Originally published in fork-tender newspapers on August 16, 2007
Want to set aflutter the heart of a carnivorous foodie? Mention Kobe Beef! In the mid-1990s, the most elite of the who’s-who-in-food began buzzing about beef coming from the Kobe region of Japan. Stories of how the cattle was raised seemed outrageous - daily massages, a diet that included beer. The fascination grew and a staggering number of people began paying prices of well over $100 per pound for this Japanese delicacy.
David Rosengarten of the Rosengarten Report, a popular newsletter for those into food, recalls his first experiences with Kobe. “I remember eating it deliriously in the late 1990s at New York steakhouses…I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and tasting - beef that, when raw, was so intensely marbled with fat it looked like it had been gang-injected with cream cheese. And the mouth feel was literally unbelievable: this stuff didn’t metaphorically melt in your mouth, it literally melted in your mouth, accompanied by wonderful waves of sweet beef and butter flavor.”
It did not take long for the American entrepreneurial spirit to take over and Kobe beef was being raised here in the U.S. As it turned out, the secret was not in the beer and the rub downs, but in the basic genetics of the breed of cattle - Wagyu. This type of cow is an anomaly among cattle. Its meat is much more marbled than any other breeds and it has a higher ratio of mono-saturated fats to saturated fats. Some claim that it also has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Amazingly, this is not only some of the most delicious beef in existence, but may also be some of the healthiest.
You may be saying to yourself, “This is all quite interesting but I don’t get to New York City very often.” Well, you don’t have to go quite that far. In fact, Kobe is now not only available in Indiana, but being raised here. In 2003, the famed Joseph Decuis restaurant in Roanoke, Indiana began serving American Kobe as a featured menu item and it was an immediate hit with their discriminating clientele. Restaurant owners, Alice and Pete Eshelman set out to learn more about Kobe. They met and became friends with the handful of people who were pioneering Kobe beef to the U.S.
The Eshelmans set their sites on raising American Kobe beef themselves on the Joseph Decuis Heritage Farm, located just six miles from the restaurant. They acquired the finest breeding stock, consulted with the experts, and began raising cattle in a healthy, drug-free, stress-free environment. The calves born at the Heritage Farm are part Angus and part Waygu which produces robust beef that maintains the Kobe tenderness.
They now are their own supplier to the restaurant, making them the only establishment in Indiana, and perhaps the Midwest, serving home-grown American Kobe beef. Not only do they serve Kobe at the restaurant, they also sell it directly to the customer at their Emporium, located next door. Since there is no middle-man, their Kobe prices are much lower than you would find nearly anywhere else.
Joseph Decuis Kobe is available in halves or in individual cuts. A half Kobe will provide about 200 pounds of meat. The number of halves available is limited, so customers are encouraged to call and lock-in an order. Halves start becoming available each April. Individual cuts for purchase include filets, ribeyes, strip loins, and ground steak (this makes a phenomenal hamburger). Phone orders and shipping is available for Indiana customers only. The Joseph Decuis Emporium is located at 191 N. Main Street in Roanoke and they are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm. They can be reached by phone at 260-672-1715. More information is available at here.
Look for this Hungry Hoosier Seal of Approval at Indiana restaurants and other food-related businesses
Swissland Cheese makes goat, raw milk, grass-fed organic, and specialty cheeses. Much of their milk comes from the Old Order Amish community near Berne, Indiana. Specific varieties available include grass-fed organic, raw milk in several varieties and styles made from both cow’s and goat’s milk. Swissland is Indiana’s only producer of goat milk feta. Swissland also has a line of specialty cheeses, most of which start with Cheddar as a base. These include Chedda Choco Nut, a sweet and salty combination of Cheddar, cocoa, and English walnuts. The specialty line also includes Chedda Feta Bluz a mixture of Cheddar, feta, and blue cheeses. Their products are available online and at their Cheese Outlet (818 Welty St.) in Berne. Store hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
