So you want Wagyu ?

[schlotz]

Do you really know what you a buying? There are farms claiming to sell wagyu but in reality the herd they butcher from isn't even F1, ie crossbred 50%. Crossbred rating goes thru F3 which is 75%, afterwards you are into purebred @ 93.75% with fullblood being 100%. Mathematically an angus cow bred to a purebred bull (at least 93.75% but not 100%) will throw a calf that will be less than 50% Wagyu, yet there are farms selling this crossbred mix as American Wagyu. The problem is there are no governing entities or laws on the use of 'Wagyu' in America so the gamut of suppliers run with individual interpretations with consumers being their target. Of course this is the 'technical' side of the issue. Many purchase at this level and are completely satisfied which certainly propagates the continuation of seller's interpretations. It's up to the consumer to justify their purchase.

 

[kruizer]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[SmokinAl]

I totally agree with you, if you want 100% Waygu it’s going to cost you a fortune, and BTW SRF does not have pure Wargo, it’s a mix of Waygu & Angus, which is definitely a step up, but not true Wargo. I used to work at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton FL & they got
Wargo delivered every day from Japan. A hamburger was $200. That is the difference between American Waygu & the real deal!
Al

 

[JC in GB]

Good advice. What should one ask a breeder to find out the purity of American Wagyu?

JC

 

[SmokinAl]

American Wagyu is a mix, true Wagyu only comes from Japan. There is only one ranch that has true Japanese Wagyu in the US. I don’t remember the name but if you google Pure Japanese Wagyu it will come up. It is terribly expensive, but I will buy some before I die. SRF is AmericanWagyu. As we all know it is spectacular, so imagine what the real thing would be like!! I will try to find the real deal & post it on here. But it is real sticker shock!
Al

 

[JC in GB]

American Wagyu is a mix, true Wagyu only comes from Japan. There is only one ranch that has true Japanese Wagyu in the US. I don’t remember the name but if you google Pure Japanese Wagyu it will come up. It is terribly expensive, but I will buy some before I die. SRF is AmericanWagyu. As we all know it is spectacular, so imagine what the real thing would be like!! I will try to find the real deal & post it on here. But it is real sticker shock!
Al

I thought Wagyu was the American equivalent of Japanese Kobe beef?

 

[jcam222]

As stated many of the farms do sell a hybrid of Wagyu (Kobe) and Angus calling it American Wagyu. There are some operations selling 100% pure Wagyu. My friend has bought steaks and brisket from this operation in Ohio. He said they were phenomenal. Their herd is 100% pure Wagyu. https://double8cattle.com/pages/our-story

 

[SmokinAl]

As jcam said American Wagyu is like comparing
Choice to Prime when put it up against pure 100% Wagyu. But you better be ready to mortgage the house!
Al

 

[Bearcarver]

I must have missed something:

I think if I was going to lay out the $$$ for Wagyu, it wouldn't be in the form of "Hamburger".

Bear

 

[jcam222]

I must have missed something:

I think if I was going to lay out the $$$ for Wagyu, it wouldn't be in the form of "Hamburger".

Bear

Agree Bear. Steaks would be delicious. I do want to and sooner or later will do brisket.

 

[schlotz]

It can get more complicated depending on how a ranch wants to operate. For instance they can breed fullblood (F5-100%) bulls with F3-87.5% or better cows and produce purebred F4 calves that are at least 93.75%. F4 Wagyu is damn good.... and a far cry from the crossbred 50/50 F1 produced from the same type of bull but with Angus cows. If you are in the market for buying it's a good idea to ask the provider what level he is actually selling ie: F1,2,3,4 or 5.

 

[noboundaries]

Kobe beef story.

Decades ago, as a midshipman, I went on a foreign exchange cruise with the Japanese Navy. We spent part of the cruise at their Naval Academy. Every day we were there we were each hosted by 2-4 Japanese midshipmen who were given a stipend they had to spend on us as hosts. They could not return the money, wouldn't tell us how much it was, but one middy indicated it was a lot.

After a tour of a shipyard, a sake brewery for lunch, the Hiroshima museum, and a visit to a theater with performing ladies (can't say more), the four guys I was with took me to a rooftop restaurant where I ate Kobe beef for the only time in my life. It was really good, sliced thin, and tender beyond anything I've ever eaten. I can't recall the flavor, but it was only lightly seared.

The day/night ended back at a bar near the academy. Japanese whisky and beer pretty much flowed non-stop. The hostesses filled my glass after every sip. They told me if I bought a bottle of whisky that it would be there if I returned even after decades. I believe I bought a bottle, but honestly can't remember because we were so toasted.

Would I spend money for Waygu or Kobe beef? Probably not. But that Kobe beef memory is priceless to me.

BTW, I spoke no Japanese and not a single host spoke English the entire time I was there, but we managed to communicate non-stop. I discovered that laughter and smiles are a universal expression of friendship.

 

[BB-que]

I hear ya, if they can put Wagyu on it they can charge a huge premium, but like you said, people hopefully for the most part spending that kind of change know what they’re buying, or what they’re not buying. I have a 100% Wagyu 15lb brisket from Kagoshima that’s waiting in the deep freezer. It’s been frozen a year but haven’t found the right opportunity to cook and don’t want to wait too much longer but I re-seal it every couple months so think it will preserve well.

 

[JC in GB]

So if I were wanting to get an F4 Wagyu brisket, any ideas who is providing that right now?

I know Snake River Farms is used a lot but I know there are several other breeders out there.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. A smoked Wagyu brisket for Christmas would be awesome.

JC

 

[Thomas The Tank]

So if I were wanting to get an F4 Wagyu brisket, any ideas who is providing that right now?

I know Snake River Farms is used a lot but I know there are several other breeders out there.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. A smoked Wagyu brisket for Christmas would be awesome.

JC

I have only had SRF and it is phenomenal. Their gold grade is BMS9+ which from what I know (I’m not an expert) is the highest grade of American raised beef you can get. The Black is good too with a BMS of 5-8. There is a place in Florida called The Butcher Shoppe that sells A9 Wagyu which is the Australian version. You gotta call to place the order and shipping is pretty expensive. Lots of other online places that sell Wagyu by I haven’t tried them.

 

[schlotz]

So if I were wanting to get an F4 Wagyu brisket, any ideas who is providing that right now?

I know Snake River Farms is used a lot but I know there are several other breeders out there.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. A smoked Wagyu brisket for Christmas would be awesome.

JC

There is one in the process but their herd is not ready. They need to be two years old and at the same time the size of the herd also needs to increase in order to maintain a constant supply. The hard part right now is finding a slot for butchering. They are all backed up! In the meantime I would suggest looking at https://double8cattle.com

 

[johnmeyer]

So, given how the name "Wagyu" gets misappropriated, do you think these hot dogs really contain premium beef:

Snake River Farms Gourmet Hot Dogs

 

[schlotz]

SRF is a reputable business and I have little doubt the dogs are indeed Wagyu. Just remember the most common interpretation of the label would be a 50-50 version ie meat from the offspring of a Wagyu bull mated to an Angus cow. While I don't have specific knowledge of their process it's most likely not 100% and more likely a crossbreed around 50%. As indicated earlier, there is nothing illegal about the labeling and for most, they will enjoy the higher end product but the buyer should be aware of what the seller is actually providing vs interpreting it as 100% (fullblood) Wagyu.