Despite how easy it is to cook and how naturally delicious it is, many are too intimidated to cook Wagyu beef. Learn how to take the fear out of cooking Wagyu.
Wagyu beef has become synonymous with delicious luxury, but because of its price point, many are too intimidated to try and cook it. But one of the most beautiful parts about Wagyu is that it’s incredibly easy to cook. To show you just how easy it is, here are five tips that will have you cooking wagyu beef like a pro.
Look for the Perfect Cut
Wagyu beef refers to the entirety of the cow, with some of the most popular cuts being filet mignon, strip steak and ribeye. However, what makes Wagyu beef so desirable is its fat distribution, also known as marbling. The more evenly distributed, thin ribbons of fat your Wagyu contains, the higher the quality of the cut, and the juicier and easier to cook it will be.
Store Your Wagyu Properly
If you don’t plan on cooking your beef right away, you should store it as soon as possible. Air exposure is what causes freezer burn, so vacuum seal it as soon as you can and store it. With this method, you’ll ensure that the moisture of the meat is preserved, avoiding the dehydration and crystallization that occurs with freezer burn.
Thaw the Right Way
If you’ve ordered your Wagyu online, it’s likely frozen or partially frozen. If you intend to cook it as soon as it arrives, put it on a plate in the fridge, leave it in the packaging it comes in, and let it thaw for 6 hours per pound of meat. Then, pull the steaks out of the fridge no more than 30 minutes before you intend to cook them so they can reach room temperature. To cook steaks all the way through, you want them to be as close to the eating temperature as possible.
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Use a Light Hand on the Seasoning
Wagyu beef has a naturally beefy flavor that you don’t want to cover up with too much seasoning. It may feel counterintuitive, but Wagyu cattle are raised to be naturally delicious, and after all, you’re paying for a tasting experience. If you want to add some flavor, a little salt, rosemary, and thyme will add aroma rather than cover up the flavor of the beef.
Don’t Overcook
The perfect temperature to enjoy Wagyu beef at is medium rare, and not well done. And the easiest way to cook it is in a cast iron skillet, using any extra fat from around the cut that you may have removed as grease. For a medium rare finish, cook for three to four minutes on each side with an internal temperature of 130 ℉. Once finished, allow the meat to rest for ten minutes to allow the fibers to relax and the muscles to absorb the juices. This way, you’re not cutting into the meat and spilling out all the juices.
With these five tips, you can cook Wagyu beef just as well as any professional chef. So don’t be afraid to spend the extra cash on treating yourself and indulging.
