This should answer any questions regarding prep, cooking, and slicing wagyu beef cuts.

How do I thaw Wagyu meat?

It’s best to move the frozen meat from your freezer to your refrigerator at least 24 hours before you plan to cook it.  However, you can also thaw the meat by leaving it in its vacuum sealed package and placing in cool water for several hours.

Note: NEVER thaw Wagyu meat using hot water or in the microwave due to the lower melting point of its fat – you will seriously compromise if not ruin it.

Should I bring Wagyu steaks to room temperature before grilling?

Due to Wagyu beef’s lower fat melting point, it is actually best to grill steaks when they are closer to refrigerator temperature.  If you bring them to room temperature and then grill, you run the risk of rendering the fat out of the steak – resulting in a tougher, dryer piece of meat.

How should I season my Wagyu steaks?

We recommend a very simple seasoning.  In fact, one of our favorite ways to season our steaks is a liberal amount of fine sea salt and coarse ground black pepper with a touch of garlic powder.  This beef speaks for itself – put your Montreal Steak seasoning and BBQ Rub back in the cabinet!

If you would like to purchase a rub or steak seasoning, we recommend trying Sucklebuster’s SPG or Tailgaters Party Rub (both can be bought online or at Outdoor Grill Sales in Weatherford) or Chupacabra (can be bought at HEB).   A good steak needs salt – all the best steakhouses know that, so don’t be afraid, salt away!

Should I marinade my Wagyu steaks?

Usually, no!  The only steaks you may want to marinade are the fajita cuts (skirt, flank, and flap) to help tenderize them and give them some additional flavor.  It still isn’t absolutely necessary.  And even then, we keep it simple – lime juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and avocado oil works great! 

Wagyu primal cuts are not the kind of steaks that would take well to a marinade nor would they need them.  Wagyu has an intense, buttery, beefy flavor on its own, so a marinade would usually do more harm than good on the finer cuts.

How should I cook my Wagyu steaks?

Get a grill you can trust – know your hot spots, cool spots, flare zone, etc. 

When steaks get ruined, it’s usually because of poor fire and heat management.  If grilling on a standard propane grill, run it as hot as you can and make sure it is clean to minimize flare ups because Wagyu will drip fat as it cooks.  If on a higher-end gas grill or charcoal grill, shoot for the 500°F range at the grate level (high heat). You can cook steaks on a pellet grill but we recommend using a cast iron griddle or “Grill Grates” with your pellet grill to help give the steak’s surface more “bark” and texture.

For a 16oz ribeye, a good rule of thumb is about 4-5 minutes per side at high heat, or 8-10 minutes total for medium rare / medium.  A 12oz steak should be 6-7min total but remember that the best way to judge time is by thickness. The thicker a steak is, the longer it will take.  So a 2” filet that is 8oz may take longer than a 1” chuck eye that’s 10oz.  And time is only a rule of thumb to help you out because:

You can ONLY cook the perfect steak by internal temperature. 

We know your uncle told you about touching the steak and comparing it to your palm, but that doesn’t work.  You can cook a Wagyu steak to well done and it will always feel “rare” because it is tender.  Invest in a good instant read thermometer – instant not quick, 1-2 seconds is all it should take for an accurate read.  We recommend Thermapen – don’t bother using anything with cords, you will burn your hands! 

We shoot for 125-130 internal temperature with most of our steaks and that is what you see in our pictures.  Trust us on this one. 

When your steak has reached the desired temperature, don’t cut into it to check its doneness (another one for the instant read thermometer win column – seriously, get one). You should always let the steak rest for 5-10min so the juices can re-disperse throughout the meat.  If you cut the steak prior to 5 minutes, you will likely lose moisture and tenderness.  This step is crucial – always let the steak rest.

For some steaks – such as the Denver, skirt, bavette, flank, and even flat iron to an extent – you want to identify the grain and cut perpendicular across it.  These steaks have longer, coarser grains, and by cutting across the gain, you are shortening the muscle fiber and therefore creating a more tender bite.  If you cut with the grain, you will end up with a tougher, stringier piece of meat, so pay close attention when preparing the meat to identify which way the grain goes.  We actually will sometimes make a little notch cut with the grain prior to cooking on a larger fajita cut or brisket so we know which direction the grain is going.

Should I use a sauce for my Wagyu steaks?

These steaks need no sauce on the grill – and even though basting with butter is popular with steak chefs, the Wagyu fat is already doing that for you.

If you must, we recommend a simple butter sauce, bourbon peppercorn sauce, bleu cheese sauce, or horseradish sauce.  If you use A1 Sauce, please don’t tell us.

Should I share my Wagyu steaks?

Nope.