There are few things more satisfying than that first bite of a thick and juicy Wagyu steak. With its exquisite marbling and superior heritage, Wagyu beef is leagues ahead of beef you’ll find in the grocery store. But it also requires a defter touch when it comes to cooking. That’s where this guide comes in handy. Whether you’re using tenderloins, sirloins, NY strips or rib eye steaks, these simple steps will teach you how to cook wagyu beef the perfect way.
Select your Steak
When it comes to cooking Wagyu, we recommend using a steak that's thick and well-marbled with creamy, white fat; this ensures a fuller and more flavorsome steak at the end. You can’t go wrong with something MS4 grade or higher, which will be richly marbled and thus super buttery and tender once cooked.
Prepare your Steak
Take out your steak from the refrigerator and allow it to sit and reach room temperature so it will cook more evenly. If you want to trim the fat from the outside of the steak, now would be the time to do it, but we recommend leaving the fat intact so that more of it melts and infuses the steak with buttery flavor during grilling.
Apply salt to both sides of the steak; combined with the buttery fat, this will give the steak a to-die-for caramelized crust. You can add other seasonings if you’d like, but you don’t want to mask that natural Wagyu flavor too much.
Pan-Sear the Steak
We recommend NOT grilling your Wagyu beef, because its fat content can result in severe flare-ups. Instead try pan-searing it in a ceramic, titanium-coated non-stick pan with a griddle. The griddle will hold the steak above the melted fat in the final stages of cooking, adding those signature grill lines that look so pleasing. If you’re cooking outdoors, the ideal substitute is a non-stick stainless steel BBQ plate.
Preheat your pan on medium-high to high heat, then let the steak sear for about one or two minutes. No need to add oil or fat, since Wagyu creates its own fat. Flip the steak and let it sear on the other side for another one or two minutes. It should have a nice brown color on both sides. Larger steaks may take a minute or two longer per side.
If you like your steak rare, it may be ready by now, but if not, change to a much lower heat and continue to cook until it reaches your desired doneness (for the optimum Wagyu steak, we recommend cooking it no more than medium-rare). You can make an incision in the steak to check the color of its interior, but we recommend using a meat thermometer instead to test the temperature: 125-130°F is the optimum temperature for rare; add 5 or 10 degrees for medium-rare. Note that the steak will increase a few degrees in temperature after being removed from heat.
Final Touches
Take the steak off the grill, wrap it in foil and let it sit for five minutes as it continues to cook and the juices settle.
Finally, serve the steak on warm plates with whatever accompaniments you desire. For us, a side of warm vegetables and a generous glass of Cabernet Sauvignon never fails!
Buy Wagyu beef online from Gourmet Food Store to enjoy safe and secure delivery to your doorstep.