To eat wagyu on the barbecue, invite friends and share the costs

It took a few years to get access and money to try it out. The first tasting came as a blind test, and it was there that I was finally able to make a comparison: what would be the differences between the nelore breeds —the most commonly found in Brazil—, angus and wagyu.

Each one gave me very different sensations and I noticed the peculiarities.

The cut was common to all: the ancho. All prepared on the grill, and all served at the same point.

The Nelore has a striking flavor, which we are more used to on a daily basis, but with a much lower softness compared to the other two breeds. Angus brought a less pronounced meat flavor, but with a more tenderness compared to nelore.

Meanwhile, the wagyu no longer had the meat flavor we know well, but it was an extremely tender, juicy and tasty meat, due to its high amount of streaky fat.

Wagyu is a breed of Japanese cattle. “Wa” means “from Japan”, and “gyu” means “cattle”. Despite having origins in Japan, we have already found wagyu producers in Brazil, such as, for example, Fazenda Alto Paraíso, which is created in Boituva, in the interior of São Paulo.

Its cost is tied to the grade of marble, which ranges from a scale of one to 12 — the higher your rank on the scale, the more expensive the cut. I’ve already found prices of R$ 60 kg for wagyu soft coxão, and chorizo ​​steaks that are worth more than R$ 1,000.

The breed requires more care in breeding and production is done by hand. The animals are raised free in the pasture, where they feed on high quality grass and also receive a balanced ration.

And, in order to have a larger deposit of streaky fat, they are confined for a year – very different from other breeds, which are earlier and are slaughtered as soon as possible to supply the market.

This experience is worth having. I advise calling some friends to share the cost, and taste together. Each one eats a little piece and doesn’t get salty for anyone. It will be a new experience at your barbecue!

But, stay tuned: because of its large amount of fat, flames can go up in the embers. So, don’t leave the side of the grill and, if that happens, just move the ember to dissipate the fire.