We recently returned from a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. It’s stunning. Across the arid landscape, gnarly formations of granite erupt from the ground and climb skyward. It looks like another planet, maybe the surface of Mars, certainly not Earth.
Joshua Tree’s scenery has long inspired reflection and imagination. We couldn’t help but contemplate our own existence and ponder if life exists elsewhere in the universe. We weren’t concerned about intelligent human-like beings. Instead, we thought about animals. What wild creatures might exist out there and how might they taste?
We at G@H pride ourselves on being adventurous eaters. If offered a plate of almost any meat, we’ll sample it. Elk. Rabbit. Boar. Quail. Yak. Bear. Kangaroo. Rarely are we surprised.
We thought that we had a handle on Earth’s most appetizing meats. That changed on Sunday. We ate Wagyu Rib Cap.
Yes, it’s technically beef. But, wow, no. It has the most magnificent marbling, which seems like an artist’s vision rather than a farmer’s labor. Unlike regular beef, the fat doesn’t just supplement the meat. The fat finely intertwines with the meat so that each bite—literally every single bite—delivers a splash of succulence.
Too often, we hear foods described a buttery or as “melt in your mouth.” This was that but legitimately more. It cut like a nicely cooked sea scallop. You could chew it with your tongue.
Its flavor and texture were distinct and delightful. Genuinely incomparable. Almost, well, otherworldly. If life exists beyond Earth, and some distant day in the future we stubble upon a planet of delicious beasts, it’d be hard to imagine any one of them tasting any better than this.
We got the Wagyu Rib Cap from Lobel’s of New York. Lobel’s packed it in ice and shipped it overnight. It arrived perfect and beautiful.
Butcher Evan Lobel recommended the Wagyu Rib Cap be served medium rare. We cooked it sous vide at 134°F for two hours to achieve a perfect edge-to-edge pink. We use a SousVide Supreme. Then, for the strong but shallow sear, we tossed it in a blazing hot cast-iron skillet—30 seconds each side.
We’d never had rib cap. In fact, we’d never heard of it. It can prove hard to find because butchers traditionally offer it not as a separate cut but as part of rib roast or ribeye cuts. And, of course, this isn’t just rib cab. It is American Wagyu beef.
Graced with rare riches, we shared. We hosted the family for Easter dinner. Everyone sampled. Everyone left awed. We secured our spot as the favorite son. Of course, we saved just enough for a personal steak and eggs breakfast the next morning. Here on the home planet, we’re living right.
