We’re venturing deeper into the world of Wagyu, offering more levels and special varieties of this uniquely marbled type of beef. To date, we’ve offered A5 Wagyu direct from Japan, raised in the traditional style; fullblood Wagyu raised in America and finished on grain; purebred Wagyu raised 100% on San Juan Islands pasture, eating an exclusively grass diet; and today, for the first time ever, we’re offering Wagyu-Angus cross raised by one of the original American Wagyu pioneers, Dr. Jerry Reeves, lifelong cattle rancher and animal scientist extraordinaire, based in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest.
We’ve been blown away by just how multifaceted the Wagyu world is. Everything from the exact content of the cow’s diet, to the amount of time spent outdoors, to the nuances of DNA composition (whether the cow had all-Wagyu ancestors, or some Angus great-Aunts, too) affects the taste and appearance of the steak.
At first, we shied away from the potential for confusion, and chose to only offer A5 (think of it as the Ferrari of beef) and Fullblood/Purebred (the Tesla Model S of beef, in Ludicrous Mode).
But the thing is, none of those are steaks you eat every day.
They are awesome, maybe even life-changing, but let’s face it: You’re not chowing down on any of them five days a week, both because of the price, and the richness. At those levels of intricate, lace-like marbling, it’s more experience than giant-steak-meal-eaten-20-ounces-at-a-time. It’s something to be savored on a special occasion.
We realized we wanted to offer Wagyu beef that’s better suited to a traditional steak dinner, like the ones you’re used to, but much tastier and more special.
That’s where Wagyu-Angus cross comes in. You can think of it as the BMW of beef, or like a Prime steak elevated -- but much less overwhelming to your palate and your pocket book.
But this is where you gotta put your beef detective hat on, because Wagyu-Angus cross is sometimes marketed confusingly and called “American Kobe” or even just “Wagyu,” to make you think what you’re buying is more exclusive or exotic. We’ll always be clear on exactly what it is we’re offering -- in this case, Wagyu-Angus cross beef raised on the Washington-Idaho border by one of the preeminent Wagyu experts in America.
You might even call Jerry Reeves the original Wagyu trailblazer in the United States. His story of traveling to Japan in the ‘80s, seeing Wagyu cows firsthand, and sifting through exactly what he thought would work for “the American palate” is unreal. His firsthand study of the Wagyu breed abroad is what led him to spearhead a wildly successful Wagyu genetics business back here in Eastern Washington, as well as raise the tiny, exclusive Wagyu-Angus beef herd he has today, and which we’re so lucky to have claimed a part of! You can read more about Jerry’s story on the Bar R Cattle Co. event page.