Discover what makes wagyu such a melt-in-your-mouth meat.
I love beef. You’d think that after completing an eating challenge of finishing a one-kilogram steak and sides, I’d be scared off beef forever, but it remains my favourite meat. Wagyu, in particular, holds a special place in my heart with its buttery texture and nuanced flavour. But buying specialty meat comes with its own jargon, which can be intimidating. So here are three key things to know when picking out your next cut of beef.
Behind the breed
Translating to ‘Japanese cow’, wagyu refers to specific cattle breeds that have been crossbred to achieve a certain fat, yield and colour grade. In Australia, the same breeds are born and raised here, with local feed and weather conditions. The result? A slightly more intense flavour then their Japanese counterparts, perfect to support the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the meat.
Why feed matters
Cattle are generally fed with grain, grass, or a mixture of both. Grain lends itself to fattier meat, while grass lends itself to leaner meat and a more robust flavour. Purely grass-fed beef will rarely exceed a marble score of six, so to combat this, cattle are sometimes ‘grain finished’ by switching to a grain feed as they reach maturity. Costco’s Australian wagyu is fed first with grass and then with grain for a minimum of 350 days to achieve the perfect balance between marbling and flavour.
“I suggest a marble score of six or more; it’s the sweet spot where the meat is flavourful yet tender...”
It’s all about marbling
Marbling refers to the web of intramuscular fat that provides the tender, buttery texture for which wagyu meat is famous. In Australia, we use the AUS-MEAT marbling
score system. Scores range from zero to nine, with nine being the highest amount of marbling you can achieve.
If you’re a steak fan, I suggest a marble score of six or more; it’s the sweet spot where the meat is flavourful yet tender, without being so rich that it’s difficult to finish a whole steak.
