The buttery, melt-in-your-mouth lusciousness of Wagyu is renowned the world over. Mayura Station, a boutique beef producer in South Australia, ups the bar with the addition of chocolate-fed cattle. First established as pastoral land in 1845, Mayura Station, named after the native name for the fern, sits on some of the most fertile soil in Australia. A pioneering producer of 100% full-blood Wagyu cattle in Australia, the ranch imported their first cattle from Japan in 1997.
The idea of a chocolate diet for cows came about when Managing Partner Scott De Bruin consulted Japanese nutritional experts on the ideal feed for his herd. One key ingredient for the feed, a by-product of corn, was difficult to source in South Australia. However, its nutritional profile was similar to chocolate – instigating the idea of using chocolate within the feed. As De Bruin put it, “While Mayura Station was a pioneer in full-blood Wagyu production, I knew I wanted to do something different to further distinguish our brand from other luxury cattle farms in the world.”
The special feed combination of hay, corn, oats, wheat and bran mixed with milk chocolate, gummy bears, strawberries, cream-flavoured gummy snakes and M&M’s is given to the cows a few months before their full maturation. The farm goes through 10 tonnes of chocolate daily!
Besides a chocolate-filled diet, the cows also luxuriate in “Moo Cow Motel”, a large, semi-covered enclosure lined with comfy hay where they can seek shelter at their own will. The result is happy, stress-free cattle, and this also carries into the flavour of the beef, which has a unique sweetness and a buttery, nutty undertone. Over 70% of the award-winning beef is exported to top restaurants in Asia, including to THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill at InterContinental Hong Kong.
From 4 March–30 April 2019, curious diners can get a taste of this unique Mayura Wagyu at THE STEAK HOUSE, prepared expertly by Chef Chiu Ming Chan over the restaurant’s charcoal grill.
Prices range from $1,380 (8-oz tenderloin) to $1,750 (12-oz strip loin), so it’s definitely a splurge. Pair this with Australian Coffin Bay oysters ($328 for 6), sautéed garlic broccolini ($138), Kipfler potatoes ($98) and red berry pavlova ($138) for the ultimate Australian feast.
Lower Level, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, TST, 2313 2323, click here to book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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