Super steak chef, Laurent Tourondel, offers a favorite way to enjoy Wagyu beef in the summer heat: Wagyu Steak with Pickled Jalapeno & Green Tomato Chimichurri. The heat from summer’s fresh peppers and the acid from sweet green tomatoes make luxurious Wagyu beef the perfect foil. "The combination of ingredients here offers relief from a steady diet of cold foods” says Laurent. “I love the richness and flavor of Wagyu steak and the heat from the variety of peppers use really does cool you down." Chef Tourondel’s recipe, created especially for DeBragga.com, is simple to make, and luscious to eat.
Which wagyu beef is best for the recipe? Both the Australian and American Wagyu producers offer an excellent Wagyu Strip steak, 12 oz of exquisitely marbled Wagyu beef, with similar grading and quality to the Japanese producers. The Wagyu Strip Steaks come two per package.
The Australian Wagyu DeBragga chooses to sell is Sher Wagyu, raised by Nick and Vicki Sher, whose Wagyu beef is famous for its consistent rich flavor and melting texture. The Sher cattle are all naturally raised, free of added hormones and antibiotics, and fed a clean diet of grains and grasses. The muscles of the Sher Wagyu Kobe cattle are smaller than Japanese Wagyu, but size has no impact on flavor or texture. DeBragga sells Sher Australian Wagyu Strip Steaks, two 12-oz steaks for $109.95, as well as the whole tenderloin Sher Australian Wagyu beef, 3.5 pounds for $299.95.
The American Wagyu beef sold at DeBragga.com comes from Imperial Wagyu Beef of Nebraska. Imperial Wagyu Beef is a group of America’s finest Wagyu beef producers. They promote a cross breed of Wagyu and Angus, which results in an intensely marbled steak experience. This may be the best choice for those who value pronounced beef flavor and rich marbling. Their breeding and calving operations are regionally located throughout the United States. When the calves reach about 12 months they are transferred to Imperial’s farms throughout Iowa and Nebraska, where they are fed a special, all natural diet for over 400 days. When the meat is processed, USDA grades the beef, always far superior to US Prime, and then Imperial Wagyu grades it again according to the Japanese standards for marbling content and consistency.
DeBragga offers a variety of Imperial Wagyu beef cuts,: the ‘classic’ strip or the signature strip for Chef Tourondel’s recipe, as well as a Frenched dry-aged Wagyu rib chop, brisket, chuck and flatiron for braising, Dry Aged Wagyu beef four- and seven-rib roasts, and ground Wagyu beef for the best sliders ever. DeBragga’s tradition of excellence starts with the “hands on” way we work with all our meats, from our specialties –high quality dry-aged beef, USDA Prime, Naturally Raised, Certified Angus Beef™, and Wagyu/Kobe-style beef—to the best in pork, lamb, veal and poultry. DeBragga supplies the finest chefs with a range of top quality meats and poultry, focusing on sustainable agriculture and heritage breeds that are naturally and humanely raised. DeBragga dry ages and custom cuts the finest, mostly naturally raised meats for New York's most discriminating chefs, including Daniel, Gotham Bar & Grill, Craft, Colicchio & Sons Tap Room, Picholine, Corton, Patroon, Le Cirque, and Porterhouse. DeBragga, New York’s Butcher and fine meats specialists to generations of legendary chefs. Retail is at DeBragga.com.
LAURENT TOURONDEL'S WAGYU STEAK RECIPE
Ingredients:
Chimichurri
1 large green tomato, cut in ½-inch slices ½ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup chopped white onion ½ jalapeno, chopped with the seeds ½ cup of pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped ½ cup chopped cilantro ¼ cup chopped parsley 3 small pepperoncini peppers, chopped 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar Juice of 2 limes
Wagyu
Wagyu Steaks (Buy Now) Olive Oil Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Grill the green tomato.
Set a grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tomatoes soften and grill marks appear, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, dice into small pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Make the chimichurri.
Combine remaining ingredients with the grilled tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the Wagyu.
Preheat a grill pan. Brush the meat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill about 3 minutes per side until medium rare. To check for doneness, insert an instant reading thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. The temperature reading should be 130 to 135°F for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve.
Carve the meat into 1-inch slices crosswise against the grain. Arrange the slices overlapping slightly on a platter and serve with pickled jalapeno & green tomato chimichurri on the side.