How to Cook Japanese Wagyu Steak at Home

Cooking Japanese Wagyu is easier than cooking an ordinary steak. You need a hot pan, salt, and about five minutes. The main rule: less is more. Less time, less seasoning, smaller portions.

What you need

  • A heavy frying pan: cast iron or thick stainless steel is best.
  • Flaky sea salt. Black pepper is optional.
  • A small piece of the Wagyu fat (or a little beef dripping). No oil needed.
  • A meat thermometer if you have one.

Before you cook

  1. Thaw it properly. Move the sealed pack from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Never thaw on the counter or in the microwave. See storing and thawing.
  2. Take it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Wagyu fat is firm when cold and softens as it warms. A slightly warmer steak cooks more evenly.
  3. Pat it dry with kitchen paper. A dry surface browns better.
  4. Salt just before cooking. Use a light pinch on each side.

The pan method (steaks 1.5 to 2.5cm thick)

  1. Heat the pan on high until very hot, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Rub a small piece of fat over the pan until it shines. If you have no trim, a tiny amount of beef dripping works.
  3. Lay the steak in the pan, away from you. Don't move it.
  4. Cook 60 to 90 seconds until a deep golden crust forms.
  5. Turn once and cook another 60 to 90 seconds.
  6. If there is a thick strip of fat on the edge, hold the steak on its side for 20 to 30 seconds to crisp it.
  7. Rest on a warm plate for 2 to 3 minutes.
  8. Slice across the grain into 1 to 1.5cm strips and share.

Thicker steak (3cm and over)? Sear both sides as above, then lower the heat and turn every 30 seconds until it reaches the temperature you want, or finish in an oven at about 120°C for a few minutes.

How done should Wagyu be?

We recommend medium-rare to medium for A5 and A4 steaks. Fully rare Wagyu leaves the fat waxy. Well-done melts too much fat away and the meat shrinks.

Doneness Take off the heat at (centre) Notes
Rare about 48 to 50°C Fat not fully softened
Medium-rare about 52 to 55°C Our favourite for most cuts
Medium about 57 to 60°C Great for very marbled A5 and ribeye

The temperature rises 2 to 3°C while the steak rests.

Food safety: the UK Food Standards Agency says whole cuts of beef such as steaks can be served pink, as long as all of the outside surfaces are properly seared. Minced beef, such as burgers, must be cooked all the way through.

How to serve it

Keep it simple so the beef shines:

  • Flaky sea salt, freshly grated wasabi, a little soy sauce, or ponzu (citrus soy).
  • Crispy garlic chips, fried in the Wagyu fat.
  • Steamed Japanese rice, pickles, grated daikon radish, a sharp green salad.
  • To drink: a light, fresh red (Pinot Noir, Gamay), Champagne, or a dry junmai sake. Acidity and bubbles cut through the richness.

Avoid heavy sauces like peppercorn or béarnaise. They hide what you paid for.

Other methods

Barbecue

Wagyu drips a lot of fat, so flare-ups happen fast. Use a very hot grill but keep a cooler zone to move the steak to. Thinner cuts are easier. A cast-iron plate on the barbecue works well.

Sous vide

Seal the steak (it already comes vacuum-packed) and cook in a water bath at about 54°C for 45 to 60 minutes. Pat dry and sear for 30 to 45 seconds per side in a very hot pan.

Teppanyaki

Cut the steak into 2 to 3cm cubes, sear each side on a very hot plate for 15 to 20 seconds, and eat straight away with salt and garlic chips.

The seven most common mistakes

  1. Cooking it straight from the fridge.
  2. A pan that isn't hot enough. The meat stews instead of searing.
  3. Too much oil. Wagyu brings its own fat.
  4. Moving or pressing the steak while it cooks.
  5. Overcooking. A5 needs only a few minutes in total.
  6. Serving a huge portion. 100 to 150g of A5 per person is plenty.
  7. Cutting it straight from the pan, before it rests.

Save the fat

Pour the rendered fat from the pan into a small jar and keep it in the fridge. Use it to fry rice, roast potatoes or vegetables. It is full of flavour.

More recipes: yakiniku, shabu-shabu and sukiyaki, slow-cooking Wagyu, or back to the Wagyu Guide.

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