Grilling Tips

Technique: Grilling the premier steaks

To get the most flavor out of our Prime Plus meats follow these simple tips for grilling, particularly for the premier steaks.

Think about quick-sear cooking techniques similar to grilling rare tuna and foie gras. Very hot direct heat to sear the room temperature steaks and then move the steaks to indirect heat to finish. Wagyu steaks will cause significant flare-ups on the grill as the healthy, Omega-3 marbled fat melts away quickly and starts the flame.

You cannot allow the steak to remain in contact with heat for long enough to melt all the fat. Wagyu is a fragile meat under heat. Treat it delicately and it will reward you with velvety perfection. We use an intensely hot cast iron grill pan to sear our steaks on the grill to avoid the flare-ups.

Another good analogy to cooking Wagyu is that of a baked Alaska—you need to sear the outside, but if you let it sit under the heat too long, the delicacy of the good fat will be gone. "Well done" and "Wagyu" are not words that should go together.

1. Meat Prep

Room Temperature

As easy as this is, most people do not allow their meat to come to room temperature before grilling. Always pull the meat out of the refrigerator and allow it to lower to room temperature before cooking so that it cooks evenly.

Allowing the meat to be grilled when too cold will result in a burned exterior with a tough interior.

Salt Your Beef

Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of your cuts an hour before grilling. This will help the cells retain water to make your meat juicier when cooked. Wagyu doesn’t need much more than a little salt and pepper.

2. Grill Preparation-Know thy Grill!

Two Heat Zones and a Cast Iron Grill Pan

When preparing your grill set up two zones of heat to allow different cooking temperatures. Set up a "hot" direct heat zone to sear the meats on their initial grill placement, and have a second indirect heat zone with medium high temperature for cooking the meat through.

You will know when the grill is ready in this zone when you can hold your hand two inches above the grill for two seconds. If you can hold your hand for a longer or shorter period of time the temperature needs to be moderated.

Either the grill surface or the cast iron grill pan should be very hot as you place the steaks. For best results use an intensely hot cast iron grill pan. We don’t think you need to oil the surface as Wagyu has plenty of excellent fat to coat the surface.

3. Cooking & Resting

Temperature

Use an instant read thermometer to get the internal temperature perfect. Cook to rare to medium rare to showcase the Wagyu flavor. – 120-130 degrees F.

10 Minute Meat Rest

Let your meat rest for 10 minutes once it is cooked. This allows the juices to spread though the cut and the meat fibers to relax. Go for the full 10 minutes. Don't deviate in order to achieve maximum flavor and tenderness.