051221 How to Cook Expensive Kobe-Style Beef

Washington - Kobe-style beef should be cooked differently than the average steak.

The pricey indulgence is most often sold in high-end restaurants but can be purchased online.

Here are some tips for cooking at home from Tom Schneller of the Culinary Institute of America:

_Prepare steaks as you would a fine, dry-aged prime beef: Grill, broil or pan-sear a a Kobe-style steak.

_Don't cook a thick Kobe-style steak very rare. The thickly marbled fat needs to melt to infuse the steak with flavor; if it's too rare, the steak could taste like tallow.

Schneller said Culinary Institute chefs roasted a whole strip loin at 325 degrees for about two and a half hours, until it reached an internal temperature of 120 degrees to 130 degrees, let it rest for about 10 minutes and sliced it a quarter-inch to a half-inch thick.

He also provided this recipe for braised Kobe-style beef short ribs:

Braised Beef Short Ribs

(Start to finish 4 hours)

10 dried shiitake mushrooms

6 pounds Kobe-style beef short ribs, bone in (about 20 3-inch pieces)

1 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

2 1/2 cups roughly chopped yellow onion

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and crushed

1/2 cup jujubes (Chinese dates), optional

4 cups daikon raddish, cut to thin oblongs

4 cups carrots, cut to thin oblongs

Kosher salt, to taste

Sugar, to taste

1 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

1 tablespoons dark sesame oil

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until tender, about 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Trim and discard the stems, then cut the mushroom caps in half. Set aside.

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the short ribs and return to a boil, skimming the surface to remove any impurities. Drain the ribs and rinse under warm water until the water runs clear.

Return ribs to the pot and add the soy sauce, mirin, onions, garlic, ginger and dates, if using. Add just enough of the reserved mushroom liquid to cover the ribs. If necessary, add additional water. Be sure to keep the ribs fully submerged during cooking.

Bring the ribs to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming as needed, for at least 2 hours, or until the ribs are fork-tender.

Once meat is tender, add the mushrooms, daikon and carrots. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the crushed ginger and adjust seasoning with salt, additional soy sauce and sugar to achieve a slightly sweet and salty taste. Stir in the pine nuts and sesame oil and cook until heated through.

(Recipe from Tom Schneller, Culinary Institute of America)

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