You Don’t Have to Be a Billionaire to Eat Wagyu

We have had a number of folks reach out in response to this article about a $1600 Wagyu burger now available at an eatery for the rich and shameless in Houston.

This burger purports to be a full pound of A5 Japanese Wagyu on a bun made with Caviar and infused with 24-karat gold.

No kidding.

Nobody in their right mind is going to eat such a monstrosity but the question has been asked: do you guys sell A5 Japanese Wagyu?

The answer is no. We don’t. Only Japanese producers of Wagyu can sell A5. It’s their rating scale, you see, and because we are not in Japan we don’t get to be rated.

That’s a good thing, actually.

There is a world of difference in Wagyu from Japan and from the USA – even in the full blood variety like what we raise.

Full blood Wagyu is beef that comes from Japanese bloodline cattle – all documented and certified. Very few producers in the USA actually produce full blood Wagyu. We are one of those few.

But we would not begin to compare ourselves to Japanese Wagyu.

In Japan, Wagyu is literally known by the places where they raise it. We can appreciate that. Our Wagyu is raised in the Wasatch. We believe that matters.

But in Japan there is a somewhat secret society among Wagyu beef producers. The Wagyu from each region in Japan differs from each other and what they feed their cattle is something of magic and wonder.

People are sworn to secrecy and over the years rumors of pampered cows who listen to classical music and get beer baths have leaked out.

There’s no knowing what is true and what is not.

But know this: the Japanese are very creative in what they feed their Wagyu cattle because what the cows eat affects their flavor profile. For example, there is one particular brand of Wagyu in Japan that is fed a special recipe of sake mash.

Nobody in America does that or anything even close to it.

In fact, all the craze these days is about “grass fed” cattle in the USA — and, of course, mixing breeds and calling it Wagyu, (which it most certainly is NOT).

We believe in feeding our cows grass naturally grown in the Wasatch.

However, any cow fed only grass alone is not only going to be one very unhappy and bored cow they are going to be pretty tough and gamey to eat, too. Anyone selling you “100% grass fed beef” is likely selling you something you don’t expect and won’t like…or they’re pulling your leg (at a steep price, we might add).

That’s why most producers of grass fed cattle of any breed will only brag about the grass they feed their animals — but won’t mention what else is in their diet.

Anyway, A5 on the Japanese scale is the very top – and very expensive.

How expensive? Think $800 or more per-pound-kind-of-expensive. So a $1600 burger made of A5 in Houston isn’t such a far fetched idea.

But do you really have to go so over the top for a great burger or a great steak?

No.

We constantly photograph our Wagyu because you can SEE the marbling that makes Wagyu such a memorable eating experience.

You don’t have to go to Houston and mortgage your first born to get that experience.

We can deliver it to you for a fraction of the price.

And it’s worth it. It is, after all, real Wagyu.