Celebrity Chef Reuben Riffel shares his thoughts on Absolute Wagyu’s prime beef and why he’s sold on this marbled wonder.

Chef Reuben Riffel is known for his ability to create incredible dishes with a variety of ingredients – but what caught our eye was his braai menu. This tasty option straight from the coals includes lamb loin chops, chicken skewers, boerewors, and even roosterbrood filled with cheddar, red onion and tomato. So it goes without saying that Absolute Wagyu was delighted to ship a sampling of their prime auction beef to him to test, taste and tell us what he thinks.

Chef Reuben x Absolute Wagyu

Chef Reuben shared his experience with us after his experiments in the kitchen.

What was the quality of the meat at first glance?

Very well packaged. It had a bit of a nutty smell which is a good thing. Not too much fat on it either, another good thing.

What about wagyu beef makes it great for a chef to work with?

It is versatile as you don’t only have to serve it’s a steak. It’s great thinly sliced, marinated and lightly steamed or flash fried. Great to roast, lightly seared. I prefer to cook it lightly, that way you get the flavor and richness. It can go either way in terms of drink, red or white wine, aged brandy, craft beer. Even a cocktail.

Any challenges or criticisms?

I really have nothing. I thought the amount of marbling was spot on.

Tell us about the preparation of the meat and the dish(es) you created.

I sliced it thinly, marinated it in soya, Mirin and garlic, and flash fried or seared it quick. I had it with some noodles and mushrooms. It takes well to Asian flavours. I made a chilli beef using some jalapeño, fermented chilli paste and a little Worcestershire, and it stood up well to those flavours, too. And, of course, I had it braaied as a steak with green peppercorns – worked a treat.

From a chef’s perspective, what do you look for in a good cut of beef?

I look at the ageing, marbling, not too much fat, and a good ratio fat to meat. Packaging is important, not too much blood. The colour is important, not too lightly coloured. Of course price is important, but I’m prepared to pay a little more for quality and consistency.

Why did you choose these particular cuts?

It’s versatile. I can really do so much with these cuts.

What are your thoughts on the WagyuX auction that takes place every month?

It opens up the market to a bigger audience, and it’s a better way of establishing the market value of wagyu in SA.

About Absolute Wagyu

The culmination of a shared passion and vision to produce the very best marbled beef the world has to offer, Absolute Wagyu is focussed on accessing the top 1% of wagyu genetics available overseas and then multiplying these genetics in SA using advanced reproductive techniques, which are used for breeding some of the best wagyu beef in the country. Wagyu is all about the end product and Absolute Wagyu’s foray into the beef industry was the natural evolution of the business. The company is currently expanding their meat production due to increased demand from consumers.

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