Where’s the beef?

As a result of a few meaty conversations with the peninsulares father-and-son tandem of Julian and Carlos Carmona, my interest was piqued by the types of beef that we eat.  I have eaten Wagyu, Kobe, Angus, among others, but did not really know the difference.  A quick internet research revealed the following.  

Wagyu (literally, “Japanese cow”) is the generic term that refers to several breeds of cattle that originated in Japan.  It is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high unsaturated fat-to-meat ratio.  Marbling refers to the white flecks or the streaks of fat within the meat itself.  In general, the more “marbles”, the tastier and more flavorful the meat is.  Tenderness and marbling do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.  So while tenderloin is supposedly the most tender cut of the beef, it does not usually contain much marbling.

Wagyus are bred in different regions in Japan hence the need for a more specific brand name.  Kobe beef is probably the most famous Wagyu.  Matsusaka refers to the black-haired cattle (“Japanese black”) and together with Kobe and Yonezawa are considered by many as the “Sandai Wagyu” or the “three big beefs.”  The foregoing said, the supposed beef aficionados believe that Saga beef and Sanda beef are now of a higher quality because they are produced in lesser quantities and under more natural and pristine environments. In our grocery shelves, we now have organic and grass fed beef options. There is also a “cochinillio” variant called Mishima which only grows from 1 to 1.2 meters tall.  Unlike other Japanese breeds, the Mishima has been cross-bred with Western cattle such as the Holstein cow.

Angus is probably the best known breed in the West.  It originated in Angus and Aberdeenshire Scotland.  These cattle are hornless, spotted, black or red colored but with white udders.  Black angus is the most common beef breed in the United States.

Hereford maybe the most common (and sturdiest) of the cattle breeds as it is found in both temperate and intemperate areas in the world. Originally from Herefordshire, England, more than 5 million heads exist in over 50 countries.

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The phrase “Where’s the beef” is of a recent vintage.  It was introduced in a 1984 television commercial by the fast food chain Wendy’s to supposedly distinguish its bigger patties from that of its competitors including McDonald’s and Burger King.  In the ad, actress Clara Peller orders a hamburger and receives a sandwich with a massive bun from a fictional competitor which uses the slogan “Home of the Big Bun.” Upon seeing the small patty, she exclaims “Where’s the beef?” 27 years later, Wendy’s sought to revive the phrase with its new ad campaign that attempted to answer its original question with “Here’s the beef.”

But while Wendy’s ad campaigns were catchy and quite successful, they have not really made a dent in respect of McDonald’s supremacy as the latter’s 2013 sales was still over four times more than its nearest competitor.  Wendy’s and Burger King are neck and neck in second and third places but even their combined sales are still less than half that of McDonalds. So the two continue to have a beef with the undisputed leader.

In US politics, the phrase is associated with the 1984 Democratic primaries.  Former Vice President Walter Mondale used the phrase to attack his rival front runner, Colorado Senator Gary Hart, who would try to sound “Kennedyesque” during the campaign.  In a nationwide televised debate in March, Hart referred to his “new ideas”.  This led Mondale to quip:  When I hear your new ideas, I’m reminded of that ad, “Where’s the beef?”  Mondale’s strategy worked and earned him the Democratic nomination.  However, he did not have enough meat to beat the incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan.

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Holy cow: One would think that “Holy Cow” is an expression that originated in India or a country that is predominantly Hindu where the cow is a sacred symbol of wealth, strength, abundance and generosity.  And neither was it popularized by Batman and Robin who used the invective “holy” in their every other sentence.  Rather it was a phrase used by American baseball players in the early 1900s as a means to avoid penalties for using profane language in protesting an umpire’s call.  It was then used by several baseball broadcasters but probably best identified with New York Yankees announcer Phil “Scooter” Rizutto.

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Chicago Bulls: This is another piece of trivia that I uncovered. Why is the bull the mascot of the Chicago NBA team?  Apparently, in the 19th century United States, cattle were raised in the expansive lands of the West and then transported to the East where majority of the population was.  The in-between spot was the mid-West, specifically Chicago, where the cattle were slaughtered, refrigerated and then shipped by train to the East.  Hence, there were a lot of bulls that passed the Windy City.  And one can just imagine how much bull _ _ _t was left in the markets. For those without a “dirty” mind, they would easily fill in the blanks with the letters M, E and A that spell –meat.

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Greetings:  Birth anniversary best wishes to YPO/WPO trophy forum brother Fernando Zobel and Connecticut-based Yazzy Tanjutco-Moya who works with Save the Children and also serves as president of the Tiny bubbles club.

Congratulations to Atty. Avelino V. “Ave” Cruz for having been elected to a three year term as President of the region-wide 10 country ASEAN Law Association.Founded in 1979, ALA houses the best legal minds in the region including judges and government lawyers, law practitioners and professors.  ALA is also the exclusive affiliate for Law as designated in the ASEAN Charter of 2007 and effectively serves as the latter’s legal counsel.

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“Substance is enduring, form is ephemeral.” – Dee Hock

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