What is Wagyu?

With so many types of beef on the market it’s hard to know what it is you should buy. We hope this page provides some clarity on what type of beef works great for your occasion and some history and facts about each.

Clearly, this page isn’t just about wagyu, it’s about all types we sell. With Wagyu being the focus.

WAGYU

This beef is best for small portions, suitable for thin slicing and quick searing. It is rich and full of flavor and melt in your mouth texture. While you can grill up a Japanese Wagyu Dinner Steak for an over-the-top experience, it lends itself to special occasions and smaller portions. Everything about this beef is luxury.

Wagyu beef has an international reputation for its flavor, velvety texture, and of course, it’s incredible marbling. The word “Wagyu” pronounced Wah-gyu, comes from “wa,” a very old term referring to Japan, and one of the meanings of “gyu” is beef. So, Wagyu means “Japanese beef” and can refer to several breeds of cattle, known for producing highly marbled beef that is tender and flavorful. So, what makes Wagyu so special?

It’s in the breeding. Having been isolated in Japan for so long, the Wagyu cattle were interbred, creating a pure stock. The characteristics of the breed are high marbling, tenderness, and palatability. Even when crossed with other breeds, these characteristics are carried over and produce high-quality beef with great flavor.

Wagyu cattle were eventually cross bred from 1868 through 1910, with European and Korean cattle. The herds were developed with an emphasis on quality. Wagyu produces consistently marbled, low-cholesterol beef, recognized as the world's finest, unmatched in flavor, tenderness, and overall eating quality. The breed was closed to outside bloodlines in 1910, and ever since, the Japanese Wagyu Registry has monitored it closely and kept meticulous genetic and growth data on all cattle. Japan has even classified the Wagyu as a national treasure.

Until recently, the export of these cattle was strictly prohibited. In the 1970s four Wagyu cattle were allowed to come to America. Then in the 1990s, a few more head gained entry and this trend has continued. Now there are several U.S. ranches raising Wagyu that have been crossed with Angus cattle. They follow the Japanese models for raising cattle in wide-open pastures with lush green grass, freshwater, and free-choice minerals. As they grow, the Wagyu cattle are introduced to a strict feeding regimen that involves seven different feed variations, based on the Japanese model. They are raised in a stress-free environment that contributes to healthy cattle and tasty beef.

But not all Wagyu is the same. Nowadays Wagyu is becoming diluted and private labeled. With versions like Olive Fed, and Kobe Wine becoming visible on the web, and American Wagyu having very little consistency from one ranch to the next its easy to see how such a special breed can quickly loose its original identity.

In Japan, Kobe is the new gold standard, although Kobe is not the oldest beef producing region in Japan, that title is given to the Omi Prefecture. But Kobe is striving to protect the purity and integrity of the Wagyu beef bloodline, and for that we are thankful!

Although all Kobe beef is Wagyu, not all Wagyu beef wears the Kobe label. The Kobe label is reserved for beef raised in Kobe, in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan, renowned for producing the juiciest, most flavorful beef.

It’s similar to the Appellation d’origine contrôlée, or AOC, a certification in France that is granted to certain foods or wines under the auspices of the government. Think of the difference between Champagne, which must come from the Champagne region to use the name, and sparkling wine which can be produced anywhere. That’s the relationship of Kobe to Wagyu. Kobe beef comes from Kobe, Japan but Wagyu beef can come from Texas. Further, to sell Kobe you must be a member of the National Kobe Beef Association in Japan and follow very strict guidelines. Truffle Pig is proud to be in this certification process and are working towards earning this coveted registration.

American Wagyu

American Wagyu is the new Prime in our opinion, it offers delicious umami found in its Japanese counterpart, tenderness and the amazing beefiness and more bite found in our coveted Black Angus beef.

This beef is flexible and is suitable as a dinner steak as well as searing and slicing thinly for high end occasions. It’s also a next level beef experience in burgers, roasts, braised, etc.

American Wagyu sometimes referred to as Kobe Style, or Domestic Wagyu or Wagyu Style is a cross btw full blood Japanese Wagyu and usually American Black Angus. Every ranch and retailer offer something different with a different bloodline purity.

At Truffle Pig we source this beef by going directly to the ranches and developing lasting relationships with the guys and gals who do this best. We wish to support the production of quality American Wagyu and only want to do business with those who keep the traditions of our Japanese masters through maintaining genetic purity and stress-free conditions.

Black Angus – USDA Prime – Dry Aged

Black Angus is the American Gold Standard in our beef industry. At Truffle Pig Ltd we only sell USDA Grade Prime that is Dry Aged for at least 45days. Best for grilling, pan roasting, braising, etc.

This beef is a steak lovers dream. Tender, flavorful, true American Beef.

Just imagine if you could raise a steer in your own backyard, eating grass and locally grown alfalfa hay, barley, and corn for a few months. That’s exactly what our ranchers do – but in a 10,000-acre backyard.

No antibiotics, hormones, or steroids are ever used, which means the cattle take a little longer to come to market, but that’s fine with us. A stress-free lifestyle produces tasty results.

Many fans of beef have found that once they try our pasture-raised and grain-finished beef they simply can’t eat any other beef. Explore our Angus beef cuts and find a new favorite.