The Wagyu Beef Request To Never Ask A Butcher — You'll Look Like A Total Newbie

Your friendly neighborhood butcher should be there to answer any questions you might have about meat, without judgement. But there's one request that will instantly identify you as a newbie when it comes to meat selection. We asked Gabriel Llaurado, co-founder of Meat N' Bone, for some advice on things you should never to say to your butcher, and one was asking for a lean cut of Wagyu.

You might be drawn to Wagyu for its association with fine dining, and its reputation as being one of the best beef offerings, but it doesn't mean it's for everyone. Llaurado explains, "Wagyu's signature is marbling and richness," meaning that the meat's fattiness is exactly why it's so highly prized.

Wagyu is not a specific cut of meat, but rather beef that comes from one of four breeds of Japanese cattle. So it's not just a matter of asking for a different part of the cow to get a leaner Wagyu option. These cattle have been bred for high levels of marbling in the flesh, giving the meat a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture that earns Wagyu a premium price tag. That tenderness is inexorably linked to a high fat content. Llaurado concludes, "If you don't like that, you'll be happier with a different premium cut."

To get your hands on a piece of meat that's going to tick all the boxes for you, it's worth having a conversation with your butcher, rather than simply asking for the best cuts. Llaurado explains, "'Best' depends on budget, cooking method, and preference — without context, it's impossible to answer accurately."

The texture of Wagyu can be hard to find without the fat, but leaner filet mignon is often considered of the most tender cuts of beef. The filet mignon is part of the beef tenderloin, and owes its softness to the fact it's an underworked muscle. This cut benefits from pan searing for a nice crust followed by finishing in the oven. Otherwise, another option is the New York strip. Although it does have some marbling, it's not as fatty as Wagyu. It offers a good balance of taste and tenderness — not as tender as the filet mignon, but with more beef flavor for those who want a richer eating experience.

If you want to go lean purely for health reasons, you might want to take another look at Wagyu. While the intramuscular marbling gives the steak a high fat content, the composition is different from what you'd find in other cow breeds. Wagyu has higher ratio of monounsaturated fats, oleic acid in particular, which is the same heart-healthy fatty acid found in olive oil.