The Metropolitan Grill already serves some of the finest beef Executive Chef Eric Hellner can get his hands on, USDA prime from Nebraska and American Wagyu from Snake River Farms, and last month, they added another fine filet to the roster: Australian Wagyu beef from Mayura Station. With Japanese exports of beef on hold since April 2010, this is the highest quality Wagyu currently available in the U.S, and the Met gets it FedExed overnight.
Mayura Station, located on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, is known for keeping it real, as their original herd was purchased directly from a famous Japanese breeder, giving them the proper pedigree. They’re cagey about revealing all their techniques, but Mayura Station feeds their cows grain for a minimum of 500 days, as well as occasionally giving their cattle beer, which is a Japanese tradition.
So what makes this meat so special? Wagyu beef is heavily marbled with fat…in a good way. The ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fats is 2:1, and the monounsaturated fats in Wagyu beef have high levels of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. So it doesn’t count as steak, right? It’s practically fish! At least that’s what you can tell yourself (and your doctor).
As to the taste: Chef Hellner likes to describe the texture of the beef as “silky.” And he’s right. The Mayura Station Wagyu is a soft, rich beef, buttery with an earthy finish. Because the marbled fat has a lower melting point, the Met takes care in their technique, by first searing the beef and then slowly raising the temperature. The result is a filet that is moist and pink but not bloody, as the preparation helps to keep the juice and fat in the meat, rather than all over your plate.
Mayura Station Wagyu is only available at four other restaurants in the country (Cut in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as well as the Las Vegas Wynn and Encore resorts), and they only export one thousand pounds a month. It’s exclusive, so it ain’t cheap: a five-ounce filet is available at the Met for $85. The Met also serves the Wagyu as a carpaccio, which is a little cheaper and more likely to be shared.
So for this Valentine’s day, why not celebrate by putting a big piece of meat in the mouth of your beloved? The Met still has a few tables available, if you don’t mind an early or late dinner.
