expiredpy703 posted Jul 23, 2022 04:14 PM
Item 1 of 4
Item 1 of 4
expiredpy703 posted Jul 23, 2022 04:14 PM
Costco Members: 4-Ct 12oz. Japanese Wagyu Center Cut A5 Grade NY Strip Steaks
+ Free Shipping$370
$470
21% offCostco Wholesale
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Are USDA Select steaks good? They're fine. Good "Tuesday night" steaks to eat as-is or shred for fajitas or something.
Are USDA Choice steaks good? Yes, most restaurants serve this, such as Outback, Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn, etc. This is "high quality" by any standard. You may also see 'upper choice', which is an unofficial grading to signal that it's a little better marbled. There also "angus beef," which just means "black cow." Since 65% of all US steaks fall in this category, there are tons of marketing schemes applied to it.
Are USDA Prime steaks good? Absolutely — only top restaurants ("white tablecloths") will serve it and will charge a premium for it. You won't stumble upon this at Walmart, Piggly Wiggly, Kroger, etc. You gotta go somewhere known to be expensive like Whole Foods, Lowes Foods, or a boutique butcher shop. (The cheapest place to buy this per pound? Costco 😆)
So what's Wagyu? Well, It's just a Japanese word ("wa" = 'Japanese', "gyu" = 'cow'). The marbling grades of Japanese beef have 5 levels (A1 - A5 ). The same cut of steak that qualifies as USDA Prime would be A3 on the Japanese scale, maybe even A2. The Japanese have raised cattle to have such a high fat content and marbling that eclipses anything you've ever seen.
Ask anyone who has ever purchased or eaten A4 or A5 Wagyu. It's like eating beef-flavored butter. There's nothing else like it on the planet. It's a bucket-list experience that any steak eater should try at least one. AT THE SAME TIME: it's mostly fat, so it's meant to be enjoyed in small portions. You don't want a 24oz Porterhouse A5 steak; it's too rich and would stop being an enjoyable experience after 6 ozs.
Marketing, doing what they do, have tried to muddy the waters a bit. "American Wagyu" means "American Japanese Cow," which is nonsensical. It's just USDA Prime — maybe. "Kobe Beef" is beef from a specific area of Japan. Similar to "Champagne vs Sparkling Wine," you can only get real Kobe beef from the Kobe prefecture of Japan. Anything else is marketing talk for "buy it you stupid hungry schmuck."
Finally, and thanks for making it this far, it's pricing. It's supply and demand. Japanese A5 is high-demand, low-supply. Yeah, it's over $100/lb. It's for special occasions, not every day steaks. Many will buy deals from Costco then vacuum seal it in portions — not slap it all on a gas grill, then devour it on a paper plate while watching Ice Road Truckers.
TL;DR: If you eat your beef medium-well or well, *do not* waste your money on Wagyu. The texture will end up similar to USDA Prime, which you could get for 1/10th the price. If you eat steak with A1, Heinz 57, ketchup, etc — just get an upper USDA Choice steak and save your money. A5 Wagyu is an experience meant to be savored as a celebration of beef. It's the Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari class of beef (where USDA Prime is $100K+ Audi, BMW, Mercedes)
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Lantean
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so this is not really any better than Costco prime strip steaks?
D'Artagnan American Wagyu Beef Strip Steaks 199.99 after 100 off
https://www.costco.com/d%27artagn...53
so this is not really any better than Costco prime strip steaks?
D'Artagnan American Wagyu Beef Strip Steaks 199.99 after 100 off
https://www.costco.com/d%27artagn...53
Overall I find D'Artagnan products to be super overpriced, no matter what you buy from them.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank iahawks550
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https://www.costco.com/japanese-w...07567.html
Authentic Wagyu Japanese A5 Wagyu Striploin Roast, 2-count, minimum 6 lbs total 449.99 after 100 off
https://www.costco.com/authentic-...85357.html
Are these the same cut (just larger and you have to cut it yourself)?
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank mattymsu25
the Real A5 Wagyu from Japan is a melt in your mouth experience.
Considered the best beef in the world
the Real A5 Wagyu from Japan is a melt in your mouth experience.
Considered the best beef in the world
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