Tasting Ocean Beef NZ: The Chef’s Opinion

When asked to describe the perfect steak, one will probably think of the following: extremely tender, juicy and a rich flavor palate. There’s a delicious brand of beef produced by the Kiwis of New Zealand that might just fill in these desires: Ocean Beef! Within this article we'll cover everything you need to know about this exotic steak.

Origin

The name ‘Ocean Beef’ urges you to visualize beautiful beaches and green fields next to a breezy, wide-stretched ocean horizon. Well, that utopian thought actually gives a pretty accurate description of the environmental factors of New Zealand. Pure-bred Angus cattle roam freely in a perfectly temperate climate for 18 months, and are raised by a selected group of family farms. As part of the natural and sustainable Kiwi lifestyle, no antibiotics and hormones are used during the process. Cattle is nurtured with a GMO-free grain diet, which makes sure all nutritional factors are in place to produce top-notch quality beef. After 18 months, a strict and hand-picked selection of the best cattle takes place. Only these specimens will qualify for the production of Ocean Beef. The entire process is managed and regulated by the independent NZ organization ‘AsureQuality’.

It is no secret that we are true Japanese Wagyu lovers. That being said, we are always on the lookout for other contenders that might just shake our senses as deeply as the Japanese delicacy. Let’s review Ocean Beef and how it weighs in on the discussion.

The visual aspects & touch

Visually, this steak looks stunning. It has an amazing amount of intramuscular fat fibers within the bright red-colored meat. By just looking at it, one can tell this is going to be a delicious steak. When touched, the steak feels extremely soft and even slightly oily. This promising sensation definitely reminds us of the king of all steaks: Japanese Wagyu A5 (and that can only be a good sign).

The cook

Subsequently, we proceed with grilling our promising Ocean Beef. A small tip from the chef: when barbecued on charcoal, the high amount of intramuscular fat generates a lot of flames. Be sure to proceed with caution, as you don’t want to burn this beauty. We recommend aiming for a core temperature between 52° and 54° Celcius.

The taste

Now comes the moment you’ve been waiting for: the tasting! Our initial reaction was pretty straightforward: “wow!”. Ocean Beef is as good as they come. The flavor could best be described as being ultra-beefy and rich. While it provides a less fatty sensation than Japanese A5 Wagyu, Ocean Beef still unleashes a beautifully balanced spectacle of flavors that will boggle the mind during the first, second (and third!) bite. The texture is extremely soft and smooth, and could best be compared to eating a prime tenderloin steak. In terms of overall meat experience, we give this one 5 out of 5 stars. Ocean Beef meets our high standards, and enters our top 3 list of favorite beefs.

Conclusion

Here comes the final verdict. Ocean Beef is your weapon of choice if:

• You like your steaks to be rich, smooth and juicy;
• You love a genuine beefy flavor to your steak;
• You care about responsible and natural cattle breeding by select family farms;
• You like to expand your beef portfolio with an exclusive beef for a fair price.

Bon appetit!