Whats The Big Deal About Wagyu Beef
What Is Japanese A5 12oz
A5 wagyu is the highest grade awarded to a cut of Japanese beef, and it is highly sought after for its buttery texture and exquisitely defined marbling. 12 ounces of A5 wagyu at Old Homestead Steakhouse, a restaurant that has been serving high-end beef since 1868, would put meat connoisseurs back a stunning $350.
Why Is Wagyu Beef So Expensive
Within the United States, restaurants are not required to have a certain percentage of wagyu in their beef to call it as such, and because of this, they often label their beef as wagyu for the interest and revenue it draws.
This leaves a lot of people confused about why some wagyu is so expensive while other restaurants have it available for more.
Real, premium-grade wagyu requires a lot of care and effort to breed, cut, and export which raises the prices significantly, but there is no cleaner or higher-quality beef available than real A5 or Kobe beef.
However, only a handful of restaurants in the US are certified by the Kobe Beef Association to serve Kobe and wagyu beef. These restaurants are serving pure-bred beef and will command a higher price because of the limited supply and restrictions around serving it.
You might think that any other restaurant that is advertising low-price wagyu beef getting it secretly but there is too little supply of wagyu, and it is tracked too closely for that. Instead, they are either selling ground wagyu with Angus or mis-labeling their beef as wagyu on the menu to drive more sales.
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What Cut Of Meat Is Japanese Wagyu Made From
All of our Japanese Wagyu and Kobe beef is sourced from the best farms in the United Kingdom. Each steak has had the majority of the exterior fat removed and has been expertly sculpted to provide the highest meat-to-fat ratio and the best overall value. The steaks are sliced and then swiftly frozen to -28° in a couple of minutes, resulting in a perfectly cooked steak.
Is Kobe Or Wagyu Better
Due to the fact that Kobe beef embodies everything that makes Wagyu superior! Beef from this region is often regarded as the worlds most profusely marbled. Cattle that are destined to be labeled Kobe must fulfill severe specifications when slaughtered. Authentic Kobe cattle may be identified by their distinctive markings, which are only seen on around 3,000 head of cattle every year.
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What Is Japanese A5 Wagyu Steak
I wont go into all the details but wanted to give you some basic info on Wagyu. Wagyu basically means Japanese Cow. More specifically when you are talking Japanese A5 Wagyu steaks you are talking about Japanese Black Cattle. These cows have some amazing genetics that produce some incredible intramuscular fat . These cows are also raised and fed much differently than American cattle.
Disclosure: This post is monetized with affiliate links. If you buy something through them I earn a commission which helps support this site and lets me buy more meat so I can write about it.
Above is a great example of a wagyu steak. That one is an olive fed NY strip from Pursuit Farms and is one of the steaks I will show you how to cook.
A couple more quick bullet points about A5 Wagyu before we get cooking:
- Yes, real Japanese A5 Wagyu is very expensive. It isnt uncommon for a single steak to cost $250 or more.
- You need to know where to buy Japanese A5 Wagyu beef. These arent steaks you can just get at your local grocery store. Ordering online is your best bet.
- The A in A5 refers to the yield of the cow and the 5 refers to the amount of marbling. A5 is the best of the best but A4 or even A3 steaks can be fabulous as well.
- Not all Japanese Wagyu is created equal. You will see some brands like Miyazaki or Kagoshima. Those are good but brands like Kobe, Ohmi, and Hokkaido Snow are better. You can find those three brands available at Pursuit Farms.
OK, lets get cooking!
Putting Olive Wagyu To The Test
Simon Kim, the owner of Manhattan’s Michelin-starred Wagyu beef mecca Cote, where I took the steak to be cooked for the taste test, had only heard about Olive Wagyu.
“I’m always looking for new beef to bring to the restaurant,” Kim said as he looked over the inch-thick chunk of meat. “The marbling is beyond sick and visually it’s stunning.”
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How Much Is Wagyu Cow
How much does an A5 Wagyu cow cost? The A5 Wagyu, which costs $30 per ounce at Cote, or the equivalent of just over $14 an ounce on Crowd Cow, had incredible fat marbling I watched it melt out of the steak as it cooked on the grill. It made the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender and incredibly juicy and buttery. How long does a Wagyu cow live? Wagyu cows live for about 30 months,
What Is The Value Of Wagyu A5
The Olive Wagyu impressed Kim, who had sampled all three steaks. He referred to the way the flesh melted in his lips with a big grin, saying its very much like beef chocolate.
Youre not even required to chew. The flavor just keeps on going. The fat tastes like gold, says the narrator he declares
However, I believe that paying hundreds of dollars on an A5 Olive Wagyu is not justified, at least if you plan on eating more than a few of ounces. Because the fatty pork is so rich, its best served in small pieces. Its more of an adventure than a dinner, but that could be the idea.
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How Much Is Wagyu Beef A Pound
Wagyu beef is sold at a premium per pound. It may cost as much as $200 per pound, while the rarest steak available, the olive wagyu, can cost anywhere between $120 and $300 per pound, depending on where you are located in the world. The cost of a pound of American Wagyu beef will vary between $10 and $15, depending on where you get it.
Recently, there has been a lot of enthusiasm around Wagyu beef in the barbecue industry, but there has also been a lot of misinformation. Is it truly worth the additional expense, or is it just overkill? According to my assessment, the answer is it depends.
Contents
How To Cook Japanese A5 Wagyu Steak
There are a few generally accepted methods to cook a Japanese Wagyu steak. I will talk about the way I cooked mine and then give you a couple other options. All these options are cooked in a pan. Dont fire up the grill for these steaks. There is way too much fat in these steaks that will render out, hit the coals, and cause flareups which leads to nasty soot and bad flavors. Stick with a good pan on your stove. Or if you really want to cook outside put a pan or flat top of some sort on your grill.
Lets talk pans. Stainless steel or carbon steel are the preferred pans for cooking Japanese A5 Wagyu. Cast iron can work but stainless steel and carbon steel are more responsive. They can heat up or cool down quicker than cast iron. I used a couple stainless steel skillets from Made In Cookware which I love.
Here are the three steaks I cooked. On the left is a Miyazaki filet a friend shipped from Cote Korean Steakhouse in NYC. In the middle is an Ohmi strip and on the right is an olive fed strip. The Ohmi and olive fed steaks were from Pursuit Farms. I also had an Australian Wagyu strip from Pursuit that I reverse seared. Just wanted to mention that one because you might see it in some of the pictures.
If you have some thicker steaks like these ones you will want to let them rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. For thinner steaks just cook them straight out of the fridge. Many Japanese wagyu steaks are on the thinner side.
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What Is The Difference Between Japanese Wagyu And American Wagyu
As we mentioned earlier, Japanese Wagyu is black or red cattle that are raised in Japan strictly for their fatty, marbleized steaks. Japanese Wagyu are raised in controlled environments to make them as stress-free and healthy as possible, feeding them only the best food and cleanest water.
American Wagyu is a combination of full-blooded Japanese Wagyu and Angus. The crossbreeding of these two types of beef creates American Wagyu which is less fatty and less marbleized than Japanese Wagyu.
For American Wagyu to be classified as Wagyu, it must be bred with full-blooded Japanese Wagyu cattle and fed a strict vegetarian diet for over 400 days. This creates the perfect flavor of American Wagyu.
Because American Wagyu is crossbred with Japanese Wagyu and Angus, the price is relatively cheaper. You can find American Wagyu for as low as $10 per pound at some retailers. Thats why its important to know the difference between American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu. The most expensive steaks in the world are Japanese Wagyu!
A Butchers Guide To Understanding Popular Wagyu Cuts Of Beef
May 10, 2021
A5 Wagyu is a Japanese beef bred and raised with one goal in mind: exceptional flavor and texture. Typical steaks have a border of fat along the side of the meat. Wagyu cows metabolize fat differently, integrating it within the muscle. This marbling results in tons of robust flavor and a buttery texture. For this reason, Japanese A5 Wagyu is one of the most coveted steaks in the world.
Like any other cattle, Wagyu provides a variety of cuts that you can prepare in numerous ways. In this guide, youll learn some of the more popular Wagyu cuts of meat and how to cook Wagyu steak.
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What Is Wagyu Beef And How Should It Be Prepared
How Much Is A 10 Oz Wagyu Steak
Price: $99.99 from our store. Our Japanese New York Steaks are the most tender and juicy of all the steaks we provide. This magnificently rich and flavorful short loin steak is sourced from the short loins heart, which has the most plentiful marbling, the most soft texture, and the most succulent flavor.
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Where Does Wagyu Beef Come From
While the origins of Wagyu cattle may be traced back to Japan, the cattle are currently raised to differing degrees of purity in countries throughout the world, including Australia and the United States. Its worth noting that not every wagyu beef is legally designated as kobe.
How Much Does An 8 Oz Wagyu Steak Cost
Wagyu beef has gotten a little more inexpensive in recent years, thanks to ranches across the American Southwest that specialize in raising these sorts of Japanese cows for meat production. Despite this, the price of an 8-ounce steak stays around the $60 mark.
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Whats The Best Wagyu Steak
Wagyu A5 strip steak is the highest-quality beef you can buy, and it is available only in limited quantities.It is served boneless and has a beautiful combination of texture and flavor when prepared this way.The marbling on this cut is some of the most extreme youll find in any of the cuts.This enhances the wonderful characteristics of Wagyu steak, resulting in one of the most delicious Wagyu cuts available.
How Much Does A 10 Oz Wagyu Steak Cost
Price: $149.99 in our store. A pioneer in online retailing, we were the first to offer Japanese Wagyu beef on the World Wide Web. Our Japanese Filet Mignon Steaks are cut from Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin that has been imported from the country of origin. All of our steaks, including our Japanese Filet Mignon, are the juiciest and most tender available.
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Is A5 The Highest Grade Of Wagyu
There are several classes of WAGYU beef available, including the flesh of Japanese Black, and A5 is the highest grade available, reserved for the very best cattle available. The criteria for grading cattle are divided into two categories: Yield Grade and Quality Grade. The letter A in A5 indicates the yield grade, while the letter 5 indicates the quality grade.
How Do I Cook Wagyu Steak In A Cast Iron Skillet
How do I cook Wagyu steak in a cast iron skillet?
How should Wagyu be cooked? The marbling in Grass-fed wagyu makes it very forgiving. It is at its juiciest and most tender when the fat is melted throughout the meat, so we recommend cooking it medium rare to medium.
Should I cook Wagyu with butter? Wagyu steak is really rich and fatty. If cooked correctly, it literally will melt in your mouth. Eating it is almost like eating a thick piece of textured butter. Because it is so rich, you need to slice it thin and eat it by smaller pieces.
Should you baste Wagyu? Without the same marbling to internally baste it, it tended to overcook and grow chewy. That doesnt mean you cant grill those steaks, but youd probably want to grill them whole so they remain tender and juicy within.
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Why Does Wagyu Beef Cost A Fortune
Heres the thing, while a typical American cow would cost around $2000, a Japanese Wagyu cow can cost up to $30,000. Who pays for that? Its funny you should ask its the consumer, no doubt!
The overall ridiculously high price of the cow translates to higher costs for each meal. Thats why youll find a significant price gap between Wagyu beef and any other beef at any restaurant you visit.
But the question here is, why do Wagyu cows cost that much?
Its not like the cows go to school, but they do pass through a complex filtration process. The Japanese government supposedly oversees Wagyu production. Moreover, it carries out genetic tests regularly as an essential part of the process. Any cow that doesnt meet the genetic standards set for it is simply not included in the reproductive lineup. My sincere apologies, cow!
So, the way these cows are grown plays a significant role in their pricing. The cows with higher DNA standards cost more. In case youre wondering, no, you cant go to a restaurant and ask for a low-rated cow.
Why Is Wagyu A5 So Expensive
The cows are frequently reared by the breeder until they are 10 months old, at which point they are sold to a fattening farm. They are reared on tiny farms and fed a mixture of fibre and high energy concentrate manufactured from rice, wheat, and hay until the animal has gained 50 percent of its body weight in fat. The cost of the feed is high, which contributes to the high price.
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Why Is Wagyu Beef So Expensive At A Steakhouse And Is It Even Worth It We Think Your Money Is Better Spent Elsewhere
You dont need a six-figure salary to visit a steakhouseunless youre looking at the wagyu beef section, of course. Seriously, the price of wagyu steaks on a steakhouse menu is enough to take your breath away. The smallest wagyu steak costs more than the largest filet mignon . On average, wagyu beef can run more than $200 per pound , so what gives? Why is wagyu beef so expensive, and could this uber-expensive steak actually be worth it?
