658998 Mon Oct 12 18:00:39 -0700 2009 0 18 Manhattan 0 5098327 This beef is across of black angus and wagu raised in the northwest. All three cooked on a dry, seasoned cast iron fry pan at a medium high heat adjusting to form a crust then served salt and pepper. 1) chuck - The supper nice guys at the shop suggested this for shabu-shabu. They reasoned that it was not soft enough for a steak. I found it tender. This was the least marbled of the cuts which looked about like a really richly marbled 'normal' prime rib. 2) culotte - To my eye number ~3 Japanese wagu looks one to one fat to lean. This one is closer to one to four fat to lean. Cut to about 1 1/4" thick. These had a delicate sirlion flavor. 3) aged prime rib - steak was aged thirty days. They cut one rib for the steak which was near 1 1/2" thick. The steaks are far beyond the more fat gives more flavor rule. I noticed that as each steak cooled the flavor dramatically intensified, moving from delicate to strong which was more to my taste. The second day I made the steaks I let them sit on a rack after cooking, as I might a roast, for twenty minutes before eating.The aged rib shrink a lot in cooking loosing in length and thickness. As expected it was less moist but with only a touch of the gamy flavor I have come to expect from aged beef. All and all made for two nights wonderful beef meals. Given the price jump for aged meat and my preference for stronger aged flavors I would stick to the "cheaper" cuts. Mon Oct 12 18:00:39 -0700 2009 20276 wew