Wagyu beef: Insanity by the ounce

Wagyu beef is universally considered the best beef in the world. The word itself simply means “Japanese cattle.” Wagyu is a single breed of cow from Japan that is genetically predisposed to distributing its fat throughout its muscles. Spread evenly across the entire cut, the white fat blends into the red meat, giving the steak a light pink appearance. Way beyond anything you've seen at Kroger or HEB.

The highest-grade USDA prime runs around 8 percent marbled fat. By comparison, the finest wagyu can be as much as 25 percent. It’s all about the type of fat, as well as the size of your steak.

The fat is largely monounsaturated fat with oleic acid, which has been shown in studies that it may reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

GRADING

The Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) grades Wagyu beef both by yield and quality. Yields are more relevant to producers and wholesalers, as they indicate how much useable meat a carcass provides. The yield rankings are A, B, and C, with A producing the highest useable percentage of meat. What you should care about is the quality score, which runs from one to five, with five representing the highest quality.

Wagyu Beef carcasses are graded between the sixth and seventh ribs. Grading is based on two very specific factors: Yield and Grade.

- Yield meaning the ratio of meat compared to the actual carcass weight.

- Grade meaning the overall Beef Marbling Score (BMS), Beef Color Standard (BCS), Beef Fat Standard (BFS), Firmness & Texture.

The highest rating is A5. This beef must be graded as Grade A for yield and Grade 5 in BMS, BFS, BCS, firmness, and texture.

JMGA ratings mean nothing in the United States. We have the USDA grading system for our beef quality.

EXPORT

Wagyu cattle have been exported to the U.S. and crossbred with the much more common black Angus. The methods by which cows are raised differ between the two countries as well. Japanese farmers raise Wagyu stock in the open air, but in fenced pastures, where they can better observe their livestock and carefully manage their diet, hydration, and external stimuli. Kobe beef is a special grade of beef from (Wagyu) cattle raised in Kobe, Japan. These cattle are massaged with sake and are fed a daily diet that includes large amounts of beer. American farmers tend to allow their cattle to roam in the open range, eat a variety of native grasses, and be exposed to changing weather conditions and other factors.

COST

A single A5 grade bone-in Wagyu ribeye steak cost around $250.00

The American Wagyu price for the same steak is under $100.00

The USDA Prime cut cost around $ 30.00

I'm USDA Prime all day long.

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