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Article: Japanese Kobe beef is back, but faces U.S. competition
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- December 30, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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MABANK, Texas - For the first time in four years, a gourmet
extravagance - authentic Japanese Kobe beef - is allowed back into
the United States.
"We cannot meet demand," said Todd Hatoff, president of Allen
Brothers, which sells high-end beef to fine restaurants. "I don't see
it going away, ever. It's not a fad."
Kobe beef is the essence of fine dining: The best American Kobe-
style steak will cost $80, $90, even $100 at a high-end steakhouse. A
Kobe-style hamburger can run $40.
It tastes good because of the fat. The meat is streaked so thickly
with fat, the Japanese call it "white steak." When it's cooked, the
fat melts into the meat, infusing it with flavor.
"It's very rich, very ...