American meat lovers can order Wagyu-quality beef from Idaho, not just Japan
- Snake River Farms sells American Wagyu – the result of imported Japanese Wagyu cattle crossbred with traditional breeds
The Japanese city of Kobe is synonymous with Wagyu beef, which is prized among steak lovers for its marbling, rich flavour and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
Yet before you book a flight to Japan or put your name on the months-long reservation list at the fanciest restaurant in your city, there’s a secret you need to know: you can order your very own Wagyu beef in the United States.
Snake River Farms (SRF) is a premium meat brand that is used at Michelin-starred restaurants and sold at select retailers and online. It sells not Japanese Wagyu, but American Wagyu – the result of imported Japanese Wagyu cattle crossbred with traditional breeds.
Chef and Snake River Farms fan Wolfgang Puck describes American Wagyu as having “the richness of Japanese beef with lots of marbling”, but with a flavour that is “more akin to what we’re used to in America”. He even says that given the choice between the best Japanese Wagyu and American Wagyu, he would “choose the New York steak from Snake River Farms every time”.
Instead of using the USDA Prime designation, the highest USDA grade for beef, SRF follows the Beef Marbling Standard (BMS), a Japanese marbling scale that the company believes better captures the superior quality of its beef.
Its steaks range in BMS from six to 12, with nine to 12 considered excellent (you can find these top-notch, “Gold Grade” steaks here).
The cattle are raised along the high plain of the Snake River in Idaho, where they’re fed balanced diets and have space to roam freely. Each piece is wet-aged (marinated in its own juices) for more than three weeks, then hand cut by a butcher and shipped frozen to you.
