Don't Buy Wagyu Beef Unless It Has This Critical Component

How do you like your steak? Is it rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, or well-done? Most people opt for anything but well-done, as this type of cooked steak has a notoriously bad reputation. However, well-done steak is the hardest to prepare because it can be challenging to cook the meat until it's no longer pink and not dry it out completely in the process. Regardless of the level of doneness you prefer, it's crucial to let your steak rest for a few minutes after it's been cooked so that the juices remain sealed in the steak instead of running out into a messy pool on your plate, per The Spruce Eats. 

But there's one legendary type of beef that should only be cooked rare or medium-rare, and it's called Wagyu beef, per A Fork's Tale. This beef comes from Japan and is very prized for its marbling fat. Robb Report claims that when you bite into it, Wagyu beef will almost dissolve as it hits your tongue. The center should be kept as raw as possible because it will remain succulent. If overcooked, it will lose its rich and buttery flavor. But it can be a bit tricky to shop for Wagyu beef. Luckily, we know exactly what to look for.

There are some important things to look for when buying Wagyu beef. The Wagyu Shop recommends to first look at the steak closely. It should be "uniformly pink in color" when compared to other beef cuts, which most commonly have an "iron-red hue." Next, there are only four breeds of cattle for sourcing Wagyu beef — black, brown, shorthorn, and polled. Each cut also has a grade based on several factors, and Wagyu's best grade is A5. Finally, authentic Wagyu beef always comes with a certificate of authenticity, a document that holds crucial info about the source of the meat and its grade, and it should come in handy when choosing a steak. 

There are many types of Wagyu beef, such as Kobe, Matsusaka, Hida, and Ohmi, per American Cafe. If you'd like to try Kobe beef specifically, a bronze statue should be displayed in shops and restaurants that sell it, as it's required for anyone who sells authentic Kobe Wagyu beef. But why is Wagyu beef so expensive? Well, the cattle breeders have to "make sure that the animals live in a stress-free, open-air environment, as stress creates cortisol, which deteriorates the quality," per TasteAtlas. 

And now that we know everything about Wagyu, we'll probably take a stroll to the nearest steakhouse and indulge in this luxurious beef cut that's best paired with a glass of red wine or sake.