Prepare the Perfect Meal

PAN SEAR

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) to high and add a generous amount of cooking oil.

Once the pan is hot, sear the steaks quickly on all sides.

Turn frequently until you've achieved a beautiful, caramelized crust.

Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, turning every minute or so until you’ve reached your preferred internal temperature.

See chef's tips below for butter basting. It’s a game changer!

Allow your steaks to rest a minimum of 5 minutes off the heat before serving.

GRILL

Grilling is a great way to impart a delicious, smoky flavour to your Wagyu. Just remember: the higher the marbling, the more likely it is to flare-up, so this method is best suited for marbling scores of 0-7.

Preheat your grill on high until very hot, this ensures a delicious crust, beautiful grill marks and less sticking.

Place your Wagyu on the grill over direct heat and sear the exterior, flipping frequently until you’ve achieved a gorgeous, caramelized crust.

Transfer the steak to an area of low, indirect heat and allow the beef to cook further, while flipping occasionally until you’ve reached your desired doneness.

Remove the Wagyu beef from the grill and allow it to rest for a minimum of 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

REVERSE SEAR

This is one of our favourite ways of cooking small Wagyu roasts and thick Wagyu steaks.
Note: it's the opposite of what's traditionally done when pan searing.
Here, low, slow cooking creates very even doneness from the edges of the steak to the center.
Searing it afterwards yields one of the best crusts you can imagine!

Pre-heat your oven to 200- 250º F.

Place your Wagyu on an oven-safe wire rack atop a pan for even air circulation over and under the Wagyu. This is important for even cooking.
Roast your Wagyu until you’re about 7-10º F below your desired doneness.
Remove the beef and let it rest for a few minutes.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) to high and add a generous amount of cooking oil.
Once the pan is hot, sear the steaks on all sides. You can also add a generous nob of butter part way through to help build the crust.

Turn your steak in the pan frequently until you've achieved a beautiful, caramelized crust.
Let your Wagyu rest a minimum of 5 minutes off the heat before serving.

SOUS VIDE

With sous-vide cooking, you'll never overcook your meat again!

You'll need some hardware (like an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer) but you can also do it with a pot and a Ziplock bag. Check online for some great video tutorials.

Set your water bath to the desired finished temperature of your Wagyu (see temperature guide below).

Vacuum seal the meat and submerge it in the water bath.Cooking time greatly depends on the size of the cut as well as the temperature of the water bath.
As a general rule, a 1.5” thick steak will need as little as 20 minutes.
The texture of the steak will change depending on cooking time but the internal temperature will never go above the temperature you set.
After the beef is cooked through, remove it from the pouch and pat it dry with a cloth or paper towel.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) to high and add a generous amount of cooking oil.

Once the pan is hot, sear the Wagyu on all sides, turning frequently until you’ve achieved a beautiful, caramelized crust.
You can also add a generous nob of butter to the pan part way through to create an amazing crust.
At this point, all you want is a lovely exterior sear, not extra cooking.

Sous vide requires less resting, however 5 minutes of down time is still highly recommended.

BRAISE

When you want comfort food, nothing beats slowly braised, succulent Wagyu brisket.
Most tougher cuts of beef are rich in collagen, the connective tissue that gives muscles their structure.
When slow-cooked, collagen renders into gelatin, creating that ultra-rich mouth feel typical of good, braised Wagyu.
Remember: low and slow is the key.

Preheat your oven to 250ºF. If braising a smaller cut of beef, we recommend searing it well on all sides first.
Once that’s done, place your brisket in the braising vessel (Dutch ovens work great) and completely cover the meat in your liquid of choice, like beef stock, tomato puree, wine, beer, water, soy sauce, root beer, etc. *This is also the time to introduce aromatics like vegetables, herbs, spices, mushrooms, you name it.
Let your inner chef be creative!

Braise the beef in the oven uncovered for 4-12 hours depending on the size of the cut.
Smaller cuts need less time, naturally. When the Wagyu is tender and yields to an inserted and turned fork, it’s done.
Let your Wagyu beef rest in the braising juices for 30 minutes before serving.
If you plan to reduce the braising liquid for a sauce, always remember to let your Wagyu cool as long as possible in its juices beforehand.

BBQ

There’s nothing better than the aroma of woodsmoke, charcoal or a grill, slowly transforming Wagyu beef into a glorious BBQ dinner.
And there’s no better cut to do it with than Wagyu brisket!

Just like with braising, BBQs require a low, slow, patient approach that delivers stunningly delicious results.
We won’t delve too deeply here as there are infinite variables when discussing BBQ, like cut of Wagyu, grade, cooking apparatus, fuel source, you name it.
So it's best to try a variety of different techniques and develop your own personal BBQ style. You be the pit master!

TEMPERATURE GUIDE

Rare:
115-125ºF. Cool red center.

Medium Rare:
125-134ºF. Cool pink center.

Medium:
135-144ºF. Warm pink center.

Medium Well:
145-154ºF. Hot pink/grey center.

Well-Done:
155ºF-and beyond. Grey throughout.

SEASONING

Wagyu beef is famous for its outstanding and distinctively delicious flavour so you might want to keep the seasoning to a minimum. But if you choose to season, do it sparingly, with high-quality salt and/or your favourite herbs and spices.

FLIPPING

Flipping steaks frequently creates steaks that heat more evenly from surface to center, reducing the over-cooked grey zone on the interior of steaks.

MARBLE vs FLAMING

When choosing cooking methods for Wagyu beef, keep in mind that high marble score cuts are more apt to flare up on the grill. Often searing, reverse searing and sous vide are best for extremely marbled Wagyu.

BUTTER BASTING

When pan searing and roasting, a healthy nob of butter added to the pan part way through cooking contributes greatly to a fabulous, golden crust. Baste the hot butter over top the steak as the other side cooks and the results are the stuff dreams are made of!

DONENESS

This is about as personal a choice as can be. That being said we often say for higher marble score Wagyu it’s often beneficial to cook to medium. At this point the rich marbling is warm and most luscious.

RESTING

Resting meat after cooking is a critical step to juicy steaks. Resting for a minimum of 5 minutes will mean less moisture remains in your Wagyu after it is cut rather than pooling on your plate. While your steak is off the heat, the internal temperature will typically continue to rise by a few degrees during the initial few minutes of resting. So, consider cooking to just a bit below your desired doneness.

SLICING

If slicing your Wagyu, locate the direction of the muscle grain and slice perpendicular to it. This will make each bite more tender.