu grading. Cattles in the States and other countries managed to get Wagyu breed and later sold as “Wagyu”, but they are no longer raised in Japan, despite the labeling.

Going back to Holy Cow, it is actually the immediately place that comes mind when it comes to steak. I have tried Super Steak and Joni steak, but I personally prefer Holy Cow, the more Westernized style steak than Joni as it has less sauce. Less sauce means you can taste the intense meat flavour. Holy Cow definitely does not serve high grade wagyu steak. But its wagyu is definitely good value for money.

Served medium-well, my broiling wagyu steak crusts in all the right places. Its juice drips out the tender steak as I sliced effortlessly. A soft bite almost melts each luscious piece, covering every corner of my mouth with buttery and savory juice. Each bite comes with a kick from the fresh and woodsy taste of rosemary and burned smell of the brown crust. Wonderful!

After going to Holy Cow for so many times, my friends insisted that I should try Joni Steak, known for its tender and flavorful affordable steak. The steak is very cheap, almost half of Holy Cow’s price. The steak comes with plenty of barbeque sauce. I immediately scrape away the sauce from the top of the meat. I ate few pieces and leave the rest of the food behind. The meat does not taste like meat. It is too sweet almost like sugar and does not have a beef smell.

I suspect Joni Steak uses meat tenderizer powder/chemical to soften the meat, removing its meat taste. I have never used meat tenderizer before so I am not sure of it does exactly to the meat. The most common meat tenderizer is proteinase from either papaya (papain/papaya proteinase) or bromelin from pineapple. Proteinase is an enzyme to break down protein, tenderizing the meat. It is believed that too much papain may make the meat bitter, which is why I suspect the cook to add more sugar disguising its bitterness. While it is safe to eat proteinase, for my preggie friends, you may want to avoid this as it may cause miscarriage and birth defects!