There’s a new type of Angus steak I’m so in love with —Black Onyx from Australian company Rangers Valley.
The rib eyes were cooked two minutes per side on a hot pan with Gallo extra-virgin olive oil—until there was a golden crust. I seasoned it with good sea salt and pepper, just before cooking.
This was a perfect steak—firm crust covering a soft, succulent, juicy, flavor-packed meat. It was marbled —intermingling or dispersion of intramuscular fat within the lean meat—to my liking, decadent yet still fine for a pleasant bite and a gentle chew. The Black Onyx subtly melted in my mouth.
The secret is genetics, its pure parentage. Rangers Valley cattle are bred from a pure Black Angus Sire and a pure Black Angus Dam.
While it sounds simple, the process of certifying and guaranteeing cattle with genetically pure lineage is tedious, I was told.
‘100-percent pure’
Malaysian chef Amir Gan Bin, a former consultant for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), recently presided over a presentation of Black Onyx and other Rangers Valley brands at an event by specialty fats and oils company Oleo-Fats.
He recalled that in 1988, Japanese conglomerate Marubeni took over Rangers Valley and introduced Japanese feeding methods including the type of grains.
The cattle are slow-fed without growth hormones. It allows the cattle to develop proper marbling.
“The Angus lineage at Rangers Valley is 100-percent pure,” said Amir adding that he believes no other company in Manila or anywhere else in the world can make this claim.
“Black Onyx Angus,” he said, “will consistently have a marble score of 3+.” He himself attested to having seen it from the loin cuts he has portioned.
Now in the Philippines
It’s time for Filipinos to enjoy steaks of this quality, said Amir. Oleo-Fats has brought in Black Onyx Marble 3+ Angus and WX Wagyu—a cross between a pure-bred Angus and purebred Wagyu—also from Rangers Valley. The meats are air-flown chilled from Australia.
The Black Onyx Angus has won the 2019 gold medal at the World Steak Challenge in Ireland and in Australia.
Here’s Amir’s cooking guide to the perfect Black Onyx steaks.
- Thaw meat properly.
Always remove meat from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes prior to cooking. If the meat is too cold, cooking time and, most importantly, flavor and tenderness, will be negatively affected.
- Salt ahead of cooking.
Season meat with salt flakes—directly before cooking or, for best results, 40 minutes prior to cooking.
Salting ahead of cooking draws out the moisture from the meat, dissolves the salt flakes and with sufficient time (40 minutes), reabsorbs back into the meat, leading to well-seasoned, tender, moist meat when cooked.
Allow enough time for the reabsorption to happen. Otherwise, the moisture sitting at the surface will evaporate once the meat hits the pan, resulting in tough meat.
- Pan-fry, not barbecue.
Barbecues and char grills are too hot and will cause the steak’s marbled fat to flame and melt away, resulting in a dry steak. Instead, cook in a nonstick pan over medium heat, without any added fats.
The marbled fat will baste the meat from inside as it slowly melts, resulting in a great flavor. To finish, briefly increase the heat and sear for the steak to have a golden, caramel crust.
- Cook medium well.
When cooking marbled beef, aim to soften the fat, but not so much that it melts away. A doneness of medium will have a delicious melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Let it rest.
Resting the steak is important for redistribution of moisture. Cutting too soon after cooking will cause moisture to end up on the plate or chopping board. Allow the steak to rest— one third of the time it takes to cook, so that the moisture stays in the steak.
Amir and I will cook these premium meats Sept. 27; tel. 0920-9734443, 0917-5543700
Black Onyx Angus and WX Wagyu meat cuts are available at special introductory prices. Jing of Oleo-Fats; tel. 0998-5870791.
Follow @iamreggieaspiras; www.reggieaspiras.com
