Wagyu Beef (cooking and eating)

[Jerry1]

The BTD thread has mentioned splurging on Waygu beef a few times. I figured I’d start a new thread to ask my question. How do you cook Waygu and what is it like to eat?

When I look at Waygu all I see is a hunk of fat with some meat mixed in. I’m sure the general consensus is to cook it rare to med rare but that just seems even worse that I’d be putting a hunk of fat in my mouth. I like a good prime graded steak. I cook mine to medium. I like a pink center and it still being juicy, but I don’t like it rare. I like it cooked.

How do you that have enjoyed Waygu steaks cook them and what is it like to eat them? I’m not really interested in eating a stick of butter, no matter how good it is and that’s what Waygu looks like it would be to me.

 

[Midpack]

I just had my first real Wagyu steak (med rare) at a Steak 48 restaurant and it was the best steak I have ever had. It doesn't taste fatty or "like eating a stick of butter" at all - it's just very flavorful, tender, silky, "melts in your mouth" almost. Think about it, if it was fatty/like butter it wouldn't be appealing or command a higher price. It was very expensive so I don't plan to make a habit of Wagyu (even if it is healthier), but it's certainly worth the splurge once in a while to me. I only eat red meat occasionally, so it's not a big expense overall for me.

Articles online suggest Wagyu is actually healthier than Angus beef. Not all fats are created or dispersed equally.

I wouldn't trust myself to cook one at home, so I don't have any guidance there.

https://ownthegrill.com/wagyu-vs-angus-beef/

As far as flavor and tenderness goes, you probably aren’t going to find anything better than Wagyu. This type of beef is famous for being highly and beautifully marbled which in turn leads to unparalleled, tasty results on your plate.

Not only is Wagyu beef incredibly delicious, but it’s generally healthier than other types of beef as well. Without going into a full on health lesson, the marbling in Wagyu beef has the highest percentage of any mono-unsaturated fat out of any protein that you can find in the USA. Wagyu meat has also been shown in studies to help reduce cholesterol levels.
While both of these types of beef are known for being incredibly tender and flavorful, Wagyu beef is clearly a level above Angus in the flavor and texture department.

It simply comes down to the marbling here. Marbling refers to the white intramuscular fat that runs throughout the inside of each cut of meat. This fat melts and renders during the cooking process and brings out incredible flavors while keeping your meat tender and moist. It’s probably the most important factor you should look for when evaluating a steak (or any beef cut for that matter).

 

[Mook1e]

Well, it's wagyu, but the best way to cook it as simply as possible is to ensure your cooking surface is hot enough to properly sear it quickly and leave the inside fully medium to medium rare (i do prefer medium rare to rare). We usually sear them and yes, cook with a bit of butter and sliced garlic with salt and pepper only. Cook with a neutral oil like avocado, or olive if you like. Use just enough oil to sear the first side, then add your butter and garlic as you sear it. Flip to sear the second side and use a spoon to wash the first seared side with garlic butter as you sear the second. Then you're done. Slice thinly into bite size slices after you let it rest about 90 seconds depending on the thickness.


If you like good steak, you'll like wagyu. It's definitely not a hunk of fat with some meat mixed in it. It's perfectly tender and moist meat.
Of note, wagyu from Japan is banned in the USA, so you will be buying and preparing US wagyu, which is just as good as far as my taste buds can tell.
Real Kobe wagyu is incredible, but I haven't had it for decades.

 

[audreyh1]

Just so you don't miss the Costco deal I had posted on the BTD thread!

Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin Roast, A5 Grade, 6 lbs normally $999.99, now $250 off to $749.99
https://www.costco.com/japanese-wagyu-tenderloin-roast,-a5-grade,-6-lbs.product.100505552.html
Authentic Japanese Wagyu Beef imported from the Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan

I haven't tasted any. I would expect it to be delicious, so I'd try it given the opportunity.

But I'm not ordering large amounts because I'm going more for grass finished beef, and my understanding is that Wagyu beef is fed grain for a very long time (364 days?). I guess that's part of where the extensive marbling comes from although the breed is naturally highly marbled.
https://www.pastureprimewagyu.com/beef/

 

[audreyh1]

Of note, wagyu from Japan is banned in the USA, so you will be buying and preparing US wagyu, which is just as good as far as my taste buds can tell.
Real Kobe wagyu is incredible, but I haven't had it for decades.

You can no longer buy live wagyu cattle from Japan - export is banned. But there was a period of time where you could and the breed was brought to the US.

But you can still import wagyu beef from Japan. The Costco offering is clearly imported from Japan.

American wagyu is a different story. It's usually a cross. Doesn't mean it's not good.

In the U.S., Wagyu is most often crossed with Angus, and USDA regulations require only 46.9% Wagyu genetics for beef sold at retail. Exempt from these labelling requirements, restaurants can call any beef Wagyu, and often do.

And some of the American wagyu producers do 100% wagyu.
https://www.authenticwagyu.com/about-us
This particular one also imports beef from Japan and sources Costco.

I think the American wagyu sourced by Snake River Farms is cross bred. https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kobe-vs-wagyu

 

[Mook1e]

You can no longer buy live wagyu cattle from Japan - export is banned. But there was a period of time where you could and the breed was brought to the US.

But you can still import wagyu beef from Japan. The Costco offering is clearly imported from Japan.

American wagyu is a different story. It's usually a cross. Doesn't mean it's not good.

And some of the American wagyu producers do 100% wagyu.
https://www.authenticwagyu.com/about-us
This particular one also imports beef from Japan and sources Costco.

I think the American wagyu sourced by Snake River Farms is cross bred. https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kobe-vs-wagyu

I'm still not sure you can import kobe wagyu, but possibly. It's gotta be super expensive. The costco is kagoshima, which is almost "as good" as kobe. Or so "they" say.

 

[audreyh1]

Costco is advertising imported Japanese grade A5 Wagyu. Nowhere do they advertise Kobe, and this thread was asking about Wagyu, not Kobe.

Grand Western Steaks advertises Kobe.
https://grandwesternsteaks.com/kobe-a5-wagyu-ribeye.html
I don't know anything about the supplier.

 

[Mook1e]

Costco is advertising imported Japanese grade A5 Wagyu. Nowhere do they advertise Kobe, and this thread was asking about Wagyu, not Kobe.

Grand Western Steaks advertises Kobe.
https://grandwesternsteaks.com/kobe-a5-wagyu-ribeye.html
I don't know anything about the supplier.

Yep, didn't say they did.

 

[braumeister]

Impossible to buy Kobe beef here. There are a few (only a few) high end restaurants that can get it for their menu, but you can't buy it retail.

Quite possible to buy genuine Wagyu.

 

[MRG]

How to cook? I bought a sous vide 2 years ago and it's changed cooking. I'd bag it with salt, pepper, garlic and go for a couple hours at 137°F. Depending on the weather it's going to be finished on the grill outside at 600°F or on the stove on a smoking cast iron skillet.

Sous vide makes the protein cooked the same throughout and it's the same every time. At 137°F, perfect medium rare, the fat is perfectly rendered and an amazing experience. Don't blame me if the fat runs down to your elbows.

 

[pacergal]

I don't remember if it was kobe or wagyu, but I had some at a high end steak house several years ago. It had great flavor, but was so rich/buttery/fatty, it almost melted in my mouth.
Made the mistake of having a lobster topper added. I could not finish it, way too rich for me.
I had mine cooked med-rare.

 

[tmm99]

No need to sous vide Wagyu beef IMO. It's tender even if you overcook it. Just grill it on a griddle or a pan at high-ish heat.

 

[6miths]

My local Costco had Wagyu in the cooler last time I was in and I was considering it. The filet mignon is so expensive this summer that the price differential is not that large and the decision becomes whether to try the Wagyu or fall back to the strip loin which is half the price of the filet mignon. To me the filet isn't worth double the price of the the strip loin but the Wagyu might be (plus a bit more). Next spring I am going buy a a summer's worth of the filet mignon and freeze it. The whole tenderloin is also an option when on sale. My son is pretty proficient at trimming and cutting it for me.

 

[audreyh1]

No need to sous vide Wagyu beef IMO. It's tender even if you overcook it. Just grill it on a griddle or a pan at high-ish heat.

Thanks!

As I thought - just keep simple like I do regular steaks.

Hmm - I’m getting inspired!

 

[Scratchy]

I love Wagyu steaks.

I buy a few at a time and freeze them in individual vacuum seal bags. I like my steaks medium rare. I sous vide them for about 2 hours at 130 degrees. Then I get my grill as hot as possible (about 600 degrees) and sear for about 90 seconds on each side. I season with salt and pepper just before eating. Absolute perfection!!

 

[NW-Bound]

I got inspired by recent talks about Wagyu beef, and never having it, wanted to try it, particularly as Costco now carries Japanese Wagyu.

Talked to my wife about getting some for a family treat: ourselves, plus my daughter and son, and the son-in-law, and the son's girl friend. But one look at the photo of the steak, and my wife said "no way". I did not even get to tell her that it's 50% fat. She does not eat fat.

Additionally, she reminded me that our children did not like fat either. Their steak of choice is tenderloin, because it has no visible fat. They like the meat to look homogeneous, with no marbling. Such boring eaters.

I on the other hand like fat. So, what do I do? I guess I can buy just the smallest order, cut, then freeze smaller portions. I keep reading that you don't eat a lot at once, because the high fat content will fill you up and takes time to digest. With me, it may even cause indigestion.

I would quickly sear a thin slice on a hot skillet. A bit of salt and pepper maybe, and nothing else.

 

[CardsFan]

Like NW, this thread has got me thinking about ordering some to try, but, even though we can afford it, the concept of paying around $150/lb for steak just is hard for me to bite on (no pun intended, well maybe just a little)

Of course, on vacation, we don't think twice about dropping $150 for dinner for 2, at least a few times, so maybe I can convince myself by looking at it that way. But I know DW would have qualms no matter how I justify it.

Could go with the American Wagyu, which is about half that price, but I figure this is one of those things where you go big or go home.

We'll see.

 

[tmm99]

If you live in a city with a lot of japanese companies/assignees, you should be able to find some wagyu beef in their local Japanese grocery stores some of the time. The beef would be thinly sliced and packaged in small portions. Nijiya in Mountain View, CA used to have some off and on, and definitely around Christmas/New Year's...

 

[Texas Proud]

I bought some American Wagyu hamburger that was on sale at the store once...


It was a great flavor, but IMO not worth the extra cost... and was there a LOT of fat that splattered on the stove top which I got yelled at by the wife...

 

[NW-Bound]

I bought some American Wagyu hamburger that was on sale at the store once...

It was a great flavor, but IMO not worth the extra cost... and was there a LOT of fat that splattered on the stove top which I got yelled at by the wife...

Uh Oh.

And imported Japanese Wagyu has an even higher fat content than American Wagyu.

 

[SenorDave]

An inexpensive way to try wagyu-ish steak is to get your hands on some Texas wagyu. We were able to snag some hanger steaks for about $40 per pound. While not nearly as marbled as japanese wagyu, it was probably one of the best steaks that I've ever had.....and I normally only eat grass fed, hormone free beef from a friend who raises them.
Preparation was simple, hot coal grill, salt, pepper and don't go past medium

 

[Iusta]

I have had it several times. It does taste like putting a stick of butter in your mouth together with prime beef. Very tender melt in your mouth. I like butter and fat but not to that extent. It’s so rich I cannot even finish 4 ounces and it gives me a headache. I much prefer a nice prime cut. Just the right amount of fat marbling for me.

 

[audreyh1]

Plenty of American wagyu available here at HEB. All sorts of cuts, including fajitas. I think it’s sourced from Snake River Farms. https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kobe-vs-wagyu

 

[Jerry1]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I’ll try some, but maybe a filet because it doesn’t seem to have the ultra high fat content, being a lean cut generally. We’ll see.

 

[RobLJ]

It so happens that last Thursday I bought American wagyu hamburger meat at Costco while MrsRobj was gone visiting her sister in Penn. It was mainly because it was only a dollar or dollarfifty more per pound than their regular hamburger and came in smaller packages (we usually cook for 2). I made a couple burgers then tacos; very good.

I also bought prime rib eye, which was not wagyu but also excellent (I grill with olive oil, salt, and butter to just a bit rarer than medium). I only made half a steak, which was enough (about 8 ounces). At that rate, it will be about 5$ per steak. I can see 4-6 oz of wagyu steak would probably be plenty.