Thaw and Store Wagyu

When it arrives

The box is insulated, with dry ice or gel packs, and the beef is vacuum-sealed. Open it the day it arrives. If you will cook it within a few days, refrigerate it at 34–38°F and use it within 3–5 days. If you will not, freeze it immediately.

Vacuum-sealed Wagyu keeps up to 12 months frozen and still cooks the way it should. Leave it in the seal. Air is what dries the surface.

Thawing

Thaw in the refrigerator. USDA’s examples: a pound of meat needs a full day, and a 3- to 4-pound roast needs two days or more. A steak is an overnight thaw. An 8–12 pound prime rib needs at least three days, and four is safer. Put it on a tray so the drip stays off the rest of the fridge.

Never thaw on the counter. The outside enters the danger zone while the center is still ice.

Cold water is the faster safe method: keep the meat in a leak-proof bag, submerge it in cold water, change the water every 30 minutes, and cook it as soon as it is thawed. We still prefer the refrigerator for Wagyu so the fat thaws evenly. Do not microwave a steak you plan to reverse sear. The edges cook before the center thaws.

The method

1. Step 1

   Open the box the day it arrives

   Check the seal. Refrigerate beef you will cook within 3–5 days at 34–38°F. Freeze the rest immediately, still vacuum-sealed.

2. Step 2

   Thaw in the refrigerator

   A steak needs a night. A 3- to 4-pound piece needs two days or more. The 3-bone prime rib needs at least three days. Keep it on a tray.

3. Step 3

   Cook or refreeze with a plan

   After a refrigerator thaw, steaks and roasts hold another few days at 34–38°F. Cook ground beef sooner. Do not thaw and refreeze for convenience.

Questions

The cuts

• NY Strip SteakFrom $35
• Boneless RibeyeFrom $42
• Prime Rib (3-Bone)From $360
• Ground Wagyu$12