Wagyu Recipe

Prepare and season

Bring the A5 Wagyu to near refrigerator temperature (15–20 minutes out). Pat dry with paper towel. Lightly season all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear

Heat a heavy skillet over very high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and immediately sear the beef on all sides — 10–20 seconds per side — just enough to develop a thin browned crust while leaving the interior rare. Use tongs to rotate; avoid cooking through.

Rest and slice

Transfer the seared beef to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, slice thinly against the grain into 2–3 mm slices and arrange on chilled plates.

Finish and garnish

Whisk ponzu with grated ginger. Drizzle a little ponzu over the sliced tataki, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallion, and add microgreens or shiso leaves. Serve immediately.

Marinade

In a small bowl combine 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin, 1 tbs sake, 1/2 tsp sugar and minced garlic. Stir until sugar dissolves. Toss the thinly sliced Wagyu briefly (just to coat) and let sit at room temperature 5 minutes.

Sear slices

Heat a skillet or cast-iron pan over very high heat until shimmering. Add 1 tbs neutral oil and when hot, add the marinated slices in a single layer (work in batches to avoid crowding). Sear 20–30 seconds per side until caramelized but still medium-rare to rare inside.

Finish in butter

Lower heat to medium-high, add 1 tbs butter and 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil to the pan and quickly toss the seared slices to glaze for 10–15 seconds. Remove from heat.

Plate

Place 2–3 slices on tasting spoons or small plates, top with a small mound of julienned cucumber and a light dusting of shichimi togarashi if using. Serve hot.

Prepare rice base

Warm the cooked short-grain rice if necessary and divide into a small donburi bowl (about 1 cup total).

Sear small Wagyu cubes

Season the 0.2 lb Wagyu cubes lightly with salt. Heat a skillet over high heat with a small amount of oil and sear cubes 30–45 seconds per side until browned but still tender inside. Remove and let rest 1–2 minutes, then chop to bite-sized if needed.

Assemble

Place the seared Wagyu over the warm rice. Make a small well and add the egg yolk (if using soft-cured yolk, place whole). Drizzle 1 tsp soy sauce over the yolk and beef, scatter finely sliced green onion, a few strips of nori and a little pickled ginger on the side. Serve immediately so yolk mixes into rice when broken.

Combine and chill

Whisk grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and zest until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness to balance the acidity.

Freeze

If you have an ice-cream maker, churn according to manufacturer instructions until sorbet is soft-set (about 20–25 minutes). If not, pour into a shallow metal pan and freeze, stirring every 20–30 minutes until evenly frozen and granular (about 2 hours).

Serve

Scoop or spoon a small amount (1–2 tablespoons) into a chilled palate-cleanser dish and serve between courses.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin over 1 tbsp cold water in a small bowl and let bloom 5 minutes.

Heat dairy and sugar

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup whole milk and 3 tbs granulated sugar. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling (about 5 minutes).

Dissolve gelatin and miso

Remove cream mixture from heat, add bloomed gelatin and whisk until fully dissolved. Whisk in 1/2 tbs white miso paste until smooth and fully incorporated. Strain if needed for a silkier texture.

Chill to set

Pour mixture into small molds or serving glasses. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until set.

Finish and garnish

When ready to serve, spoon 2 tbs salted caramel over each panna cotta. Garnish with a dusting of toasted sesame seeds or crushed kinako. Serve chilled.