Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef
The real Japanese Kobe beef comes from a specific area of Japan and just can't be beaten. There are only about 3000 head of Wagyu cattle that qualify as Kobe, so this unique distinction will cost you. Probably spending over $250 for a small steak if you can even find it in the US. If you ever get a chance, it is a real treat to try at least once in your life.
Snake River Farms Alternative to Japanese Kobe
Available in the US is a different variety of “American Kobe” or “American Wagyu” beef. This beef is usually a cross of a Japanese Wagyu breed and an Angus. You get some of the super marbling and flavor of the Wagyu breed, and the fast-growing, high-yielding Angus.
The benefit of cross-breeding Wagyu with Angus is super high-quality beef, more affordable for them than Japanese Kobe. Of course, an American Wagyu steak won’t be as good as a Japanese Kobe steak, but it is close for a more reasonable price, and availability is also a big concern.
That is the whole Kobe/Wagyu thing in a nutshell, anyway. Please note that I include affiliate links within this post to support the maintenance and development of this site. There are more subtleties to the cuts, and those articles will be here as I have time to try each one and report my findings. You can't believe the difference between these great steaks
Are there good Prime steaks and great Prime steaks? Of course, and that is where the Japanese grading scale comes in. Nearly all American Wagyu steaks would grade out as Prime due to the fat content and marbling, so by using the Japanese grading scale, you can start to figure out just how good a cut of American Wagyu beef really is. Prime sets a baseline for what a steak needs to be, but that leaves a lot of room at the top end of the scale for American Wagyu and Kobe beef.
The BMS goes basically from 3-12, with 3-4 being average (a score of “3”), 5-7 being good (a score of “4”), and 8-12 being excellent (a score of “5”). The yield score is a letter grade (A, B, or C) based on how much beef the carcass yields. So the best score you can get on a Kobe steak is an A5. This is the best of the best. A3 and A4 are still very, very good, but A5 or a high yield with a BMS score of over 8 is about the best you can get.
When you look at an American Wagyu steak or roast, the first thing you will notice is how much more marbled the fat is in the meat than in a regular steak, and this is where the exceptional flavor and texture come from. You really, really need to be careful not to overcook a Wagyu steak, because if you do, all the fat will render out, taking away some of its charms.
One of the best ways to get your hands on some American Wagyu beef is to order online, and Snake River Farms is one of the best places to get it. They offer a number of different cuts, and the prices are good as well.
Snake River Farms grades its American Wagyu beef as Black and Gold Grade. Regular American Wagyu beef has a BMS score between 6 and 8, while Gold Grade has a BMS score of 9+. The Gold Grade is the best of the best, and while the prices might shock you at first, you will notice the difference if you splurge and give it a shot. Below are some of the different cuts offered in the two categories:
No matter which American Wagyu beef you go with, I think you will be very impressed by the quality and see that it is a step above “regular” Prime beef. A splurge like American Wagyu beef probably won't be an everyday thing, but it is perfect for a special anniversary dinner, birthday dinner, or something along those lines. You can even get one of the roasts, cut it into steaks, and save some money.
Hopefully, you learned something about American Wagyu and Kobe beef, and hopefully, you will give it a try one of these days.
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