Wagyu.. is it worth it?

[ghoster]

All your comments about the price are correct. Its not cheap, but who said that good meat is cheap. Nothing wrong with normal brisket at all. Nothing wrong with eating non marbled steaks either, they just don't taste as good as marbled ones. If you can afford to splash out occasionally, then give it a try.

I've done both and can tell you that the marbled ones turn out consistently better. Very juicy, great tasting and IMO not as heavy with regard to the beefy flavour. They have almost a creamy/buttery flavour in the background. Grain fed not grass, goes a long way to explaining the loss of some of that beefy flavour.

I did a wagyu one recently, that was chocolate fed, yes thats right chocolate fed. It was by far the best tasting brisket I've done. I posted pics of it, so check my posts.

Here is a link to the chocolate feeding story.
Chocolate-eating wagyu beef cattle fetching big money for Mayura - ABC

Have a look at the beef - it says it all!
http://www.mayurastation.com

Word of caution, make sure you've got at least a few brisket cooks under your belt first. You'd hate to ruin an expensive cut of meat!

 

[Binford 6100]

Kinda depends on how much spare change you have to throw around.
I could never do it, but Bear Jr could if he had a mind to go that way.
Heck, I went the other way---I got my Sous Vide so I can get cheaper Meat (Eye Rounds) & make them as Tender as better cuts.

Bear

This made me laugh out loud. The whole point of smoking originally was to make cheaper cuts more palatable. Guess it all comes full circle these days.

 

[Bearcarver]

This made me laugh out loud. The whole point of smoking originally was to make cheaper cuts more palatable. Guess it all comes full circle these days.

LOL---Yup---Except at my house---I have never purchased any meat graded higher than "Choice".

Bear

 

[foamheart]

Smoking is about low & slow. Turning cheap meat (well it used to be anyway) into high quality food. Waygu, Kobe, are expensive meats. You know to my knowledge, I have only once even smoked a Prime brisket and that because a good friend gave it to me.

Whats the point in trying to make a silk purse into a sow's belly? Impress me making a sow belly into a silk purse.

You want to attempt the good stuff, do a Prime cut of brisket.

 

[myownidaho]

Whats the point in trying to make a silk purse into a sow's belly? Impress me making a sow belly into a silk purse.

On that note, SRF sells Kobe hot dogs too! :D:D:D

 

[Binford 6100]

LOL---Yup---Except at my house---I have never purchased any meat graded higher than "Choice".

Bear

I understand, unfortunately I don't buy grocery store meat. I have all my meat butchered, and due to that you get what grade you get from that cow, pig, etc, etc,
I don't really have a choice whether it's prime, choice, etc.
Although I do have a feeling I'll be buying some meat from the grocery store soon as I get more into this smoking thing.

Just a some food for thought.
I find it interesting that everyone say they can't afford a 200$ brisket.
I understand that's a expensive meal.. but does no one here look at this as a hobby?
Hobbies very rarely pay you back in return from you initial investment. Being a car guy with multiple vehicles and a race team, I know this first hand, a 200 dollar part is rarely worth anything after a few races.
I guess I'm approaching this the same way, but I feel like instead of oil and gas or other consumables in that hobby, I just get to eat the consumables in this hobby.
Are you guys looking at the cost of a standard meal vs the 200$ brisket simply as a dollar per meal cost? With no regard to the hobby aspect?

 

[gmc2003]

I'm more or less looking at it this way. I can get about four good briskets for the price of one wagyu, and enjoy myself four times as much then I could with one wagyu brisket. If it were for a very special occasion, maybe my 50th wedding anniversary or something similar then I'd consider it.

Tightwad in Vermont.
Chris

 

[Binford 6100]

For me I don't think I'll probably ever do it because for 200 bucks I always have car parts that need to be bought. But if I had no other expensive Hobby's I think I would pay it.
I used to be hardcore into craft brews, paying upwards of 80-100 per bottle...
Now I'm into whiskey, still paying 80-100 a bottle, granted they last me longer.. but if I get into smoking as much as those other things... Yeah my birthday party or something.. why not, you ONLY live once, and you can make more money.

 

[SmokinAl]

I understand, unfortunately I don't buy grocery store meat. I have all my meat butchered, and due to that you get what grade you get from that cow, pig, etc, etc,
I don't really have a choice whether it's prime, choice, etc.
Although I do have a feeling I'll be buying some meat from the grocery store soon as I get more into this smoking thing.

Just a some food for thought.
I find it interesting that everyone say they can afford a 200$ brisket.
I understand that's a expensive meal.. but does no one here look at this as a hobby?
Hobbies very rarely pay you back in return from you initial investment. Being a car guy with multiple vehicles and a race team, I know this first hand, a 200 dollar part is rarely worth anything after a few races.
I guess I'm approaching this the same way, but I feel like instead of oil and gas or other consumables in that hobby, I just get to eat the consumables in this hobby.
Are you guys looking at the cost of a standard meal vs the 200$ brisket simply as a dollar per meal cost? With no regard to the hobby aspect?

That is a very interesting way to look at this, I understand that we are all trying to take a cheap cut of meat & making it into something spectacular. But if you start out with something spectacular & build on that, then what the heck. For me a $200 brisket would be a one time thing. But I just bought 3 Berkshire pork bellies. I had to see if they were really what they are cracked up to be. And they were. So I'll spend some of my Son's & Grandson's inheritance on a Wagyu brisket one day. After having my first Prime brisket, I just can't imagine how a Waygu could be any better, but I will have to try it at least one time!
Al

 

[chef jimmyj]

$15 per pound Wagyu Hot Dogs are a joke and just creative marketing.
If you have to ask, " Is it worth it? " You probably can't afford it and with low and slow cooking, feeding your family multiple choice briskets is likely money better spent. However, if you have an extra $200 bucks, go for it!
Choice is tastier and more tender than Select. Prime better than Choice and $200 a pound Kobe beef in Japan is better than any meat on the planet! It's all about what you can afford and still pay your bills...JJ

 

[Rings Я Us]

I would treat myself to the good stuff once or 6 times.. But I would let a good chef at a decent restaurant cook it for me. :D

 

[foamheart]

I can't imagine how it could be any better than this!

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/bdskelly-prime-brisket-on-the-rt-700.275182/page-2

If it was I don't know how I could stand it!

 

[myownidaho]

$15 per pound Wagyu Hot Dogs are a joke and just creative marketing.
If you have to ask, " Is it worth it? " You probably can't afford it and with low and slow cooking, feeding your family multiple choice briskets is likely money better spent. However, if you have an extra $200 bucks, go for it!
Choice is tastier and more tender than Select. Prime better than Choice and $200 a pound Kobe beef in Japan is better than any meat on the planet! It's all about what you can afford and still pay your bills...JJ

The dogs are cheaper at a local deli than they are on the SRF website. I’ve bought them a couple of times and I’m still not sure I like them. The texture is “fluffy” and they split open very easily. One is plenty.

Now when the Coulotte’s and strip steaks are on sale, I will usually pick up a couple.

 

[Bearcarver]

I understand, unfortunately I don't buy grocery store meat. I have all my meat butchered, and due to that you get what grade you get from that cow, pig, etc, etc,
I don't really have a choice whether it's prime, choice, etc.
Although I do have a feeling I'll be buying some meat from the grocery store soon as I get more into this smoking thing.

Just a some food for thought.
I find it interesting that everyone say they can afford a 200$ brisket.
I understand that's a expensive meal.. but does no one here look at this as a hobby?
Hobbies very rarely pay you back in return from you initial investment. Being a car guy with multiple vehicles and a race team, I know this first hand, a 200 dollar part is rarely worth anything after a few races.
I guess I'm approaching this the same way, but I feel like instead of oil and gas or other consumables in that hobby, I just get to eat the consumables in this hobby.
Are you guys looking at the cost of a standard meal vs the 200$ brisket simply as a dollar per meal cost? With no regard to the hobby aspect?

I can't vouch for others, but I can say that I treat Smoking like a Hobby, but more so as a way to get Awesome tasting meals, and my own Smoked Bacon, CB, BBB, Dried Beef, etc, etc for a small amount of $$$.
I don't even buy my Choice items, unless they are on a decent sale price.
I don't spend $$ on a lot of things like Wagyu, or even Prime meat, unless the Prime is within reason.
I never made a lot of money in my various jobs throughout my 69 years of life, and when it comes to my "Hobbies", my family has always come first.

Bear

 

[HalfSmoked]

Bear I'm with cheap cheap cheap I thought that was the deal with smoking low and slow to make not so good cuts into something good. I enjoy my time spent doing that. As far asthe better cuts so does the heart attacks with the extra marbling (fat).

Warren

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear I'm with cheap cheap cheap I thought that was the deal with smoking low and slow to make not so good cuts into something good. I enjoy my time spent doing that. As far asthe better cuts so does the heart attacks with the extra marbling (fat).

Warren

Nope!!
Could be the leaner cuts could kill you if you don't tenderize them in some way.
Heart Attack from over-exerting while chewing tough meat!! :D

Bear

 

[texomakid]

This is a fun thread. Nothing wrong with smoking a prime cut of meat. I for one would love to know if there is a difference but I wouldn't know where to even purchase such meat. I live in Redneckville................Choice & Select are about all we see.

 

[ynot2k]

Wagyu.. is it worth it?

No.

My .02

 

[phatbac]

On that note, SRF sells Kobe hot dogs too! :D:D:D

is there a disLike button around here?

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[CoachJ2013]

Though it sounds tempting, I wont buy it. It will definitely cook differently than the rest and furthermore, it may ruin me (and guests) from eating any more of my briskets. I basically pay 50 bucks for a prime brisket and I usually do some pork costing about 15 bucks if its a butt for my backyard bbq's. $200 plus for the beef is a bit pricey as well and I could have had 4 briskets to play with haha.