Hi all, just thought I'd add a quick footnote... In my search for locally grown, sustainable produce and meat I discovered a farm that raises Wagyu cattle right here in Central Florida. Needless to say, I called up the owner and drove up to meet him and see the operation for myself. As I understand it from Nils, who started the farm, there are actually two herds of Wagyu who descended from some smuggled full bred calves brought over from Japan to the Northwest several years ago - one herd which was cross bred with Angus 50/50 (the one jimbo mentioned) and one which remains about 95% pure according to Nils which is his. Anyhow, as I looked at this herd myself, I could see that they looked physically different than the typical beef cattle that we have here in Florida (Angus, FL Longhorn etc.) In fact, they don't look like beef cattle at all. They are leggy and, quite frankly, skinny. I asked Nils about this and he pointed out that that is a trait of the breed.
On to the important part, taste. I actually did a side by side burger comparison with fresh ground (by me) chuck from the farm and Publix. I was surprised at the difference. There was no question, the wagyu was juicier and better flavored than the angus chuck. Unbelieving, I gave the same test blind to my wife and asked some friends to also taste it. They all chose the wagyu hands down. Now I'm not saying that I believe all the pure breed wagyu stuff or not, but I can tell you that this was the best beef I have ever tasted in 25 odd years of a serious carnivore addiction. Maybe it's the grass or the Florida sunshine, I don't know. But it's nom nom good. Apparently the local chefs think so too since that's who he mainly sells to. Also had some of his Berkshire pork which convinvced me that God does indeed love pigs best, which reminds me that till have two quarts of lard in the freezer waiting for pie crusts.
If you're interested in checking them out for yourself here's the website
http://www.pastureprimewagyu.com They do ship across the country, and if you're ever near Ocala, Florida go see them for yourself. Nils and his family are great folks and will be perfectly happy to show you around the farm. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do try them out.
