A5 Japanese Wagyu Striploin Yakiniku Cut

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Beautifully marbled, with a buttery and melt-in-your-mouth texture, A5 Japanese Wagyu is famous for its incredible umami flavor. This striploin is cut to small pieces, perfectly bite-sized, and perfect for your yakiniku or Korean barbeque parties. The unique marbling makes this meat so soft and tender, with a flavor unlike any other.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Sometimes known as Japanese barbeque, yakiniku means “grilled meat.” it’s a popular Japanese dish, involving delicious bite-sized pieces of meat grilled over charcoal, or gas or electric grills. It is believed that yakiniku was influenced by similar Korean dishes: bulgogi and galbi. The meat is not usually marinated or seasoned, so a yakiniku sauce, called “tare,” is used. This sauce is made with mirin, soy sauce, sake, garlic, fruit juice, and sugar.

TRULY, THE BEST OF THE BEST

The rarest of all steaks, A5 Japanese Wagyu accounts for only less than one percent of Japanese beef production. That’s how special it is. Wagyu means “Japanese cow,” and pertains to four native Japanese breeds.

One of them is the Kuroge Washu, or the Japanese Black. This cow is a special cow, unique not only to beef, but to the entire animal world. It is the only cow that metabolizes fat internally, integrating said fat into the muscle, creating that gorgeous marbling it’s famous for. This cow is so unique, that in 1997, the Japanese government banned all export of both its DNA and live specimens completely.

The Japanese grade their beef with a combination of letters and numbers. The letters pertain to the amount of usable meat, with A meaning “superior,” or yielding a high amount. The numbers pertain to fat marbling, color of meat, and the fat distribution, with 5, again, meaning “superior.” It’s a strict grading system, with three graders assigned to rate each beef, and the scores they give are combined for the final rating. These graders must train for two to three years before being deemed proficient.

So yes, an A5 Japanese Wagyu is very rare, and a very big deal.

Storage Instructions

Your cut of A5 Japanese Wagyu Striploin Yakiniku Cut comes frozen and vacuum packed. Store in freezer. Thaw only when about to cook. Cooked leftover meat can only be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 more days. Consume immediately.