Many people in the U.S. primarily know of Wagyu beef as an expensive cut originating in Japan. They may also believe some of the myths about Wagyu, such as that the cows must be fed beer or sake, and get regular massages. Although that might happen in some isolated cases, there are actually no regulations that mandate such matters. The vast majority of Wagyu cows are simply specific breeds with unique fat networks that create the rich, smooth flavor we associate with them.
The term “Wagyu” simply translates as “Japanese cow” and refers to four breeds, including the Japanese Black (which constitutes about 90% of all Wagyu), Japanese Brown (called Red Wagyu in the U.S.), Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn. Historically, Wagyu cattle were agricultural draft animals, bred for their physical endurance in the fields. This breeding led to animals which possessed greater muscular fat, and therefore extensive marbling within the tissue. With more fat than other cattle breeds, this greater marbling makes their meat more unique, more rich and silky.
The first Wagyu cattle were exported to the U.S. around 1975, but they were only males, and ended up being crossbred with other cattle breeds like Angus and Holstein. In 1993, the first female Wagyu were imported, finally allowing the opportunity for farmers to raise purebred cattle.
I recently visited a Wagyu farm in Southern Vermont, Spring Fork Farm in Springfield. The owner is Dr. Sheila Patinkin, a Vermont native, who spent a significant period of her life working as a pediatrician in Chicago. Around 2006, she returned to Vermont and purchased the 350 acre Spring-Rock farm. At the time, she was not yet sure what animals she wanted to raise. However, after tasting and greatly enjoying some Wagyu beef burgers, she was enamored with the idea of raising Wagyu. She dedicated herself to raising purebred cattle, never straying into hybrid breeds that can so commonly be found.
Today, Sheila has become one of the country’s top breeders of purebred Wagyu cattle, leading her farm to be best known for its livestock rather than its beef. Her Wagyu are raised naturally, without antibiotics or hormones, and there is about one to two acres of pasture for each cow-calf pair. One of the most important aspects of raising the Wagyu is to present them with a low stress environment, as low stress leads to better marbling.
The Wagyu are raised for about 25-30 months before they are slaughtered. At that point, they typically weigh around 1,400 pounds, which yields an 850 pound carcass, with about half the meat ending up as ground burger. Although you might think the higher proportion of fat in Wagyu beef is unhealthy, it is no less healthy than other types of beef you may purchase, and, in some cases, may even be healthier.
For example, the saturated fat in Wagyu contains about 40% stearic acid, which does little to raise cholesterol. Wagyu beef also contains a higher proportion to a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is known to be an anti-carcinogen, an anti-inflammatory, and helps in reducing the risk of both heart disease and diabetes. Wagyu beef contains more CLA than any other food, and about 30% more than any other cattle breed.
Prior to Covid, Sheila sold about 95% of her Wagyu beef to restaurants, but just before the pandemic hit, she instituted an e-commerce site, making the meat available to consumers, which greatly helped when all the restaurants had to close. Now, about 80% of her business is through e-commerce, with only 20% remaining in restaurants and food service.
Through this site, Sheila offers a wide variety of Wagyu meats that she ships all across the U.S. You will find plenty of typical cuts of beef, from New York strip to ribeye, as well as some of which you might not be familiar, like coulotte and Denver chuck. The cuts generally come in several different sizes, and everything ships in vacuum-sealed packages. For those in Massachusetts, the base shipping is only $14.99. I recently made an online order that arrived quickly and in perfect condition.
While at the farm, I also purchased a variety of Wagyu products, and they have all been delicious. The Wagyu burgers were juicy and tender, with lots of meaty flavor, and the Wagyu smoked beef chorizo was amazing. They possessed the same tenderness as the burgers, with the additional spice bringing the rich flavor to life. The Wagyu flat iron is a less expensive cut, which sometimes can be tough, but that was not the case with the steak from Sheila’s farm. Cooked simply on the grill, it retained the same juiciness as the rest of the meats, with plenty of flavor. The Denver chuck is another affordable cut, and may remind you of a tender filet mignon.
Rather than purchase cheap, factory-farm beef, a better option would be to purchase locally grown Wagyu beef. Farmers, like Sheila, who raise purebred Wagyu cattle, a rarity in the U.S., and do so both naturally and with a strong scientific foundation, provide high quality products that make a difference in both flavor and nutritional value. Yes, they are more expensive, but you pay for what you get, and the quality of the final product is certainly worth the price. It is easy to order the Wagyu online, and I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
