Snake River Farms- American Wagyu Beef and Kurobuta Pork | Agri Beef (2024)

FAQs

What grade of Wagyu is Snake River Farms? ›

Snake River Farms American Wagyu can achieve scores above USDA Prime. SRF Black™: Rated at 6 to 8 on the Japanese Beef Marbling Score (BMS). SRF Gold™: The highest marbled beef sold by Snake River Farms, rated at 9+ on the Japanese Beef Marbling Score (BMS).

Snake River Farms cattle are raised along the high plain of the Snake River in Eastern Idaho. Snake River Farms beef is the result of cross breeding Japanese Wagyu cattle with continental breeds of cattle, which is prized because of its intense marbling.

American Wagyu is commonly utilized for grilling, roasting, and pan searing. The fat content is typically lower than Japanese Wagyu due to less marbling and this creates a hearty, beefy flavor many find very palatable when included in well-known dishes.

The difference between American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu comes down to taste profile. Japanese Wagyu beef has extremely high levels of fat marbling, leading to a very rich flavor best enjoyed in small portions. Japanese Wagyu is often thinly sliced and served in yakiniku or shabu-shabu style dishes for this reason.

Japan's "top three" wagyu brands — specifically Matsusaka Ushi, Kobe Beef, and Ohmi Beef — all hail from the Kansai region of Japan. While their bloodlines all trace their origins to Tajima beef, a subspecies of Japanese Black cattle from Hyogo Prefecture, each of these wagyu brands boasts a unique flavor profile.

The USDA uses a 0 to 5+ grading scale, determined by the quality and marbling level of the meat, known as BMS. Meat that is a BMS0 to 1 on the scale is called “select.” BMS2 to 3 is “choice,” and BMS4 to 5+ is “prime.” Because of its rich marbling, American wagyu is considered a prime cut of meat.

Kurobuta is a type of pork that comes from a specific county in England called Berkshire. The name Kurobuta comes from the Japanese term for "black pig", since the highly revered Berkshire pig is largely black in color.

While Wagyu beef does have a high-fat content, it also has a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which can have health benefits. MUFAs, in particular, have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Wagyu beef, however, comes from Japan, which is far smaller than the United States. The feedlots in Japan may only hold anywhere between 10 and 100 cattle. This means that the cattle raised for wagyu beef are in far shorter supply, and thus, that contributes to why wagyu beef is so expensive.

Marbling. While all wagyu beef is known for its beautiful marbling, Kobe beef is truly the top of the line when it comes to fat marbling in a steak. In terms of Kobe vs. wagyu, Kobe beef will contain slightly more marbling throughout the beef that results in an overall richer flavor.

Is Snake River Farms grass-fed? ›

Snake River Farms cattle are raised on ranches, grazing grass across the Northwest as they're growing up until they reach weight of about 450 to 700 pounds. But the difficult truth is this: Cattle that are fed nothing but grass their entire lives produce beef that does not taste fabulous.

Wagyu: Price Per Pound

It can go high as $200 per pound, while you can get the rarest steak, which is the olive wagyu, between $120 and $300 per pound. An American Wagyu beef will cost at around $10-$15 per pound, depending on where you buy it from.

A raw Wagyu steak will appear so marbled it may look pink in appearance instead of the traditional bright red. You should also notice white dots throughout the muscle. Imported Wagyu meat from Japan will always be boneless.

Sirloin is the most typically sought after cut of wagyu beef as it boasts fine marbling. Ribeye is another hugely popular cut as it is highly marbled and has great fat content. Rib cap is a great option as it offers the best of both the tenderloin and rib eye area.

Traditionally, Japanese Wagyu cattle are fed a mixture of grass and grain to ensure their signature high marbling. In New Zealand, where the majority of cattle are grass-fed, First Light Farms have taken Wagyu to the next level by raising Wagyu cattle on a 100% grass-fed diet.

On the other hand, several attributes determine the meat quality grade of a given piece of Wagyu beef: marbling, lustre or quality of fat, brightness or meat colour, and firmness and texture. All these aspects are each graded on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest.

For wagyu beef to be classified as real Kobe beef it must have a yield and quality score of A4 or A5 grade along with being born and raised in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, a steer (castrated bull) or virgin cow and of the purebred Tajima lineage.

In Japan there are four breeds that are considered Wagyu and those are the Japanese Black (the predominant Wagyu exported to the U.S), Japanese Brown (In the U.S. referred to as Red Wagyu), Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn. There are no Japanese Polled or Shorthorns being bred outside Japan.