The Most Insane American Wagyu Steak I've Ever Cooked | Kenji's Cooking Show
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Even if you generally order steaks rare or medium rare, if you are lucky enough to get one that is extra fatty like this, try cooking it medium. This lets the fat render and really melt into the meat, making it extra succulent.
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14:00 I'm just curious, but what would happen if you added gelatin to store-bought stock? I do make my own stock, but I'm curious if it's really worth it in the modern world of easily-purchased gelatin. I think Adam Ragusea said something like that in one of his videos: do we need to boil bones in the modern world?
I’ve written very extensively about using gelatin in store bought stock for years over on Serious Eats as well as in my book. I do it frequently. It works for stews and pan sauces and such but it does not work for a very big reduction like this because there’s too much salt and not enough good flavor to concentrate it down.
@@JKenjiLopezAltwould love to see you discuss with Adam because he claims it works
@@aggad16 as I wrote below, I’m perfectly happy with Adam’s being left out of Kenji’s content. He’s a contrarian who actively opposes the ethos of finding the best way of cooking things. Adam is practical to a fault and has little interest in perfecting food through science. His overly simplistic approach is exceeded only by his cynicism.
They're both studs, different approaches, I'm glad they're both out there making food @@matthewclark5879
@@matthewclark5879 interesting opinion, I can see that. I personally think there’s nothing wrong with the more practical approach to cooking because that’s his main focus as a home cook.
You know it's good when Kenji literally can't get through his outro without stopping after every word to take another bite.
Haha I've never seen him so engrossed during a tasting. Man that must have been good
His dogs didn't get a sample of this one
Exactly what I was thinking when I looked to the comments and saw yours 😂
sounded as he was reaching climax
Almost finished the whole plate by the time he finished his outro
"This is...This is good"
Perfect to indicate just how good it is.
After the second bite and he didn’t really say anything I knew it was incredible. I’ve been there, not being able to stop eating or even give feedback. Happy for you, Kenji.
8:40 Kenji made this amazing looking steak a mere 34 years after the release of Belgian techno anthem Pump Up the Jam
This is Kenji on earth!
Also when he paused after saying pump up I out loud said “the jam” was was pleased when he did the same right after.
when i tell my friends to cook wagyu medium because of the fat content they think I'm an unrefined barbarian.
I'm glad Kenji could clear that up for them :)
Hell, cook that stuff well done, presumably, you paid for it.
Well I think Kenji underestimated how much the carry over cooking would go. The spinalis looks about medium well to well and the longissimus around medium well to me.
@@tobiasb6892 bare in mind outdoor lighting neutralises the pink colour a fair amount
The point is that high fat foods are better more done than less, to a point. Something like A5 or even high quality American or Australian wagyu is not only incredible, but actively better at medium, maybe even medium well. All these images of Europeans cooking high fat ribeyes to 110 because it puts hair on your chest are just morons. Fat is the most delicious shit there is, but it has to melt/render.
Medium rare wagyu is a waste.
Up to medium, maybe. He cooked his medium rare (130) and pulled it from the fire at 125.
I don't think I've ever heard Kenji react to eating his own food like this before, that must of been good.
you've never had a well cooked waygu before huh?
Anyone else TERRIFIED when Kenji moved that amazing steak with just a knife and fork?! What a pro! Steak looks delicious too
I audibly hissed in fear. But I knew I should have trusted Kenji 😂
That's not a knife, that's a spoon. 10:55. But yes, I got a little nervous.
@@IanRed th-cam.com/video/mcE0aAhbVFc/w-d-xo.html
mate if i ever were to make such a fire of a steak and it falls, I would just pick it up, wipe It down with some napkin paper and continue to feast
Thank you for always explaining the cuts of meat that you cook. I’m a professional cook but most viewers may not be, and it’s very helpful to hear the behind the scenes talk and the what and why
First bite: “Holy cow!" 👼🏻🐄 When the steak is so good your brain automatically lets out a pun! 😂
LMAO I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out!
I cracked up when he said that! It seemed completely spontaneous!
I really enjoyed today’s episode of Kenji cooks a $200 restaurant meal on his patio.
Edit: To clarify, this is a *joke*. I enjoyed the video, like I enjoy all of Kenji’s other content. Seeing the final presentation I couldn’t help but think how much something like that would cost at a fine restaurant, and found the idea of someone casually cooking it in their backyard (that someone being a professional chef) humorous.
Hey, save up a bit at a time and you can buy the steak as a treat :).
A regular ribeye that size would cost me 80-100 alone, no idea how much a wagyu would be. And I’m in beef country (AB)
@@blzt3206 Oh yeah, I know. I meant $200 for the plate he made. $600 for the whole steak.
okay fuck that
Agree.. and, i feel like the usual Kenji recipe is super feasible and informative. Feels unjust to knock him for going all out once in a while
I've never seen you so enamored with a dish as to not even be able to finish the outro. Well done, chef! Immaculate work!
So appreciative of all the extra dialogue as you're going along. You seem to answer my questions as they pop into my head.
I know I'm not alone on that
Yeah love this. Even if it’s stuff we’ve heard before I’m here for the science lesson.
never seen Kenji so amazed with his food before. i’ll be making this.
Looks so good. Usually Kenji takes one bite, says "mmm" and then it's goodbye. One bite was not enough with this steak!
Dear Kenji, you’re such a brilliant and unique talent and a special teacher. This is one of my favourite of your many, many fantastic videos. We all learn a lot from you. Keep on rocking in the free world. Love
I cook so many things that are NOT pizza in my ooni. I love seeing Kenji do it too. Hey Kenji! If you have the connections I've been working on plans for a carbon steel pizza peel. Or a flat skillet with a long handle. Call it what you will.
Great to see most of my favorite TH-cam chefs all advocating for dry brining. I love it, especially when cooking the steak in a pan. You can get an unreal crust that way.
I love that you couldn't stop eating it to talk at the end 😂
Been binge watching ur channel lately. Love the educational culinary content.
After finishing Pump up the Jam at the same time, I was really hoping for an "Ace of Baste" follow up. Excellent stuff, as always!
10:48 ballsy move, Ken-G.
Kenji always does one at least thing in every episode that makes him such a pleasure to watch. The beef fat on the broccoli did it for me.
It was the light poke with the knife and the whole thing came apart that did it.
BTW in Japanese, marbled meat is called " _shimo-furi-niku_ "(霜降り肉), which literally translates to "meat covered with frost".
WARNING: The Ooni can burn the patina off your cast iron. It can get up to oven cleaner temps.
I've used mine a few times to reseason old pans.
What a gorgeous cut! Loved to see that you included some of the beef fat into the broccoli while it was roasting. When you've got garlic and thyme-infused wagyu beef fat, it makes sense to incorporate that into your roasted broccoli.
I always learn so much when you post a vid! Glad you had a "break" but also happy to see you're back!
That steak looked soo good, I was really hoping you blessed that broccoli with that wagyu fat and you did 🙏🏼🔥 great to see you back recording great home meals
Was just waiting for him to do something with that garlic and thyme though…
Kenji, you are such an incredible pro! Whatever you do, you always do it to perfection and really all your experience shows. That meat looked INCREDIBLE! I love how you also always sprinkle some information and tibits in between! Thanks for another amazing video
I have seen your article on SE about knives, I see in many of your videos a handmade Santuko seems to be your go to. Would love to see an episode on your home kitchen knife essentials (like you did with pans).
Thanks love your channel!
In regards to flare ups. Sometimes they can be fun and make the best ever... Take a slab of bacon, cut it as wide as it is thick, grill these strips while constantly moving and dare I say dancing around the fire to avoid flare ups and soot. Then slice 1/4" thick and behold the best bacon ever, the Starburst candy shaped jewel of goodness that is the very pinnacle or pork. Crispy goodness on the outside and juicy pink goodness on the inside.
Yo Cam! I did this first in your backyard in Aptos with a slab from the Corolitos Meat Market. I'd like to think you took notes and do this every cookout.
If too worried about flames due to dripping fat, just use indirect charcoal heat and bring low and slow (or even a pellet grill). Finish by searing it in a iron cast 2 minutes on each side. You get best of both worlds, charcoal smoke AND crust.
I'm also a big fan of pairing broccoli with steak. Usually if I have that much fat left in the pan I would either sear broccoli or small already boiled potatoes in it. By the time the side is done the steak will have rested enough for everything to come together simultaneously
Yeah, I think it was a darn shame that Kenji used olive oil instead of the rendered wagyu fat for the sides.
@@LunarisDream the broccoli got some of the rendered wagyu fat during the cook. The carrots were in a bordelaise reduction.
@@m.theresa1385 Ah you're totally right. I was so turned off by the olive oil that my brain shut out the part where he drizzled some wagyu fat onto the broccoli near the end. No offense to anyone who likes olive oil; I'm just not a fan. And Kenji probably is, so more power to him. Coating everything in wagyu fat while eating a wagyu steak is probably not the way to go, regardless.
I’m jealous!
Thank you for sharing, Kenji🙂
Nice, this is exactly what I needed for a Friday evening after a long day a work. Thank you for the great videos Kenji, and damn does that steak look insane.
Nice.. my co workers bought be an A5 wagyu ribeye for birthday last week. I let it rest to room temp, put some salt and seared n a hot cast iron. Thats it. It was like the best bite of a steak, every bite.
I'm gonna go there and there will be a line out the door. Thanks Kenji!
For real, I want to try it now.
JKLA, I understand dry aging and “salt and sit”, it I’m not a fan of LONG salting times (more than and hour). Don’t you think it tends to change the texture and taste to something closer to ham? Like processed or cured and where the salt is a primary flavor?
you know it's good when the "tasting notes" are just ".... this is good"
awesome looking steak. for someone splurging on a really nice steak for the first time, would you recommend processing the steak into bite-sized pieces and cooking them individually to ensure the perfect cook and avoid potentially ruining the steak?
My anxiety levels worrying about the plate flipping, when Kenji first cut it, went through the roof!
I second this emotion 😹
The longer that steak sat on the cutting board, the more I expected one or both of his dogs to attack Kenji physically and run off with it
It also really depends on how you cook it.
If you souvide and sear or reverse sear, you don't really need to let it rest. In all actuality if you souvide you shouldn't let it rest at, it gets cooler so much faster than cooking a steak "traditionally"
No tongs necessary, just a man, a spoon, a pan, a high powered outdoor pizza oven and some meat the way God intended
Nice Wagyu Cote de Boeuf! I keep More Than Gourmet’s Veal Demi Glacé on hand at all times for quick “cheat” sauces as well as to fortify braises - awesome product.
my anxiety kicked up when you picked up that beautiful cut with nothing more than a fork and spoon.
Three videos (plus several shorts) in one week! The Christmas season really is starting earlier this year! Lol
Within three seconds of the video the pure joy in kenji's face is absolutely blinding. Speaks volumes about this steak
That temp probe is interesting. I wonder why the decision was made to calculate a modeled “core” temp to display to the user. Honestly, I’d probably rather have the live data from all 5 thermocouples. That way I could get an idea what the temp gradient looks like. Would be super useful for BBQ!
You can get live data from the app.
The timer is technically optional but will show you surface temp, core temp, and ambient temp. The phone app will show every single temp sensor and you can look at the entire cook's log for each on a nice little graph. Chris didn't want a phone to be necessary like it is on the Joule. Also it's a whopping 8 sensors, not 5. It's super interesting to watch the way our food heats up.
You can also see the raw data form the 8 temp sensors on the phone app. It’s a very interesting product. It has a prediction algorithm that makes timing multiple dishes to the exact time the protein is done much easier
Only the lowest temp matter to me tbh
@@JKenjiLopezAlt It was great to see you using this, I just found out about it a few days ago, and I wasn't so sure about it, but between Chris' history and seeing you vouch for it, I feel a lot more comfortable about considering a purchase.
Looks amazing as always Kenji. I do also buy rotisserie chickens and use the bones and carcass to make stock with and will try what you suggested in the video.
love you kenji so glad your back at it!
Forgive me if I missed it but what's floating in the sauce? Looks like Vienna sausage. If so never seen that before in a sauce like that
Looks like carrots and red onions.
@@JamesChurchill3 lol yup somehow I missed at the end when he says they're carrots
Kenji, that looks AH-MAZING. Couldn't help, however, looking at that rendered beef fat again and again, dreaming of french fries. Lovely video as always, thank you. 😊
You can’t fry French fries on the fat rendered in a hot pan from a steak. It’s already broken down a ton. You can roast potatoes in it though.
@@JKenjiLopezAlt Ah, pity. But roast potatoes sound heavenly, as well.
Ah man I love Beast & Cleaver. Great neighborhood spot!
Could you sous-vide the steak first before reverse searing?? would you still be able to develop the crust like yours?
If there's one thing this man needs, it's counter space! Next to the ooni, at the kitchen. This man deserves more surface area.
You could sear in a pan then put on the cooler side of a grill to prevent those flare ups right?
really enjoyed this one Kenji. Thanks
on the subject of store bought stock not working, our good friend adam ragusea has made a video about reducing store bought stock and then adding powdered gelatin into it. not exactly the same and i'd recommend making your own stock just so you have more control but its not a bad concept.
That’s not his idea. I first wrote about doing that for pan sauces and adding mouthfeel to soups almost two decades ago now.
It does not work for a bordelaise or any kind of Demi-glace-based sauce. Store bought stock is too salty and does not have the flavor to reduce enough. I would not recommend it, I’ve never had anything but nearly inedible results from it.
The first minute and 35 seconds is exactly why I watched this video. Especially from 0:51
my boy really like biting the spoon
I keep hoping that Kenji will adopt me. I like food science, grilling and literally anything that Sierra Nevada brews.
If you have a heat deflector for your grill that would work for a cut like this
10:50 that whistle is such Grant Crilly energy
you inspire people to cook. appreciate it
no doubt the steak was good but i think it went a little over on the temp. looks to be about 135 to 137. i think the thermometer had something to do with it, i've seen him cook steaks dead on 127 before without that thermometer. another factor may have been the drying of the steak prior to the cook. dryer meat tends to climb in temp much faster.
I am really interested in resting methods. I know to put meat on something that does not conduct heat like wood or wire rack, but what about the top? Is uncovered best? Foil cover (smush down sides)? Foil tent to keep air space inaide but little venting? Foil tent with some side venting? And does foil mean you have to rest longer? And does it lead to more carryover cooking, to be accounted for? I understand covering makes crust less "crispy" and I would be okay with that since flavour would persist. Wondering if foil covering is a waste of time. I was thinking it might help keep it warm for longer post-cook prep time which always seems to be a challenge.
Uncovered on a rack to preserve the crust
The greatest looking steak in the 34 years since the release of belgian techno anthem pump up the jam
that thermometer is neat! does it have a distinct sensor at the base to monitor the temp of the oven, like the Meater? That is a nice feature...
It measures ambient temp as well, yes.
love watching you cook chef!
I think the salt grain size and shape is less important than what ones personal experience with the type of salt. I have basically only used table salt all my life and have developed the feeling for properly salting my dishes with it, because its been the only thing I've had access to for most of my life. I have found that now, when i have access to salt of different shapes and sizes, I feel less control over them and tend to oversalt things cause I am simply used to the finer stuff. 😅
You cannot pick up more than a little table salt with your fingertips, at least not consistently. The shape is too slippery against itself. You also can’t sprinkle it properly because of this.
You can really easily test this and try it at home! Pick up table salt in your fingertips and try to get the same amount each time. It’s nearly impossible, whereas it’s quite easy with kosher salt.
Table salt is also harder to evenly sprinkle. Ive done tests on this with a panel of home cooks where I had folks sprinkle salt onto sticky black paper to see how evenly it distributed. Kosher salt consistently sprinkles more evenly, and by a great deal
@@JKenjiLopezAltit must be why steaks and burgers are notoriously under seasoned at most restaurants. Drives me crazy.
@kenji why do you not use your Otto to sear? Would like to see some tips for using an Otto!
18:00 "holy cow..." quite literally!
I love this so much. Out of curiosity, if using a different cut (let’s say a tomahawk) and in a traditional oven, what temperature would you cook this at? Thank you for all of your amazing content 🙏🏻
I wasn't hungry when I started this video, now I am
@12:00 I like to let it rest quite a bit then do one final blast in the cast iron right before plating
is there a reasom not to pour the rendered fat from the pan onto the steak while its resting?
“Holy cow” was that an unintentional pun, hahah
Hi Chef Kenji, I was wondering if you could explain why the first side of my steak sears beautifully golden and has a perfect crust but every time I sear the second side on the same pan it starts burn and turn black in as little as 30 seconds? I use a Stainless Steel pan preheated long enough only at med-high heat
I've noticed this occurs on all proteins I cook on with a stainless steel pan, the second side always seems to start searing more aggressively and becomes burnt way more quicker than the first side
If you could let me know what I'm doing that'd be great
Thanks so much Chef Kenji! :)
Remember, you can always put your cast iron pan on the bbq as well.
The only person I even bother liking videos for
This is something that I'll try with my ooni. I have a question about the broccoli: why not toss it in the cast iron skillet with the thyme and garlic removed? Maybe I'd drain the fat first, but the beef fat flavor on the roasted greens sounds so good.
You certainly could.
That’s awesome!!! I wonder if you can do that process in the refrigerator with lesser cuts of meat like chuck roast/pot roast,
3:17 interesting information. I always thought covering them up makes the meat themselves and the rest of the fridge "safe". How about dry brining chicken overnight, do you keep it uncovered too?
Hey Kenji, could you add powdered gelatin to store bought stock to bring it up to the same level?
Do you dry brine before using sous vide?
Spinalis is 100% the best cut of steak. There's a place in Atlanta called Kimball House that does a spinalis steak and it's incredible.
You said you prefrer to let it rest because the muscle fibers loosen when they cool and the juices coagulate a bit so they don't spurt out and leave the meat dry but how is this the case when resting the steak actually heats the inner part up? Of course the outer layer cools off and perhaps that's what you mean but I'd prefer an in depth video or article examining these details because they seem at odds with each other. Do you mean that you rest it long enought that the center heats up then starts to cool down again?
Google my articles on steak! I cover all of this pretty thoroughly.
Great video. Great pointers on how to dry brine a steak.,
I am curious about Koji rice aging.
Oh man. I hope someone can make this for me one day!!. "This is...This is good"Perfect to indicate just how good it is..
Wouldn't this be a good candidate for the reverse sear method?
Recipe for those breadcrumbs please!! That seems like the perfect salad topper
that "omg" felt so good
The last 2 minutes of this is the cruelest video I think I've ever seen. Wow. That looks amazing.
I was expecting the dog to come in at the end, get the steak and run.
I need that thermometer!
I'd love to see more pizza oven based cooking personally. Might be more encouragement to buy one
If you need encouragement I'm not sure we really need you on the team...??
Just playin bro😂
Hey Kenji, could you use shop bought chicken broth for the Bordelaise and then just add in some powdered Gelatin?
No. It’s too salty and it also doesn’t taste good enough to reduce and concentrate.
You can make a pan sauce with the gelatin trick, but you can’t fake a demiglace with store-bought stock.
Got it. Thank you :) @@JKenjiLopezAlt
Any idea why you are able to salt a steak like this days in advance. But if you leave salt on a pork chop or chicken breast for more than a day, it starts to get that snappy, "hammy", salt cured texture?
Steak is much coarser grained.