Upscale/Downscale: Kobe Italian Beef, Extra Virgin

Upscale/Downscale: Kobe Italian Beef, Extra Virgin

In the past 30 days, I’ve eaten Kobe sliders at Nick’s Fishmarket Grill, Waygu sliders at Wynn in Vegas, and, last night, Kobe Italian beef at Extra Virgin (I took a pass on the carbonara “mac and cheese”). None of these preparations was astoundingly good, though each was kind of tasty and they were all mildly amusing in an ironic kind of way.

As Stevez pointed out about the Waygu sliders, the quality of the meat sometimes seems lost in the joke, and I felt pretty much the same way about the Italian beef I had last night at Extra Virgin. I’m not sure a guy who loves Johnnie’s would prefer the significantly more expensive Kobe version – it’s a different dish, flavorsome on its own merits, but creating a downscale version of this classic street stand food using self-consciously upscale ingredients almost diminishes the value of both the original dish and the newfangled components.

On a similar note, foodstuffs like tofu masquerading as meat (e.g., soysage, tofurky, etc.) demean the tofu and the dish aped. If you’re tofu, it’s probably best to be tofu; if you’re an excellent hunk of kobe meat, maybe you should be that thing and not go slumming as a fast food item. It’s unnatural.

Extra Virgin
741 W. Randolph
312-474-0700

Nothing of significance to add except whole-hearted agreement with both the particulars and the general principle. All too often the clever is the enemy of the good, in most areas of life. (And I say that as one who has been all too guilty of attempted cleverness in various arenas.)

(Though I have to say that I've had som tofu-based frozen dessert product that wasn't half bad.)

David Hammond wrote:On a similar note, foodstuffs like tofu masquerading as meat (e.g., soysage, tofurky, etc.) demean the tofu and the dish aped. If you’re tofu, it’s probably best to be tofu; if you’re an excellent hunk of kobe meat, maybe you should be that thing and not go slumming as a fast food item. It’s unnatural.

I'm with you on this -- vegetarians that eat facon, TVP, and other manufactured foods are not getting the point of not eating meat (which I do on occasion not as a philosophical choice, but just as variety).

Rather than imitation cheese, tofurkey, etc., give me falafel, mutter paneer, huitlacoche tacos, or even a portobello 'burger.' Eat food for what it is.

Flame off.

JoelF wrote:I'm with you on this -- vegetarians that eat facon, TVP, and other manufactured foods are not getting the point of not eating meat (which I do on occasion not as a philosophical choice, but just as variety).

Rather than imitation cheese, tofurkey, etc., give me falafel, mutter paneer, huitlacoche tacos, or even a portobello 'burger.' Eat food for what it is.

I think the fake meats, etc., are aimed, not at philosophical vegetarians, but at those who, right or wrong, have given up meat for health reasons, and others who may no longer eat meat but miss it.

I try not to be judgmental about vegetarians, but it's difficult, because so many of them are so judgmental about omnivores.

As for Kobe sliders, my thought is -- what's the point? Kobe/Wagyu is all about texture, not flavor, so if you grind it into burgers, all you get are bland, greasy burgers.

LAZ wrote:

JoelF wrote:I'm with you on this -- vegetarians that eat facon, TVP, and other manufactured foods are not getting the point of not eating meat (which I do on occasion not as a philosophical choice, but just as variety).

Rather than imitation cheese, tofurkey, etc., give me falafel, mutter paneer, huitlacoche tacos, or even a portobello 'burger.' Eat food for what it is.

I think the fake meats, etc., are aimed, not at philosophical vegetarians, but at those who, right or wrong, have given up meat for health reasons, and others who may no longer eat meat but miss it.

This raises the question of Chinese Buddhist cuisine, which is very likely has the oldest known tradition of imitation meat recipes. Were these recipes created for Buddhist monks who had to give up meat as part of their religious commitment? I'm curious to know if anyone knows the direct origin of this style of Chinese cooking.

Best,
Michael

LAZ wrote:As for Kobe sliders, my thought is -- what's the point? Kobe/Wagyu is all about texture, not flavor, so if you grind it into burgers, all you get are bland, greasy burgers.

That is an excellent point and rings true with experience. The upscale burgers lacked the deeply satisfying flavor of a regular burger made well.

Next up: Kurobuta breakfast links.

Hammond

As for Kobe sliders, my thought is -- what's the point? Kobe/Wagyu is all about texture, not flavor, so if you grind it into burgers, all you get are bland, greasy burgers.

Something I intend to test for myself by ordering the wagyu burger David Rosengarten recommended. He expressed the same doubts, but found at least one supplier where he loved the buttery result.

Otherwise, I agree, I'm fine with vegetarian food that simply happens to not have meat, but can't eat something where a piece of styrofoam is trying to convince me that it's a hamburger patty. I suppose it's different if you're all-vegetarian, much as if you were a prisoner in a maximum security facility in Iceland, you might wear a Hawaiian shirt on a 40 degree day and try to convince yourself you were in the tropics, but as with Bonanza in color, not-- for-- me.

Mike G wrote:

As for Kobe sliders, my thought is -- what's the point? Kobe/Wagyu is all about texture, not flavor, so if you grind it into burgers, all you get are bland, greasy burgers.

Something I intend to test for myself by ordering the wagyu burger David Rosengarten recommended. He expressed the same doubts, but found at least one supplier where he loved the buttery result.

A nice thick bar style wagyu burger would be a thing of beauty. In the case of the sliders, however, the meat was too thin to matter and cooked to death to boot.

Otherwise, I agree, I'm fine with vegetarian food that simply happens to not have meat, but can't eat something where a piece of styrofoam is trying to convince me that it's a hamburger patty. I suppose it's different if you're all-vegetarian, much as if you were a prisoner in a maximum security facility in Iceland, you might wear a Hawaiian shirt on a 40 degree day and try to convince yourself you were in the tropics, but as with Bonanza in color, not-- for-- me.

Related to this - anyone eaten at Karyn's Cooked on Wells? It claims to be upscale gourmet vegetarian. For sure it's vegetarian, and it's good, but it seemed like most of the dishes were variants on faux meat sandwiches (ribs, steak sandwich, taco salad, etc). And it didn't seem too upscale to me. When I think upscale vegetarian I think Green Zebra and such.

I say let veggies be veggies, let meat be meat. It is not required to eat the meat.