日本 🇯🇵 | Pici 'Noodles' with Wagyu Beef Brisket Ragù

For our Japanese-inspired dish we’ve homed in on the incredibly delicious Wagyu beef for our ragù. Not just because “Wagyu ragù” is amusing to say but also due to the uniqueness of this Japanese ingredient. ‘Wagyu’, literally meaning ‘Japanese cattle’, were originally raised for labour in agriculture and thus developed high energy & endurance capabilities, particularly during periods of drought, which ultimately contributed to the superiority of the meats’ quality & tasting experience. Traditionally fed through grazing in large, pastured areas, as well as being fed other high-energy and high-protein products such as rice straw and alfalfa to help develop the signature marbling of fat throughout the muscle.

Until the 1970s, Wagyu cattle were considered a ‘national treasure’ in Japan and so were blocked by the Japanese government from being exported. As a result, Wagyu beef is comparatively new to the global gastronomic scene!

We’ve paired this extraordinary meat with pici pasta, a Tuscan variety made using only semolina flour and water. This shape seemed fitting as its thick strands are charmingly reminiscent of Japanese udon noodles! Meshiagare!