Why Wagyu isn’t worth it (especially now)
This week’s guest article is written by Bryan Norton, co-host of the Tales from the Pits podcast. Through more than 100 episodes, Tales from the Pits has chronicled the Texas BBQ scene and highlights the food, personalities, and traditions of the Lone Star State’s smoked meats. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Staring at the four walls of my house during this time of the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve been dreaming of some great BBQ road trips and reminiscing of the past ones. Among those memorable trips were visits to joints serving up “American Wagyu” beef.
There’s been a lot of hype in the barbecue world lately regarding Wagyu, but there is also a lot of misunderstanding. Is it really worth the extra cost or is it overkill? The answer, in my opinion, is “that depends.”
Here's a Wagyu brisket flight with four different brands that I tried at Killen's Barbecue.
What Is Wagyu?
Wagyu, by definition, means “Japanese Cow.” Wagyu is not a single breed of cattle, but it is recognized as any of these four: Japanese Black, Brown (aka Japanese Red or Akaushi), Shorthorn, and Polled. Japanese Wagyu is prized for its high level of intramuscular fat and flavor, which has a distinct look and taste from any U.S. breed. This is due to the lineage of the cattle and their care, environment, and feeding.
It is technically impossible to perfectly emulate and produce Wagyu in America, but ranchers have created a product that embodies many of the positive qualities of Japanese Wagyu. There is nothing wrong with this, but it’s important to note that American Wagyu is a different product altogether than Japanese Wagyu.
What Is American Wagyu?
The USDA has no grading for Wagyu or Akaushi, but there are USDA Certified Programs for them that can help reassure the consumer of the specification of the brand.
Ranchers have crossbred purebred Japanese cattle with American breeds (such as Angus), and they can and do produce a product above USDA Prime grading capabilities. The USDA grading scale peaks at Prime, which does not accommodate the marbling levels of Wagyu. To make up for the inability to grade up to Wagyu, producers will sometimes reference the Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) grading and specification to identify and differentiate their products.
Snake River Farms, for example, uses the Japanese scale “BMS” or Beef Marbling Standard to define their branding between “black” and “gold” products. Gearhart and Hi View Ranch produce the brand Wagyu Excelente, also using the Japanese Black crossbred with Angus. Heartbrand began over 20 years ago with imported Japanese Brown cattle, and their product is marketed as Akuashi independently of Wagyu.
I’ve had all three of the above products and there is a flavor and texture difference over standard American cattle breeds. I do find all the minutiae and marketing confusing but understand that these purveyors need to differentiate their products.
A close-up of Wagyu Excelente from Gearhart and Hi View Ranch.
Is it Worth Splurging for American Wagyu and Akaushi?
As you probably know, there is a hefty price premium that goes with these products. In a few scenarios it may be worth spending the extra cash, but in most cases the hype exceeds the benefit.
If you want a luscious ribeye, I can see splurging for a special occasion at home. I have had some underwhelming experiences at steakhouses, and I’m not sure I would shell out the extra cash at a steakhouse for American Wagyu.
If you are in a barbecue cookoff, you might have a good reason to purchase an American Wagyu product. That said, in one of the last cookoffs I participated in, we placed 9th with an H-E-B store-bought Select brisket, so anything goes. But at the highest levels of competition, American Wagyu could give you an edge. Since a competition turn-in is from the lean side, the intramuscular fat in American Wagyu could help. I already think competition barbecue is out of control, and costs to compete can be obscene, but I can see the mentality of tossing even more money into the ring to try and place higher.
Personally, I like fatty brisket, and I am not a fan of the lean. I understand fully that the lean is the hardest half to get right when cooking, and I also get that if you want to judge a competition or even a retail barbecue joint, get a slice of lean. However, if I’m going to eat a plate of barbecue for the sheer enjoyment and indulgence, it’s going to be slices of nice fatty brisket off the point. With today’s Prime brisket, there is puh-lenty of fat and richness.
With excellent Prime brisket retailing as high as $30 a pound in Texas, and averaging roughly $22 to $23, I find it hard to pay a premium on top of that. If a restaurant is offering Prime and also offering American Wagyu at a premium, I don’t have much desire to pay more. If you’re a lean fan, then go for it. I’ll put that difference in my piggy bank for a bottle of bourbon.
Where to Get American Wagyu in Texas
If you want to experience Wagyu barbecue in person, there are a few joints in Texas you where you can try it:
In Ft. Worth, you can get an entire beef menu from Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue featuring Wagyu Excelente, including house-made sausage.
In Dallas, Cattleack Barbeque not only features Akaushi from Heartbrand beef but does so at the incredibly low price of $19 a pound. The entire menu is spectacular, so come hungry.
Black Board Bar B Q in Sisterdale, Texas offers Wagyu Excelente along with some unique bites such as Luckenbach Lollipops.
In the San Antonio area, Smoke Shack has offered Wagyu in the past as specials. They source through Peeler Farms.
2M Smokehouse in San Antonio started experimenting with Heartbrand Akaushi in early 2020 and even if they don’t serve it now, 2M should be on your shortlist to visit either way.
On a final note, you can also get mail-order meat directly from the ranches such as Heartbrand and Snake River Farms. And the site Crowd Cow uses multiple sources and can ship high-end variants including imported and graded genuine Japanese Wagyu. As for me, I’m going to opt for a mail-order Prime brisket from a local joint to keep me full during the rest of the coronavirus era.
Bryan Norton
Co-Host, Tales from the Pits
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