What is American Wagyu Beef and What Makes it Special?

Wagyu (pronounced WY-GYOO) is best known for its Japanese roots in the luxurious meats industry

However, in true American fashion, we had to put our own spin on it. Looking for a way to make this unique product more affordable and readily available to the average person, American Wagyu was born.

If you have been looking for a way to bring a richer flavor to your dinner table and already love using beef in your meals, this is a great way to mix it up!

What is American Wagyu Beef?

So what is American-Wagyu Beef? It is when the traditional Japanese cow known as Wagyu is crossbred with one of the United States' main cattle breeds of Angus, Hereford, or Charolais. By mixing the two breeds, you will still get the great marbelizing and quality of the meat, but you also gain a richer flavor that most Americans are more accustomed to.

Mixing the breeds of cattle also makes the meat more affordable, as authentic Wagyu from Japan can be way outside of the average person’s spending limit for a single meal versus their American counterparts.

Many people think of Wagyu as a breed that is pampered, served alcohol, and constantly serenaded with classical music. While that might be true in a few settings, for the most part, it refers to the cattle being in a very stress-free environment so that there is no tension building up in the muscle fibers and creating meat that is tough. Some farmers do use a stiff brush to help massage out any tension.

Some farms will give their American-Wagyu cattle special feed, but the main difference is the length of time they go before breeding or butchering. For the first 6-8 months of their lives, the calves will be grass-fed along with their mother's milk. Then, they will be given some grain food products to help as they mature to ensure the fat marbling and tenderness remain in the meat.

Where are American Wagyu Beef Comes From

Here at the CoOp, we partner with American Wagyu beef farmers Alan and Elizabeth Bennion for all of our American Wagyu beef products. They have been in the ranching industry for over two decades and have only recently added in Wagyu bulls to cross with their Angus cows.

Elizabeth knows all of their cows, and they both go to great lengths to ensure that the land and environment are great places for the cows to live. With all of their years of experience, they know what it takes to run a successful, sustainable, and high-quality beef farm and are always looking to push themselves to higher standards for their animals.

Bennion Beef takes a lot of pride in how they run their farm. They aim to raise beef that exceeds customers’ expectations for their meat quality and strive to take care of the environment and land that has been a part of their family, dating back to the pioneer days. We are so grateful to partner with this family and support their American wagyu cattle production and bring quality meat products to everyone, not just the high-end restaurants.

What Makes it Special

So what makes American-Waygu beef special and have people seeking it out? The Wagyu portion of the beef is made to metabolize its fat internally, so it actually grows in the muscle. This creates a unique marbling that you don’t see in a typical beef steak. It is also known for its lower melting point in the fat that gives the beef a more buttery flavor and often doesn’t take a very large portion to satisfy your belly.

Adding in the American breed (Angus in our case) gives an even more robust flavor to the meat and is more similar to what most Americans are used to consuming. Adding that into the tenderness and butter flavor of the Wagyu just really takes it up to the next level for your taste buds! There is slightly less marbling than you would find in full wagyu beef cattle, but it also adds a more beefy flavor overall.

Ways to Use American-Wagyu Beef

There are several ways you can use the 20 pounds of American Wagyu Ground Beef that you purchased from the CoOp this month.

First, you can stick to the traditional option, which you can never go wrong with, and make the Best Wagyu Burger! One of the best parts about this type of beef is that it only takes small portions to fill you up. With the muscle tissue being packed full of heart-healthy good fats, protein, and other vital nutrients, there is a good chance you will notice the difference the first time you try it.

Winter season brings out a lot of crockpots and soup pots, and the best way to take advantage of that with this variety of wagyu is to mix up a tasty batch of American Wagyu Chili and let the robust beef flavor shine through.

Suppose you have already put your American Wagyu beef into your meal rotations and find it irresistible, as many already do. In that case, you can also add in some American Wagyu Jerky for a great snack on the go!

If you are interested to learn more about How the CoOp Works or are ready to become a VIP Member, we encourage you to reach out with any questions! We truly enjoy bringing these great products to your family’s dinner tables and look forward to finding even more great products for you each month!

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