Is there any difference in cooking a wagyu ribeye or ny strip compared to a prime or choice? I have the opportunity to cook some for the family. I usually do my steaks reverse sear on a charcoal grill. Anything I should do different with them being so fatty? I like to do the move where you paint the steak with rendered beef fat. Good idea still for a wagyu? Any other tips or things to look out for from the wagyu chefs on here? I’m probably never going to have a wagyu steak again so I got one shot here. Thanks!
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I’d cook it as you normally do. That’s the method you are familiar with and have had results, so go with that! Just watch the temp, may come to your desired temp a little quicker than other grades - (at least my experience with higher grade brisket I’ve cooked). Otherwise, I think you have it down based on what you normally do!
and make sure you show those pics! -
What does it look like? Is it white, white, white? If so, that fat is going to melt really quick and cause flare-ups and is better suited for a pan or skillet. No need to paint, that thing has all the flavor it needs.
If just a really good lookin' Prime go with barelflyComment
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Yeah there is a difference between A5 wagyu and American wagyu. What do you have?Comment
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If it's one of those ridiculously marbled wagyu cuts, what I have gleaned is you do NOT want to overcook it. Hot and fast super-sear, then pull and rest. What I have read and watched on videos indicates it will likely cook very very quickly, much more quickly than a similar-thickness regular Choice or Prime, so it can be very easy to overcook it.
I did a wagyu once, it was from Wild Fork, picked it up on vacation while in Fort Lauderdale - had never seen or even heard of Wild Fork at the time - and while it was good, it wasn't one of those A5 jobbies or whatever. I liked it, it was a great steak, and it did cook a little faster than a typical steak.
That's all the help I can offer.
Salt it liberally, cook it hot and fast, rest a couple minutes, slice into thin pieces. That's what I'd do.
Trying to remember the last time I cooked steak... yeah, that might'a been it, on my trip. That woulda been like Oct 2021, I think.Comment
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Like a few have said: which Wagyu? Is it the true Japanese Wagyu, which is so striated that it looks pink? Or is it American Wagyu, which is Japanese/Black Angus cross, and looks like the best prime steak you ever saw? I’ve done countless American Wagyu, and maybe a dozen Japanese Wagyu.
American Wagyu:
Japanese Wagyu:
If it’s American Wagyu, just cook it like you always have, and be prepared for an amazingly delicious steak!
If it’s Japanese Wagyu, pay attention to Jerod Broussard. I wouldn’t grill it over fire. Use a cast iron pan. Also: Japanese Wagyu is better cooked to medium, over a slightly lower temperature than you would normally use for a prime steak. You want it pink in the middle, not red. And, you will not have to paint it with tallow!
Here are some shots from a recent cook of both a Japanese Wagyu strip and a couple prime ribeyes from Creekstone.
It’s hard to tell, but that Wagyu is just swimming in rendered fat! (The third steak is on the back burner, handle of pan seen in the far right corner.)
The relative doneness when pulled:
And what they looked like when cut. I wasn’t doing a tutorial when I shot this, or I’d have done a better shot of how red the prime is:
The lower cooking temp on the Wagyu gives it less browning, but certainly enough, and a more even interior, allowing the full flavor of the marbling to come through on every bite without any raw fat taste. As realdocBBQ says, pay attention! Use your instant read! These tend to get sold as a thinner cut anyhow. Carryover can be quick, and thorough, which is another reason to use a slightly lower temp (maybe 400°ish). But really, you can’t screw it up. Even if you try to turn it into shoe leather, it’s going to be the most amazing tasting shoe leather you ever had. (Ask me how I found out.)Last edited by Mosca; September 29, 2023, 09:35 AM.Comment
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We recommend cooking our Wagyu with a Blackstone or similar flat surface, to maintain all the juices. The main other tip is to not over cook, and you use a high temp for a good sear. The greater the level of marbling, the more sensitive the steak will be to over cooking.
If you are using a grill/grate, the intermuscular fat (marbling) can result in fat melting, flare ups, loss of flavorful juice, as others have mentioned.
American Wagyu is usually defined as a 50/50 cross between Wagyu and a commercial breed (such as Angus, Herford, etc.)
Different suppliers/ranches provide different types of Wagyu, and the quality range (and cost) can very immensely. As a general rule, the higher the percentage of Wagyu, the more well marbled, more tender, and more flavorful the steak will be. However, there are numerous factors that play into the quality of Wagyu beef.
Along with percentage Wagyu, key factors include: genetics of both parents; age at time of harvest; feed ratios; and growing conditions. Stress on livestock has been shown to hurt the quality of the meat, so knowing something about how the calves are raise and how they are handled can be a good indicator.
Hope that helps a bit.
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Japanese Wagyu is just different. I don’t want to say better, just different. And certainly outside anyone’s typical experience. I’d say that it tastes like beef flavored fat, with all the best attributes of both.
American Wagyu tastes like the best prime steak you’ve ever had.
People will tell you that you can’t eat much Japanese Wagyu in one sitting. That’s bull—. I could eat 16oz, easy. Then again tomorrow.
I love the Japanese, but prefer American. I love that iron-y flavor.
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Mosca -- your post hit just be for I posted mine. I agree with most everything you said . . . but I am not sure about a categorical statement about cooing on lower temp. With the Japanese Wagyu pic you have, I don't doubt that lower temp is better.
I've never myself grilled a Japanese Wagyu with the level of marbling your picture shows. If that is what is being discussed, then I defer to your lower temp comment.
Your Japanese Wagyu pic appears to have a marbling score of BMS 12. It also appears to be cut relatively thick, but it is hard to tell. If so, that plays into how hot the surface should be as well.
The BMS scoring on our calves ranges from 6 - 10, with the higher end appearing somewhere between your pics of American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu.
To me, your American Wagyu pic appears to be BMS 6 or 7. (I am not a butcher or otherwise formally trained in grading though, so I sent a copy of that image to our partner that is a butcher and has had tons of training. I'll report back as to how he grades it, if he can do so from the picture.)
Your pic of American Wagyu shows a very good level of marbling. BMS 6/7 is well above prime, and is really good for American (50/50) Wagyu.
A significant percentage of 50/50 Wagyu (also called F1s) will not score as well as the cut you show. For example, if you take 20 American Wagyu calves, you are likely to have at least a handful that have BMS scores of 3, 4, or 5. In other words, there can be a vast difference in quality from what one cut of American Wagyu as compared to another cut of American Wagyu.
We avoid using the term "American Wagyu" given that it can mean so many different things to different people.
We try to explain BMS scores to customers, and let them know what score they can expect when they buy from us. (Somewhere there is an entire thread about this subject.)
And, regardless of whomever people purchase their meat from, I encourage then to not to assume that they will get a highly marbled cut of meat if they simply ask for American Wagyu. We feel it is better to ask for a particular BMS score (marbling level), or to simply look at the level of marbling in the piece of uncooked steak.
The Wagyu industry is growing in the U.S., and there will continue to be frequent discussions about these topics.
Thanks for your detailed information and helpful pictures.
Don
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Mosca -- our butcher/partner got back to me on grading. He agreed with me that your American Wagyu pic is BMS 6 or 7.
I also sent him the prime Angus pics you have, and he graded them BMS 3-4, which is prime. (He gave ranges because he does not like grading from pics, as it is less likely to be accurate as compared to seeing and handling the actual piece of meat.)
As for eating a 16 oz BMS 12 Japanese Wagyu steak . . . your stomach is tougher than mine. It is too rich for me to have too much of it at one sitting. I've actually loved it the two times I have had it though.
Another reason for smaller servings of Japanese Wagyu is simply the cost. It is easier to accept the price of true Japanese Wagyu by splitting an 8-10 once steak with my wife, than pay $120+ (at a restaurant) just for me. Even that though is too expensive for me, so we've only done that a couple of times.
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If you are normally a rare/med rare person, you might want to cook to just at the bottom of medium if it’s something like a highly marbled wagyu ribeye. A filet maybe still MR. I first heard this from an interview with a SRF employee and then tried it myself and agreed. Get more of that marbling melting and it’s juicy goodness.Comment
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Some really awesome advice I am so appreciative. It seems I am dealing with A5 so I’ll be rereading the Japanese Wagyu advice before cooking these up tonight. I would have been disappointed that the ribeyes were half inch before reading the comments but it all is making sense. Thanks for the crash course I’ll include the “after” pics soon!Attached FilesComment
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Oh yeah, these need to be cooked differently! Those are beautiful steaks!
Those are what I have seen as appetizers or at sushi spots, where you get a few smaller slices and you cook on your own for a fast, hot sear.
Can’t wait to see what you do with these and the end result! Enjoy!!!!Comment
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Agree. Those look like BMS 11 or 12 . . . and will be very rich and tasty.
I imagine that this is a special occasion for you, as many people consider steaks like those to be "once in a lifetime", or possibly "once a year".
Enjoy!Comment
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We do A5 several times a year. Our experience is that a whole steak is too much for one person due to the richness. We like it cut and cooked in strips so each person can decide when they are done without waste. I will add that A5 is better when first cooked and not reheated later.Comment
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SJUfeller It’s easier to reply here than as a comment, it won’t be character limited!
Foremost, I absolutely defer to your expertise. You make a living from this, and from creating satisfied consumers. Regarding the first photo: that was snagged from a Google search. I’ve never gotten one like that! The one in my actual cook was about 2cm/.75” or so; it was fraction of an ounce over 1lb. If I had a 1.5” thick steak, like the one in the photo, I would definitely reconsider. After all, these steaks can run as high as $300/lb, and more!
Like almost any cut of meat, there are many paths to success; this is the one that got me there most safely, I think. I watched dozens of vids, I saw many ways to get great steaks. I’m going to search for the video that most influenced my choice to lower the heat, give me a moment….
That isn’t exactly what I did; obviously they are using tenderloin, they have better tools, they cook as many of those in 3 hours as I will in my entire life… but I took some ideas from it, ideas that work in my kitchen (Also: that is some SERIOUS food porn, innit?!)
We split those three steaks among four of us, so each of us got about 4oz of Olive Wagyu. I’ve eaten a 16oz Wagyu steak with no side effects… but honestly, these days I probably couldn’t eat an 8oz cheeseburger, so I’m talking a little out the side of my mouth there. I guess I should say, 2 years ago I could’ve done it!
Regarding portion size and cost: every time we go to Vegas, we make plans to visit a great steakhouse. And every time, I promise myself that, if I’m winning, I’ll order the Kobe, or whatever they have advertised by the ounce with a 4oz minimum. And I always chicken out! I just absolutely love the taste of prime American beef. I’d rather have more of that than less of something that I don’t have as often.
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