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Recently, I was invited to the first Wagyu auction of the Lone Mountain Cattle Company in New Mexico. I jumped at the chance to find out the truth behind those golden steaks stampeding menus across America. Six ounces cost $70 at Wolfgang Puck's Cut steakhouse in Beverly Hills and 12 ounces go for $102 at New York's Craft restaurant.
The invitation came from my cousin Bob Estrin, the owner of Lone Mountain, who's been in the cattle industry for decades. Three years ago, Bob took an expensive gamble when he began raising "Kobe-style" cows to sell for breeding. The Western Livestock Journal called his decision, "an absolute leap of faith." This auction was a moment of truth. Bob would find out if the Wagyu were worth it, and so would I -- by talking directly to the cowboys, observing the sale, and conducting my own taste test.
High Steaks 101
Wagyu (Wag-yoo) are a breed of cattle valued for their high-quality meat. Kobe are Wagyu that are raised in the Hyōgo Prefecture (region) of Japan from the Tajima-ushi strain of Wagyu.
(A Wagyu bull)
Why are Wagyu so special?
As the owner of one of the first ranches to sell Wagyu in the U.S., Bob faces a wall of doubts and questions from potential buyers. Like us, they want to know how a steak could possibly be worth so much. Here's what he tells them:
-Wagyu are particularly delicious because their meat is more finely marbled with fat than any other breed. The marbling of a cut of meat is ranked by the USDA on a seven-point scale and is the main indicator of how good a cut is. Wagyu typically rate at the top of those charts. Bob notes, "the biggest mistake cooks make when preparing Wagyu is to cook it beyond the point of medium-rare. When that happens, the marbling disappears and the meat becomes tough."
-A Texas A & M University study found that of any breed, Wagyu have the most monounsaturated fat (good for cholesterol) and omega-3s (great for your immune system, skin, and just about everything else). In other words, Wagyu steaks are richer AND healthier than ordinary Angus steaks!
-The cows from the three largest Wagyu suppliers in America are Natural-Fed. That means their feed does not contain hormones, growth implants, nor antibiotics.
Snob Alert :
Cows must be at least 50% Wagyu to be sold as Wagyu, according to the USDA and American Wagyu Association requirements. So, most Wagyu sold in high-end restaurants and food markets come from steers that are a cross of Wagyu and Angus.
100% Wagyu steaks come only from Japan or Australia and price even higher: Wolfgang Puck's Cut restaurant serves 6 oz. for $120, which is $50 more than its regular Wagyu steak. At Craft steakhouse, 100% Wagyu is sold by the ounce for $30. Bradley Ogden's in Las Vegas pushes it to $39 per ounce.
Is it true that Kobe are regularly treated to massages and beer?
As I mentioned above, the taste of Kobe is due to the intricate way in which the fat is marbled in the beef. This is a genetic trait rather than a result of diet or treatment. Still, some small Japanese farms include massage and beer in their cow's regimen, but it's hard to get a straight answer as to why...
Beer: The few small farms in Japan that feed their cows beer or sake, probably do so to nourish the cows and induce hunger during the humid season when the cows are less interested in eating and/or to help the cows maintain a healthy amount of microbes in their large stomach.
Massages: One frequent explanation is that farms in Japan can be so small that the cows' muscles need to be massaged, so they don't cramp up. Another theory is that people may have thought farmers were massaging their cows when they were actually brushing them. (Some farmers brush their cow's hair because they believe it positively affects the meat.)
(Lone Mountain Ranch)
Is the steak industry buying it?
When Lone Mountain's auction ended and the auctioneer was done talking that fast crazy talk, Lone Mountain had sold all their full-blood Wagyu for an average of $10,000 each, $4,500 more than the last Wagyu that was sold in America. Their prize bull -- Yojimbo #634S -- sold for $35,000.
Was it worth it? Bob, Lone Mountain's owner, had a smile that said, yes. The Western Livestock Journal wrote that the Lone Mountain Wagyu were "extremely well received ... [C]ommercial producers are starting to see the niche marketing advantages to this limited pool of genetics." 
(An auctioneer at the Lone Mountain Wagyu sale)
My Taste Test
The Wagyu rib-eye I ate at Albuquerque's Great American Land & Cattle Company restaurant was every bit as tender as promised. The taste was similar to a high quality dry-aged New York steak, but a bit sweeter. Its richness felt dangerously indulgent, as if the steak was actually cooked in butter a la Ruth's Chris, but knowing about the omega-3s made me feel less guilty.
Wagyu burgers run upwards from about $14. In a publicity stunt last month, Burger King in London launched a limited edition Wagyu burger for $190. The one I tried was cooked simply on a grill, right outside on the ranch. It was more tender than the majority of Angus burgers I've had, but truthfully, you can save money and create a similar experience with careful preparation and the right blend of non-Wagyu cuts.
My advice: If you're a person who spends time thinking about the texture of your food and you have some extra cash, Wagyu is a worthwhile super-special-occasion experience. If you cannot afford it, well, you're not alone, but here's something to consider...
Mail-Order Wagyu
Live large for a little less. You can mail-order Wagyu from several companies. This link takes you to Snake River Farms, where many top restaurants buy their Wagyu steaks. The prices might still be a shock, but you'll avoid restaurant costs such as drinks, tips, and additonal dishes.
To cook your mail-order Wagyu or any good steak, read this blog by Maggie Nemser, with a recipe from Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse Cut.
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