Meet the Meat! Delicious Ways to Eat Matsusaka Beef

Matsusaka Beef: One of Japan’s Top Wagyu

Rolling mountainsides with thick forests, clear rivers, golden rice fields, and lush tea terraces fill the dazzling countryside of Matsusaka, where a select few cattle are sent to receive first class treatment to become certified as Matsusaka beef. Any beef boasting the Matsusaka beef certification is held under an extremely high standard and raised under specific conditions to provide a luxurious taste experience. It’s easy to see why Matsusaka beef is lauded as one of Japan’s top wagyu with its superior marbling, strong umami flavor, and savory aroma upon cooking.

Here are four delicious ways you can enjoy Matsusaka beef, including certain dishes and rare cuts that are exclusively available in Matsusaka. Whether you’re a fan of wagyu or just a food-lover searching for fantastic dining, keep this article as reference for your next gourmet trip!

Nourish Yourself with Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki

Whether it’s hot or cold out, you’ll want to be greeted by the savory smell of wagyu sizzling on the sukiyaki skillet! An array of fresh vegetables accompanies delicately arranged ribbons of thinly-sliced Matsusaka beef in sukiyaki. Although traditionally enjoyed in the winter, this classic hot-pot dish is available all year round in Matsusaka, where you can enjoy a subtle variation on the typical sukiyaki meal.

Generous slices of Matsusaka beef are carefully spread out and grilled on a cast iron skillet with a blend of sugar, soy sauce, and dashi broth. Watch the marbled fat render into a concentrated broth of pure umami before dipping the freshly-cooked beef into a beaten egg characteristicof sukiyaki. The meat is enjoyed first with a heap of freshly steamed rice before the leftover broth is soaked up by a rainbow of nutritious vegetables, including onions, carrots, mitsuba, and shiitake mushrooms. This alternation between cooking the meat and simmering the vegetables is the signature of Matsusaka-style sukiyaki, which highlights the quality and individual taste of Matsusaka beef before incorporating the subtle flavorsof each vegetable.

  Variations on Matsusaka-style sukiyaki can be found between restaurants within the city, somefeaturing thicker, heartier slices of beef and even rare, specially graded Matsusaka beef. Some of the restaurants in the city have been serving authenticsukiyaki with the highest quality Matsusaka beef since the Meiji era, around the late 1800s. This cuisine’s long history makes it the perfect complement to a leisurely day spent strolling along the historical streets of Matsusaka’s castle town!    

Cut into a Juicy Matsusaka Beef Steak

A thick, juicy steak is a classic way to enjoy the rich flavors and aroma of Matsusaka beef. The knife melts through like butter as you cut into a Matsusaka beef steak, revealing a tender center with just the right amount of color, surrounded by a crispy, browned exterior. 

New and seasoned wagyu fans alike can enjoy premium cuts like tenderloin, sirloin, and core loin, the center of the sirloin considered the most precious part of Matsusaka beef. Those searching for a leaner option can go with a carefully grilled fillet steak. Choose from a variety of restaurants with interior designing ranging from cozy, western-style diners to lantern-lit, Japanese-style spaces with a traditional feel.

Admire the Marbling in Matsusaka Beef Sushi

Although usually made from fish, sushi is a great way to experience the original flavor and texture of Matsusaka beef while appreciating the beauty of its marbling. Matsusaka beef chuck rib is the cut of choice for sushi. The texture is silky smooth and the fat melts at low temperatures, making it resemble fatty tuna.

Witness the hands of an expert at front-row counter seats as fresh beef is sliced artfully into bite-sized pieces that are arranged carefully on mounds of sticky rice to make nigiri sushi with a twist.

Garlic, ume plum, and perilla form a delicately balanced burst of flavor that’s combined with beef and wrapped in a pat of sticky rice into an original Matsusaka beef roll. Tasteful amounts of wasabi and pickled ginger accompany all sushi on lacquered plates that are as much part of the art as is the sushi-making process. Dip these unique sushi into a little soy sauce before taking a bite into the Matsusaka beef and savoring how it melts away into your mouth. This is a rare chance to enjoy beef in a fresh, unique way!

Gather Around Sizzling Matsusaka Beef Yakiniku

Grill a variety of cuts of beef to sizzling perfection on the spot at a yakiniku-style barbecue! Spend quality time with friends and family while cooking each bite of meat piece by piece and savoring the aroma of one ofthe most delicious wagyu you can find in Japan. Matsusaka beef is a popular pick at the grill for its tenderness-it stays juicy no matter how you cook it.Sample a curated variety of cuts of Matsusaka beef, like skirt steak,tenderloin, tongue, and even the sankaku jo-karubi, a popular cut considered to be the tastiest part of beef ribs.Choose from a wealth of sauces and seasonings, such as the miso sauce, saltygarlic, and chopped scallion, to bring out different dimensions of Matsusakabeef’s flavor.    

  Plates piled with slices of A5 quality Matsusaka beef revolve around a conveyer belt at one ofMatsusaka’s more unique yakiniku restaurants for anyone wanting a fun spin on their experience. Order your favorite cuts and watch them travel down the conveyer belt straight to yourseat! Those who want to go deeper with their yakiniku experience can order Matsusaka beef offal. Each type of organ meat offers a fun and delicious new textural experience in every bite. Matsusaka beef offal is a menu option rarely seen outside of Matsusaka, so make sure you give it a try on yournext visit!    

Plan Your Next Foodie Trip for Matsusaka!

Whether you’re already a fan of wagyu or just beginning to learn about it, Matsusaka is the place to satisfy your craving for beef. Whether you’re feeling up to sizzling yakiniku, a juicy steak, a comforting sukiyaki meal, or an artful plate of beef sushi, you can find high quality beef cuisine here to suit every season and craving!

Learn more about Matsusaka beef and how to enjoy it at the link below.

Featured restaurants:

・Gyugin Honten (Sukiyaki) official website

Address: 1618 Mie Prefecture, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture

Hours: 11am-8pm (No entry past 6:30pm, Last orders by 7pm)

*Check theCalendar on the website for opening days.

・Steak House Oka (Steak) Official Website

Address: 115-20 Mie Prefecture , Matsusaka City Prefecture

Hours: (Lunch)11pm-3pm, (Dinner) 5pm-10pm (Last orders by 8:20pm)

*Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

・Sushi Restaurant Kimiya (Sushi) Official Website

Address: 453-4 Mie Prefecture, Matsusaka City Prefecture

Hours: (Lunch) 11:30am-3pm,(Dinner) 4:30pm-10pm

*Closed on Mondays.

・Isshobin Miyamachi Branch (Yakiniku) Official Website

Address: 144-5 Mie Prefecture, Matsusaka City Prefecture

*Check the website for opening hours. Conveyor belt seats have different operating hours.

Why not enjoy a gourmet tour of Matsusaka beef on your next trip?