For beef lovers, Japanese A5 wagyu and USDA Prime steaks are nirvana. Each are extraordinarily tender, mouthwateringly juicy, and boldly flavored. However Japanese A5 wagyu is far more costly than USDA Prime. We requested chef Russell Kook, culinary director at The Bellevue Chicago and “Iron Chef” contestant, for his opinion on the variations between each varieties of steak. “Japanese A5 wagyu is thought for its extremely excessive fats content material,” he instructed us, “far past what you will discover in USDA Prime.” USDA Prime beef has between 8% and 13% fats, whereas Japanese A5 wagyu has at the very least 21%, and relying on the reduce, its fats content material will be as excessive as 50% to 60%. “That intense marbling creates a a lot richer, extra buttery taste and a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that is arduous to beat,” Kook stated. 

Lower than 2% of all beef within the U.S. is graded Prime and the class is generally reserved for eating places — though you will discover Prime beef at Costco — so there’s little doubt that it is superior to different graded beef. Wagyu, nevertheless, is a extra indulgent expertise altogether. Kook agrees, saying, “It is nearly just like the distinction between a luxurious deal with and an on a regular basis staple.” Due to the upper fats content material, nevertheless, generally sure Prime steaks could be a higher choice than wagyu, for instance, ribeye as a result of they’ve extra texture and will be cooked longer with out leading to overwhelming richness.

Japanese wagyu cattle are genetically bred to advertise the expansion of intramuscular fats, however they’re additionally raised and fed in distinctive ways in which vastly differ from American cattle. That is largely why wagyu is so costly. One of many fascinating details about wagyu beef is that breeders imagine that massaging their cattle distributes the fats extra evenly all through the muscle mass. Regardless of the variations in fats content material, Kook emphasizes that he does not essentially favor wagyu over Prime. “It is undoubtedly not a one-size-fits-all scenario,” he stated. He loves a Prime rib eye, which has the correct quantity of fats, whereas a wagyu ribeye can be nearly too wealthy. However, Kook would select a wagyu filet over a Prime filet as a result of “the fats content material enhances the naturally tender reduce with out making it overwhelming.” 

The opposite large distinction between the 2 steaks is that they should not be cooked the identical method. Due to wagyu’s heavy marbling, Kook instructed us that it actually shines in smaller parts and quick-cook strategies. In Japan, for instance, wagyu is often sliced very thinly and dipped right into a shabu-shabu or sukiyaki scorching pot or seared shortly over an open flame. “I would not grill a wagyu steak the identical method I’d a Prime one,” Kook continued. “It is too delicate and fatty for that sort of warmth. As a substitute, I might sear it quick and serve it in smaller bites.”