How to Cook and Prepare Wagyu Beef

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Some folks are into cars, some are into jewelry, others may even cherish a beautiful painting. For me, there are few things prettier than the abundance of intermuscular fat (unremarkably chosen marbling) independent in wagyu beefiness. That, my friends, is a show stopper.

Today, nosotros're going to talk well-nigh the all-time mode to cook this thing of beauty and—you may want to sit down downwards—I don't recommend grilling information technology. Await … did I just say I don't recommend grilling something? I'll punish myself later.

OK, outset things outset—allow'south get-go with the prep. I always recommend taking a steak out of the fridge for an hour or then before cooking information technology. Past bringing the steak up to room temperature you're creating the best possible scenario for it to melt evenly. If the center of the steak is refrigerator temperature when information technology hits the cooking surface, you lot're at high risk of having an overcooked exterior and undercooked (cold, even) inside of the steak. This is Especially important with a thinner cutting steak, but inconsistent temperature problems are amplified with wagyu because of the fatty content. That fat needs to render in order to become the all-time possible flavors; so, getting it upwardly to temperature, without overcooking it, is paramount with a wagyu steak. I don't recommend wagyu to be cooked beyond medium rare.

I know that makes cooking this expensive protein audio scary. Not to worry though, the process is super unproblematic. Find the lack of seasoning hither, that'southward not unintentional. So relax, I'll walk you through the process.

OK, we gear up to get cookin'?

Every bit much equally I'm a fan of the opposite sear method for steaks and other thicker-cut proteins, I don't utilise information technology for wagyu. I don't recommend information technology for a couple of reasons. First, because of the affluence of intermuscular fatty we talked about in wagyu, these steaks are very prone to flare-ups when placed over an open flame that'south traditionally used during opposite sear to achieve the crust we all love due to the Maillard reaction. Those flare-ups are caused by the fat dripping onto the flames and you don't want to lose whatever of that amazing wagyu beefiness fat flavor to your burn down. Instead, yous desire your steak to cook in its ain rendered fat. And so, for wagyu I recommend the hot and fast method of cooking, and I recommend that to take identify on a bandage fe surface then that the beef cooks in its own rich rendered fat.

TIP: Wagyu also cooks nicely on a hot table salt stone if you take ane. If you do this method, don't flavour with salt like I recommend for bandage iron cooking.

Next, considering the reverse sear method is best suited for thicker cuts of meat, it wouldn't be recommended for a wagyu steak which is more often than not cut to nearly 3/4″ thick. That's about the perfect thickness for this grade of beef, not but because its flavor is so rich, but as well considering of the cost. If you're reading this blog you're likely considering buying some wagyu then you're aware of the toll point on this highly sought subsequently cutting of beef—imagine what a 2-inch thick piece of this deliciousness would do to your 401K.

Purchasing wagyu by the way, isn't something you lot can pop into your local chain grocery store and do. Unless you lot take a specialty arts and crafts butcher nearby (and even then, it's unlikely) you'll have to source this beef online. As a blogger and cookbook author, I've had the opportunity to sample a bunch of wagyu from many dissimilar purveyors, but I've had the all-time experience with the wagyu beef—in terms of both toll indicate and quality—with the wagyu that's now sold at Omaha Steaks. They just recently started dealing in wagyu beef every bit part of their Individual Reserve drove, and they've come up out of the gate like Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes! Some seriously adept beef that I would say is at least a 9 but more probable a ten on the Beefiness Marbling Calibration. Encounter for yourself:

For more information, click the picture show.

All that said, here'south the perfect and very simple fashion to cook your wagyu beefiness.

Step i: Light your grill and set for direct medium-high heat. I know, you're thinking "you said you didn't recommend grilling this cut" I know I said that, and information technology's true—mostly. I don't recommend putting the steak over the flame direct on the grill, but I do honey to cook with cast iron on the grill. Tin can this exist done on the stove peak? Absolutely, simply that brings drawbacks; namely the mess it volition create due to the fat popping all over your stove. Add to that, your house is going to smell like cooked beef for a day or and so. Wait, the more I retrieve about information technology, the latter may be a plus. Anyway, y'all know me well enough by now to know that I just love to cook outside, so fire upward the grill if you can!

Step 2: Over the direct medium high rut, place your bandage iron pan or griddle, and let it come to temperature. If you have an infrared thermometer (I recommend i of these for a number of reasons) check your pan'southward surface temperature and wait for it to get to nigh 550°F.

Step 3: To the hot pan, add together a small slice of the beef fatty trimmed from the steak. Let that fat render for thirty seconds or so in order to create a dainty oily surface. No need for butter or oil here, employ the beef fat for the best unadulterated wagyu flavors.