Everybody has a favorite steak. They cook it at home. They buy it at restaurants, and while most people will be more than willing to try out different cuts, they always look forward to their favorite.
You’ve developed your tastes through years and years of steaks, wading through the bad to get to the good.
But Wagyu is different. The intense marbling and texture change the mouthfeel and flavor of Wagyu steaks.
Are you ready to find a new favorite cut? Read on!
Wagyu Filets
The filet mignon–or tenderloin–is an incredibly popular cut, but it’s also one of the most expensive. And for good reason, a typical cow only yields about 10-12 pounds of tenderloin.
It’s a very lean cut, but is still one of the most tender cuts on the cow. That’s because the filet comes from the cow’s torso, in one of the most inactive areas on the cow.
The flavor of a filet tends to be subtle, and the breed determines how strong these flavors are. Expect a faint sweetness with a delicate beef flavor.
How Are Wagyu Filets Different?
Filet is by far the leanest traditional steak. It’s not uncommon for there to be very, very little marbling on a filet–especially those available at grocery stores.
Wagyu filets tend to have more marbling, which intensifies its flavor and tenderness. This makes an already-tender steak melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Should I Prepare Wagyu Filet Differently?
Wagyu filet should be prepared as you would a traditional steak: high, dry heat either on a grill or in a pan.
To best preserve its tenderness and flavor, we recommend cooking it no more than medium, but medium-rare and rare tenderloins will preserve more of the cut’s natural tenderness.
Wagyu Striploin
The striploin goes by a lot of names: New York Strip and strip steak are the most common. Like the filet, the NY strip is a tender cut of meat taken from the torso of a cow.
The strip and the loin are, in fact, side by side. If you’ve ever eaten a T-bone steak, one side is the strip loin, and the other, smaller side is the tenderloin.
Strip steaks have an intermediate amount of intramuscular fat, somewhere between a tenderloin and a ribeye. This keeps them tender and imparts a stronger beef flavor.
How Are Wagyu Strip Steaks Different?
Wagyu NY strips enjoy even more marbling than their counterparts from other breeds. This increases their tenderness even further. This makes them great for individuals who love the tenderness of a filet but want a stronger beef flavor.
For individuals who prefer a leaner steak, you may be able to trim some of the gristle and larger fat away.
Should I Prepare a Wagyu Strip Differently?
As with most traditional steak, high, dry heat is probably best. NY strips do well in cast iron pans, but a Wagyu striploin may cause flare-ups on a grill so you’ll need to keep a good eye on it (or trim away some of the fat).
Wagyu NY strips come packed with flavor, so a little coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper are all you need.
Because of their higher fat content, Wagyu strip steaks are great at medium, but medium and medium-rare are also wonderful.
Wagyu Ribeye
Ribeyes are some of the most popular steaks out there. They come from the cow’s ribcage (hence the name). They can come with both the bone attached and the bone removed. A steak with a rib attached is sometimes known as a “tomahawk” steak.
And they’re not just popular steaks! The rib roast is an exceptionally popular holiday favorite that can feed 5 or 6 people–maybe more.
Ribeye is a fattier cut: it’s from the cow’s torso, and most of it is surrounded by a layer of fat. Additionally, Ribeyes are by far the most flavorful steak. After cooking, all of that fat imparts an intense beef flavor throughout the meat.
How Are Wagyu Ribeyes Different?
Because Wagyu is more marbled than other breeds, imparting even more beefy flavor to a Ribeye. They’re also a bit more tender than other breeds.
A lot people consider the Wagyu Ribeye the “king” of Wagyu stakes, combining intense flavor with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
Should I prepare Wagyu Ribeyes differently?
Ribeyes are best when cooked between medium-rare and medium. As with most traditional steaks, high, dry heat, and a little salt and pepper is all you need.
Flat Iron Steak
The Flat Iron steak is actually relatively new. In 1998, the National Cattleman’s Beef Association offered a grant for academic research to lower beef waste.
The result of that is the flat iron steak, which comes from the shoulder of the cow (chuck). These steaks come from the Infraspinatus muscle of the cow.
That area was mostly used for hamburger until two Agriculture researchers a method to remove a tough fascia that made the Flat Iron less than ideal for use as a steak.
The flat iron is an incredibly cost-effective cut of beef that additionally has great marbling, tenderness, and flavor.
What’s Different about Wagyu Flat Iron Steak?
Because Wagyu is more intensely marbled, a Wagyu Flat Iron enjoys significant changes to how it tastes. The more prominent marbling makes for an incredibly tender cut that has the beef flavor a lot of people love about chuck.
Additionally, Flat Iron steaks are cost-effective, with a full steak serving 2-3 adults.
How Should I Prepare Wagyu Flat Irons?
When it comes to flat irons, you have a lot of options. You could, for instance, serve it as a steak and prepare it as such.
But Flat Iron Steaks can also make really delicious (and tender) fajitas with the right marinade.
Wagyu Skirt Steak
The skirt steak was long considered a “bad” cut of beef. If not cooked properly, it can be tough an unpleasant to eat.
However, as Texmex (and Mexican food generally) has gotten more popular around the nation, folks understand that, if prepared properly, flank steak can be truly delicious.
Skirt steak is a long, thin cut that comes from near the cow’s stomach. It features long muscle fibers that require at least a marinade to help break down some of that tough muscle tissue.
What’s Different about Wagyu Skirt Steak?
Wagyu is intensely marbled, and this makes traditionally tough cuts like skirt steak even more appetizing. Wagyu skirt steak winds up being more tender and easier to work with than skirt steak from other breeds.
Skirt steak is already very flavorful, and Wagyu skirt adds to that some really nice marbling to improve the mouthfeel of every bite.
How Should I Prepare Wagyu Skirt Steak?
Even if you’re preparing Wagyu skirt steak, you’re probably still going to need a marinade. Marinades that contain an acid or basic liquid (like vinegar, Worcestershire, organge juice, lime juice, and others).
You want to prepare skirt steak over high heat. When doing so, you should note that skirt steaks also vary in thickness. One end will likely be thicker than the other, so it might be a good idea to cut the steak before you cook.
Ready to Try New Texas Wagyu Cuts? Bid on Texas Beefhouse.
Twice a month, Texas Beefhouse auctions our steaks on Bid on Beef. Visit our store page and register to become a Bid on Beef member to purchase lots of Texas Wagyu steaks from Texas Beefhouse.