Cook Comparing Choice and Wagyu Tri-Tip Roasts

[johnec00]

Received our second order of "full blood Wagyu" from Double 8 Cattle Company recently. Picanha, tri-tip, and boneless short ribs. Decided to do a comparison of the wagyu tri-tip with choice tri-tip from a local Publix following (more or less) the method from Adrenaline Barbecue Company's YouTube channel here.

There are only two of us, so I cut about 1 pound roasts from the narrower end of each of the tri-tips and dry brined 24 hours. Used no rub, wanted to taste the meat itself. Fired up the 18" kettle with Slow 'N Sear charcoal basket and stabilized at 230º, added a single small cherry chunk. Cooked about an hour indirect to 130º IT. Actually, the somewhat thinner choice roast was more like 135º. Added more coals to the basket and seared both for a minute or so on each side.

Here's a series of pictures followed by a comment about the comparison:

Double 8 order arrived well packed in dry ice and frozen rock solid. They sent 2 packages of short ribs when I ordered 1, saying it was compensation for the fact that they were overly fatty.



Tri-tip roasts after dry brine:



Indirect complete, 130º Wagyu, and 135º choice (upper in picture):



After sear:



Result:



Both were very good, nice and juicy and tasty. The choice was tender enough, and tasted like roast beef is supposed to taste with no seasoning. Definitely a keeper.

The Wagyu was buttery smooth tender, and had a taste that I don't exactly know how to describe other than delicious. Definitely a special treat to reward yourself once in a while.

I'm not an advertising agency for Double 8, but I previously had their picanha and the same from SRF. There is no comparison, the SRF was only slightly better than the local choice, but the Double 8 was incredible. On the other hand, the boneless short ribs were so fatty as to be nearly inedible.

[fttank]

Nice review. Have yet to try Wagyu: I always get sticker shock and get prime instead.

[TripleB]

Me too.

[johnec00]

Agreed that sticker shock can be pretty scary. But to put it in perspective, I took my family out to dinner at Lazy Daze in Islamorada last month and the bill was well more than twice this entire order. And we'll get several meals out of the wagyu order.

[TripleB]

How much did the choice TT weigh? The waygu was 3.64 lbs and the choice looked just as big. I’m willing to bet that they both came from a steer, which according to my old friend who was a butcher, has better marbling than a heifer. He told me to always buy a TT over 3.25 lbs if I found one. Finding TT in my parts over 2.5 lbs (trimmed) is really hard. Mostly always heifers.

Now here’s a laugher. TODAY I’m at the store, buying TT that’s one sale. I go over to the discount meat bin and there’s a 3.4 lb TT. I walk over to get a plastic bag and when I turn around another shopper has picked it up and is looking at it. And as you guessed, put it in their cart. Oh the pain.....

Great pics and cook. Thank you. Gotta try a waygu TT someday.

[johnec00]

The choice tri-tip was 2.4 pounds and was very well trimmed of all the silver skin and fat cap. The wagyu started at 3.84 pounds, but required some trimming of silver skin. My guess would be down to the 3.5 pound neighborhood.

[Ahumadora]

I was waiting for the part where you created a diversion by pushing over a whole Isle and snagging the Tri tip out of their cart while they were not looking..

[Troutman]

I love the comparison cooks. Just looking at the two pre-cook you can tell the wagyu would be the winner!! Nice intramuscular fat as you would expect. Thanks for sharing !!

[fzxdoc]

I made a Bavette steak last night--sous vide and sear--that had a ton of IM fat. It was sold as prime but looked very waygu-ish.

It jiggled like jelly when I took it out of the sous vide bag after 2 hours at 133°. Seared it quickly at 800° on my Grill Grate Griddle. Served, sliced across the grain in 3/4 inch wide slices, with chimichurri.

Husband took one bite and spit it out. Said it was too fatty. He ate the salad and corn on the cob only.

It tasted delicious to me, though, although pretty rich. I'll have to finish the roast myself. Sigh.

Kathryn

[johnec00]

Don'tcha just hate it when nobody else likes a delicious meal and you have to eat it all yourself? It takes a real trooper to do that!

[fzxdoc]

I have to say that watching my fella regurgitate that piece of meat back on to his plate was a real buzz-kill, johnec00 .

[barelfly]

Thanks for the write up. Your comment on cost at a restaurant - I made the same statement earlier this week in regards to Copper River Salmon. Splurging for at home meals is much better than restaurant splurges, most of the time at least. Always nice to get the best cuts once in a while, even though we are all pretty good at turning the regular cuts into wonderful meals!

Enjoy the the rest of that order! Can’t wait to see the rest of your cooks!

[HawkerXP]

Thanks!