Not to belabor the point, the proof is in the results of cooking this stuff, but I called HeartBrand today to get the skinny on this meat they call Akaushi. Is it certified Akaushi Purebred Wagyu or cross bread (as I suspected)? I'll post an article or two that talks about it in depth but these cows and bulls were brought to the US back in the 1992 somewhat surreptitiously. They are not allowed by trade sanctions to leave Japan otherwise. The herds have grown over the years to maybe 14,000 head today.
HeartBrand told me that the only way they could realistically grow their herds was through cross breeding. Yet in order to do that by agreement with the Japanese Akaushi Association each of the cross bred cows has to have at least 50% pure Akaushi DNA in it. Unfortunately the exact mix and variables thereafter are too difficult to cull from each cow that's slaughtered so it does vary.
That said, they only process about 160 or so cows a month. Where normal Angus grades out at Prime in maybe 2-3% of the Angus herds, Akaushi cross bred grades higher than prime 90% of the time. That could be anywhere from A2-A4 depending on the cow and the DNA mix. They sell them at the same price point as other American Wagyu producers. As a matter of fact they don't even recognize the term because it could mean hundreds of different things. They just refer to them as Akaushi. There words not mine.
I did go on their website and you can buy an 11# average brisket for $120 plus shipping. That's about $11/# pre-shipped cost which does stack up nicely with the A Bar N Ranch product I normally buy (which btw is so popular with restaurants that they quit selling to the general public). I also talked to my local barbecue supply place today and he said they buy in bulk and pass on the savings. So they are currently at $6.99/# but he expects it will go up. He doesn't even know what or when he can get more, it's that hard to get.
Again the proof is in the putting but I think this stuff may be the Holy Grail of beef. The bbq guy told me the stuff is pure gold, he loves the Teres Major and the Outside Skirt, melt in your mouth delicious !! I encourage anyone willing to pay for SRF or other prime cuts to give these guys a try. I'll cook my stuff sometime in November and report back but I'm sure the stuff will live up to the hype.
Interesting article on how one of the Koch brothers got sideways with HeartBrand over these same cattle.
HeartBrand told me that the only way they could realistically grow their herds was through cross breeding. Yet in order to do that by agreement with the Japanese Akaushi Association each of the cross bred cows has to have at least 50% pure Akaushi DNA in it. Unfortunately the exact mix and variables thereafter are too difficult to cull from each cow that's slaughtered so it does vary.
That said, they only process about 160 or so cows a month. Where normal Angus grades out at Prime in maybe 2-3% of the Angus herds, Akaushi cross bred grades higher than prime 90% of the time. That could be anywhere from A2-A4 depending on the cow and the DNA mix. They sell them at the same price point as other American Wagyu producers. As a matter of fact they don't even recognize the term because it could mean hundreds of different things. They just refer to them as Akaushi. There words not mine.
I did go on their website and you can buy an 11# average brisket for $120 plus shipping. That's about $11/# pre-shipped cost which does stack up nicely with the A Bar N Ranch product I normally buy (which btw is so popular with restaurants that they quit selling to the general public). I also talked to my local barbecue supply place today and he said they buy in bulk and pass on the savings. So they are currently at $6.99/# but he expects it will go up. He doesn't even know what or when he can get more, it's that hard to get.
Again the proof is in the putting but I think this stuff may be the Holy Grail of beef. The bbq guy told me the stuff is pure gold, he loves the Teres Major and the Outside Skirt, melt in your mouth delicious !! I encourage anyone willing to pay for SRF or other prime cuts to give these guys a try. I'll cook my stuff sometime in November and report back but I'm sure the stuff will live up to the hype.
Interesting article on how one of the Koch brothers got sideways with HeartBrand over these same cattle.
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