JAPANESE A5 WAGYU SIRLOIN STEAK

JAPANESE A5 WAGYU BEEF

BMS 8-12 (Exceptional)

Japanese A5 Wagyu denotes the top grade of all Wagyu beef produced in Japan. A5 is attributed to yield and lustre, and BMS scores are ranked for marbling fineness. It is often hailed as 'the best beef in the world', a label attained due to its melt-in-the-mouth texture and exceptional umami flavour.

A key contributor to Wagyu flavour is its delicately marbled intramuscular, unsaturated fat, which is high in Oleic acid due to the Wagyu cow’s healthy eating programme.

Wagyu cattle are raised by hand in Japan’s pristine mountainous and forest-rich lands and fed a strict nutrient-packed diet responsible for their incredible flavour. A5 Wagyu beef commands a high price because of the physical and financial effort required to raise a single cow to such a high standard, and quantities are always limited.

Our Japanese Wagyu and Kobe beef is cut from whole muscles and delivered fresh into the UK. Each steak has most of the outer fat removed and is carefully sculptured to offer the highest meat ratio and best value possible. The steaks are cut and then frozen down to -28°. This process offers major advantages when promoting zero food waste and helping to keep the meat in amazing condition. Red meat naturally discolours after a few hours, so blast-freezing is the ultimate way to keep the steak as fresh as it was when freshly cut.

Wagyu and Kobe steaks are very rich, and ordering them on the smaller side is best. To choose the right size steak, there are a few basic things to consider:

Our standard (New York strip) steak is cut across the width of a whole sirloin.

250g (8.5 oz) - Ideal for one person. ±2cm thick

350g (12 oz) A larger one person steak ±2.5cm thick- Or a great tasting sharer for smaller dishes.

500g -  A great sharing steak for two people - ±3.5cm thick

750g & 1kg - These steaks are taken from the widest end of a whole striploin. They can be cut into 3/4 blocks, cooked individually or roasted whole, then sliced and shared, suitable for 3/4 people.

The block-cut half-steak is thicker and comes from a larger piece of the prime section of a whole Striploin. These are a minimum of 2cm thick for a 250g steak and take longer to cook but are better for slicing thinly for Sushi, Tepanyaki and Donburi. 

All steaks need to be defrosted before cooking. Remove all packaging, place it on a plate, and cover it with clingfilm in the fridge overnight. 250g steaks will deforest at room temperature in around 2 hours.

How to cook your Japanese a5 wagyu steak

It is common to attribute steak's tenderness to its 'doneness'; rare for those who like a soft texture, etc. Japanese wagyu does not work by these principles due to the marbling that runs through the meat and keeps it soft at any degree of doneness. 

For this reason, we recommend that Japanese Wagyu/Kobe Sirloin/Ribeye steaks are cooked to at least medium-rare or medium. This allows the intramuscular fat to melt and the outside to caramelise and become crisp. This enables the steak to be perfectly tender while releasing the optimum flavour of the Wagyu, which is not achievable with a rare steak.

For our classic 250g steak, Preheat a nonstick pan over medium to high heat. Season both sides of your steak with salt, then sear it in the pan without oil, turning every 20 seconds to keep the cooking and colour even. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly and serve.

For 500g± cuts, adding a spoonful of our natural wagyu fat is useful - after browning, place in a 180°c oven to finish cooking. Larger cuts also work really well when reverse-seared on a charcoal BBQ.

It is important that the pan is not too hot, or you will burn the steak. You should achieve a beautiful golden brown colour with very little effort.

Pairing: Once allowed to rest, it is better to slice your wagyu steak thinly and match it with steamed rice, ponzu and steamed green vegetables such as snap peas. The cleanliness of these ingredients will match the full-on Wagyu flavour.

When pairing wine, think of reds that are not too bold and have higher acidity, such as Syrah, Bordeaux 70/30 Cab Sauvignon/Merlot blends. White wine - Stick to a nice dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. 

Authenticity: All Japanese Wagyu cattle are assigned a unique traceability ID number from birth. Your ID number is on the back of the pack, and you can check the authenticity of your purchase HERE.

Origin: Kagoshima/Miyazaki, Japan

The steak pictured is a 250g A5 BMS 9 Wagyu Sirloin Steak, 1.9cm thick.

Learn more about Wagyu and Kobe