I have to say from the outset, me and frozen burger patties don’t get along. I’ve tried a boatload of different brands. To me, they have a taste and texture in common that I personally don’t find appealing.
I think probably many of them are marketed to be tossed on your charcoal or gas grill, which considerably changes the experience – but fried on the stovetop? Nope.
So I was skeptical when I spotted “Pasture Perfect American Style Kobe Beef Burgers.” First off, of course you know I object to meat being marketed as “Kobe,” cause 99.99999999999999999999 % of the time it’s not. “Kobe Beef” is a product which comes from a specific breed of cow (Wagyu) and is raised in a specified manner in the area of Kobe, Japan.
Wagyu cattle have been imported to the US, New Zealand, and Australia and it’s the flesh of these animals you frequently see marketed as “Kobe.” The giveaway? If the restaurant you’re at is offering a “Kobe” burger for $12 or $20, it’s not Kobe. You can purchase ‘real’ Kobe online – but get a second mortgage first, here’s one source: http://www.miyazakigyu.com/.
But on to Pasture Perfect. The package promises Wagyu cattle free range, open pasture, 100% grass fedno antibiotics or added hormones. The cattle is raised in New Zealand, and processed in Los Angeles at a re-processor, First Class Foods, in Hawthorne, which has been around since 1962. (Factory pix below).
First Class processes beef, pork and other proteins into retail and food service portions. They also manufacture some heat and eat meals for food service.
Pasture Perfect is a brand name used by a Lake Tahoe, Nevada based company named Pilot Brands.
The package is one pound, and contains two 8 ounce patties. No idea why they would market it like this instead of smaller portions. I thawed before frying in cast-iron, most directions I have seen call for you to prepare Kobe “low and slow,” but this isn’t ‘real’ Kobe, so I seared and then finished on medium.
I prepared it without and seasoning, and plated it without condiments or toppings. Took a bite. Wow. Tastes like a good steak. Steak texture too. No hint of “artificial smoke” flavoring, no painted on grill marks. It’s good. But expensive. About the most you’d ever pay for a pound of ground beef.
How much would I be willing to pay, to eat them on a regular basis? I think no more than $6 a pound. And even that’s a stretch.
Pan fried, about 4 mins per side
First Class Foods, Hawthorne, CA
Pasture Perfect Burger Review
Pasture Perfect Burger Review
Pasture Perfect Burger Review