Costco Shoppers Aren't Sure About This Japanese Wagyu Beef. Here's Why
Japanese Wagyu beef is highly prized, and, as you probably know, pretty expensive (via Insider). That's what has some Costco shoppers hesitant about buying it: the fear that they will make a mistake and waste the pricey purchase.
Recently spotted on the shelves by Instagrammer @CostcoDeals was a thin-sliced Japanese A5 Wagyu chuck roll, priced at $69.99 per pound (via Instagram). Although this exact product was not offered online at the time of this writing, Costco lists their similar Authentic Wagyu Japanese A5 Chuck Roll Korean BBQ Style 4-pack at about $74.99 per pound (via Costco). "Wagyu" refers to Japanese beef cattle of pure or nearly pure breeding, according to Food and Wine. It's known for its incredible flavor. The "A" numbering system indicates that the beef is from Japan. Japanese regulators grade beef on a 1-5 scale, so 5 is the highest quality Wagyu you can buy, according to Bon Appétit.
Believe it or not, $69.99 per pound sounds like a steal when you peruse the other Wagyu beef options from everyone's favorite wholesale club. There are actually about 18 other Wagyu beef offerings, including a 12-pound A5 Grade Boneless Ribeye Roast for $999.99 or half of that amount, six pounds of Japanese Wagyu tenderloin, for the same price (via Costco).
We don't blame anyone who's afraid to purchase these tasty steaks. As one Costco shopper commented on Instagram, "That's way too expensive for me to potentially screw up."
How to cook thinly sliced Wagyu
According to Japan Centre, thin cuts of Wagyu beef like the ones on offer at Costco feature more marbling than lean cuts. This fat has a very low melting point (nearly room temperature), which means the meat nearly "dissolves in your mouth," and features a "rich and buttery umami flavor."
How do you prepare thinly sliced Wagyu correctly and ensure you don't waste your money? According to Fine Dining Lovers, there are a few ways to prepare these delicate slices of beef. One of them yaki-niku style: on a hot grill over a direct flame. You can also try the shabu-shabu method of boiling the thin slices in an oily stock, which will take only a few seconds for each slice. Costco recommends simply cooking up the slices in a frying pan or grill (via Costco). Just remember they cook quickly.
Fine Dining Lovers says this delicious beef needs nothing but a pinch of sea salt and some ground black pepper. A member of Cookpad sautées it in butter, sliced garlic, and soy sauce, however.
A final word of caution: As of this writing, there were 16 reviews for the Authentic Wagyu Japanese A5 Chuck Roll Korean BBQ Style 4-pack on the Costco website, and those who purchased the product had mixed opinions, with some calling it great-tasting and others complaining that it was too fatty.