Wagyu~X

Buying guide

What American Wagyu Is

Gold, Kuro, and Platinum are the only Wagyu~X grades. What the marbling, BMS scores, and Japan equivalents mean.

The cattle

Wagyu is a Japanese breed with a genetic tendency to lay fat inside the muscle, not just around it. That intramuscular fat is the marbling.

Wagyu~X raises an F1 herd of more than 5,000 cattle on Gearhart Ranch and Hi View Ranch in Texas. The bulls are 100% Black Tajima, from the Kobe region of Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The herd has been in the family since 1890.

Calves start on grass. They then go onto a 350-day or longer proprietary grain finish: vegetable-based, with brewer’s grains, and no antibiotics or hormones. Harvest and packing happen at Tejas Premium Meats and El Rey Ranch, our USDA-certified plant in Itasca, Texas. The ranch is Go Texan certified.

Three grades, and only three

USDA Prime tops out around 11–13% marbling. Wagyu~X Gold starts at 20%. We do not use the names Reserve or Classic.

Gold is 20–35% marbling, BMS 7–10, about 60–70% of the herd, and the A3 equivalent. Kuro is 36–43% marbling, BMS 10+, about 15–20% of the herd, and the A4 equivalent. Platinum is 43% marbling and up, BMS 11+, about 3–15% of the herd, and the A5 equivalent.

A steak with more than one grade on the page is the same cut at three marbling levels. The price on the product page is the price. Gold is the place to start. Platinum is the rare end of the herd.

What to buy

A New York strip or a boneless ribeye is the straightforward steak. Filet is the tender end. A tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye for the table, not a weeknight. The 3-bone prime rib, 8–12 pounds, feeds six to ten.

Plan about 8–12 ounces of steak per adult. A couple eating two dinners needs two steaks, not a roast. Shipping is calculated at checkout and is not included in the meat price. We ship within the continental United States.

The method

  1. Step 1

    Count the people and the meals

    Plan 8–12 ounces of steak per adult per dinner. A 3-bone prime rib, 8–12 pounds, is for six to ten people at one table.

  2. Step 2

    Pick the grade

    Gold starts at 20% marbling, BMS 7–10. Kuro is 36–43%, BMS 10+. Platinum is 43% and up, BMS 11+.

  3. Step 3

    Match the cut

    Strip and boneless ribeye for a steak dinner. Filet when you want tenderness. Tomahawk or the 3-bone prime rib when the roast is the meal.

Questions

What is American Wagyu?

American Wagyu at Wagyu~X is an F1 herd sired by 100% Black Tajima bulls from Hyogo Prefecture and raised in Texas from birth to harvest. The cattle are grass-started, then grain-finished for 350 days or more.

How is Gold different from USDA Prime?

USDA Prime is about 11–13% marbling. Wagyu~X Gold starts at 20% marbling, BMS 7–10, and is the A3 equivalent. Kuro and Platinum go higher.

Which grade should I buy first?

Gold. It is most of the herd, and it is already past the ceiling of USDA Prime. Move to Kuro or Platinum when you want more marbling and the product page lists that grade.

The cuts

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