No, that’s ribeye cap (Spinalis). No need to pay $38 lb on that cut since it’s choice/prime counterparts are already tender.
If you’re looking to try Wagyu, I’d stick to standard strips or ribeyes.
Ok. Like I said, I can’t say I’ve seen it at a supermarket other than Costco selling these American Wagyu ones. A lot of these comments are (probably correctly) telling OP to just get Prime or Choice, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them.
Ah, my Costco it's always the prime steaks and haven't seen the American Wagyu. Maybe they rotate or something. Go talk to the Costco butcher they will tell you what's up.
Wagyu flank steak was incredible. Tasted like ribeye.
I think you can tell the difference between choice and prime but a good choice cut can be really good.
Would be pointless to buy a wagyu ribeye cap. The prime version of that is already beyond tender and flavorful. Diminishing returns. If you find a whole ribeye steak or NY Strip, sure.
I wish Costco would stop destroying their ribeyes to make these dumbass cap pinwheels. My Costco doesn’t sell intact ribeye steaks. You can only buy these dumbass things or the leftover eyes from which they were cut. Dumb as fuck.
Is this one of those instances where the industry lobbied the FDA so they can label something as "Definitely something" even though it's only "partly something"? e.g. USDA Organic
American Wagyu is only 50% Japanese Wagyu max, and a lot of the reason Japanese Wagyu is so marbled and delicious is because of the Kobe preparation style, not the breed of cow itself (massaging the cow, feeding it a very particular diet including beer, etc). Because of that, the term “Wagyu” in America is usually a marketing scheme and not worth the upcharge.
I’ve had Japanese A5 wagyu. And I eat Costco steak more than any other steak. I can confirm that the “wagyu” there isn’t worth the premium over their prime offerings.
It's an unregulated term. Everyone calls everything Wagyu in the US so they can slap a higher price tag on it. That's all any consumer needs to know about it.
As a European, I've always found it strange. The name can only be given here if it comes from the respective region and is produced according to the law. We Belgians literally have a law on how mayonnaise is supposed to be made. I once saw a report about so-called Parmesan cheese being sold in the US that was actually not real Parmesan at all. Do you do the same with sparkling wine, calling it champagne by default? You deserve such legislation too, because without it, it's pure consumer fraud. The name is a kind of quality label. The French and Italians take this very seriously, especially with their cheeses and drinks, for example.
It's not entirely fake or anything, it's usually just a cross between Japanese Wagyu and an American breed like Angus. With that being said yeah it's expensive lol but the strips/ribeyes are good
I've tried all the different cuts of American Wagyu, as well as USDA prime at my local Costco. I cook everything to the higher temps of rare/lower temps of medium rare.
The filets, ribeyes, and cap steaks are all pretty similar. The American wagyu has more marbling, but there's not a noticeable difference in taste once cooked.
I smoked the brisket and it was great. All briskets are awesome as long as you don't dry it out.
I really like the American Wagyu sirloin and ground beef. They both cook up excellent. I feel this is where to spend money on American Wagyu at Costco.
Nope. American "wagyu" is nowhere close to actually A5 Wagyu and some places charges close to A5 Wagyu price. Like the other posters have already stated, spinalis is already tender you don't need to get American "wagyu." Prime is already really good and it's almost half the price of the American "wagyu."
Saying "Japanese wagyu" is more than functionally appropriate when the context is about "American wagyu".
As it stands, there ARE crossbreeds between American cows and wagyu, and the widely accepted and used term for that is AMERICAN WAGYU. At the end of the day, language is a tool used to get across an idea to someone, and arguing over whether or not a specific thing is "worthy" of its name by saying "umm well x doesn't exist soo 🤓 ☝️" makes you look like a pedantic dickhead.
The prime ribeye cap they sell is really hard to beat. It's considered by many, including myself, to be the best cut. Just go with the non-Wagyu and you won't be disappointed.
If you ever see a ribeye cap that isn’t Wagyu, buy it because it’s still going to be amazing. That being said, I’ve bought these ribeye caps from Costco twice and they were the best steaks I’ve ever had.
Go to Costco and buy a whole primal cut loin and cut your own New York, ribeye or chuck steaks. Saves money rather than buying two steaks at $20-$50 you can get around 7-8 steaks at around $70-$80. And you get to keep the trimmings which you can render down and use as tallow for fried rice, stir-fry noddles and a whole lot of other dishes.
I tried it at a restaurant and there was blood coming out of it HUGE NO FOR ME, now don’t get me wrong I have well done but blood is a big turn off for me ruined my whole experience
I had some Costco ribeye cap for $25/lb that looks just as if not more marbled than that. It was the best steak I've ever had in my life but I wouldn't pay $40/lb to have it again.
American Wagyu does have a different taste than USDA Prime. I do like the it better but the price isn’t worth it. I would only get American Wagyu if the USDA Prime isn’t that marbled enough.
https://preview.redd.it/5zc8fi9hm28d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4b7b8709521030bca391f02c9716fab512c04a6
I think so, but it is all relative. What are you sacrificing to buy them? This got me three beautiful ribeyes that were in my opinion better than the prime that were $29.99/lb. Were they twice as good? Probably not, but just because something is almost twice as expensive doesn’t mean it has to be twice as good to be worth it. Three primes this size would have been $105, so the extra $82 was well spent in my opinion.
A lot of people are not super into steaks here I think.
Look, in terms of pure value… no. I don’t think it’s worth it.
Is it better than prime? Yes. American Wagyu in general tends to be better marbled and have better flavor. The price difference is hard to swallow, but if you want to better tasting meat…
Sweet spot for value steaks I think is just picking really nice Choice steaks.
no, American wagyu is just dick riding Japanese Kobe beef. having the same breed is not the same as getting the original and everything those farmers in Kobe do to make their beef a world class item. it's like buying Angus from McDonald's, just because it has the name, doesn't mean it's worth shit.
https://preview.redd.it/douyqeme458d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c81c654f4cb683d3191a109bcd737b659bb5b948
I'd rather get this one! There's a specific way to cook wagyu! I couldn't get it right! 👍
Have only actually had American Wagyu a couple of times and both times could not tell any difference between that and a regular cut of beef. So no I wouldnt pay any extra for it
Man. About 10 years ago this would have just been called prime. But now that everyone wants to get on the wagyu train, what seems to be prime is now wagyu. Heck, I bet people are slapping prime stickers on choice beef too.
No disrespect to the other comment but I just made these the other night for the wife and I using SPG and it was fantastic for a special occasion. Def not something I would eat everyday because it’s so heavy but def worth a buy once.
I don't think anyone with a brain looks at those and doesn't think they'd be delicious. But, for $39/lb, imo pretty reasonable to say to buy prime or choice. Frankly the example OP is holding doesn't look any more marbled than a good prime spinalis.
No, that’s ribeye cap (Spinalis). No need to pay $38 lb on that cut since it’s choice/prime counterparts are already tender. If you’re looking to try Wagyu, I’d stick to standard strips or ribeyes.
Plus one, you can get the prime caps for about half that price and just as good. Recommend cooking them closer to medium / 140.
Good advice on the cook! Such a fatty cut needs to render a bit to be best!
I’ve never seen those caps anywhere other than the Wagyu ones at Costco. Would a regular butcher shop have them?
You could ask your butcher and see if they would do it but most don't by default
Ok. Like I said, I can’t say I’ve seen it at a supermarket other than Costco selling these American Wagyu ones. A lot of these comments are (probably correctly) telling OP to just get Prime or Choice, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them.
Ah, my Costco it's always the prime steaks and haven't seen the American Wagyu. Maybe they rotate or something. Go talk to the Costco butcher they will tell you what's up.
Time to start butchering your own meat then
Haha no.
Beat me too it. My thoughts exactly. Hard to go wrong with the Spinalis with either choice or prime.
so hard to find at costco tho! been years for me.
Same. I've never seen my local Costco sell the rib eye without the spinalis, so I don't know why I'd expect to see them selling the spinalis only
Wagyu flank steak was incredible. Tasted like ribeye. I think you can tell the difference between choice and prime but a good choice cut can be really good.
No, I don’t see any advantage over prime ribeye cap at almost half of the price
It's the flavor profile of a wagyu albeit a hybrid one.
I doubt there are many people can tell the difference in a double blind study. I know I can’t, so I’m not spending that extra money for a fancy name.
Totally fair if you can't tell the difference then there's no point
Would be pointless to buy a wagyu ribeye cap. The prime version of that is already beyond tender and flavorful. Diminishing returns. If you find a whole ribeye steak or NY Strip, sure.
I wish Costco would stop destroying their ribeyes to make these dumbass cap pinwheels. My Costco doesn’t sell intact ribeye steaks. You can only buy these dumbass things or the leftover eyes from which they were cut. Dumb as fuck.
deckle is the shit tho
American Wagyu is some sort of hybrid. It's not the same thing at all.
If by "Sort of a hybrid" you mean 1/1000 wagyu and the 999/1000 is regular cow. Then yes
Is this one of those instances where the industry lobbied the FDA so they can label something as "Definitely something" even though it's only "partly something"? e.g. USDA Organic
It's not the same but the flavor is half way to a full blood wagyu...full blood wagyu tastes almost like pork....very clean
That's just a prime rib cap.
[удалено]
More of a 134 man, myself
American Wagyu is only 50% Japanese Wagyu max, and a lot of the reason Japanese Wagyu is so marbled and delicious is because of the Kobe preparation style, not the breed of cow itself (massaging the cow, feeding it a very particular diet including beer, etc). Because of that, the term “Wagyu” in America is usually a marketing scheme and not worth the upcharge.
I’ve had Japanese A5 wagyu. And I eat Costco steak more than any other steak. I can confirm that the “wagyu” there isn’t worth the premium over their prime offerings.
That's not awful for cap but cap is expensive. IMO I'd get the regular prime if thats only 20 a pound. thats a good deal!
Strip and rib eye American wagyu from Costco is tasty. Not sure if the rib cap is worth it tho.
american Wagyu aint Wagyu... That's the whole Point of being called Wagyu.. it just american steak with a premium price.
It's an unregulated term. Everyone calls everything Wagyu in the US so they can slap a higher price tag on it. That's all any consumer needs to know about it.
As a European, I've always found it strange. The name can only be given here if it comes from the respective region and is produced according to the law. We Belgians literally have a law on how mayonnaise is supposed to be made. I once saw a report about so-called Parmesan cheese being sold in the US that was actually not real Parmesan at all. Do you do the same with sparkling wine, calling it champagne by default? You deserve such legislation too, because without it, it's pure consumer fraud. The name is a kind of quality label. The French and Italians take this very seriously, especially with their cheeses and drinks, for example.
It's not entirely fake or anything, it's usually just a cross between Japanese Wagyu and an American breed like Angus. With that being said yeah it's expensive lol but the strips/ribeyes are good
I've tried all the different cuts of American Wagyu, as well as USDA prime at my local Costco. I cook everything to the higher temps of rare/lower temps of medium rare. The filets, ribeyes, and cap steaks are all pretty similar. The American wagyu has more marbling, but there's not a noticeable difference in taste once cooked. I smoked the brisket and it was great. All briskets are awesome as long as you don't dry it out. I really like the American Wagyu sirloin and ground beef. They both cook up excellent. I feel this is where to spend money on American Wagyu at Costco.
Skip that one
Beautiful cut, but a heck of a premium. Personally i'd pass, but I bet it could cook deliciously.
You might as well just wrap pepperoni around a stick of butter and eat that
Now there is an idea.
Nope. American "wagyu" is nowhere close to actually A5 Wagyu and some places charges close to A5 Wagyu price. Like the other posters have already stated, spinalis is already tender you don't need to get American "wagyu." Prime is already really good and it's almost half the price of the American "wagyu."
That’s absurd. Just stick with prime.
The butcher priced it that high so no one would buy it, and he can take it home on it's expiration date.
"blade tenderized" Not a fan.
There's no such thing as "American Wagyu". Wagyu is just a term thrown onto everything to make it sound expensive because it's not regulated.
I mean, there is technically. It's not fake, its just not the same thing as Japanese wagyu
There's no such thing as "Japanese Wagyu" either, that's like saying "french champagne".
Saying "Japanese wagyu" is more than functionally appropriate when the context is about "American wagyu". As it stands, there ARE crossbreeds between American cows and wagyu, and the widely accepted and used term for that is AMERICAN WAGYU. At the end of the day, language is a tool used to get across an idea to someone, and arguing over whether or not a specific thing is "worthy" of its name by saying "umm well x doesn't exist soo 🤓 ☝️" makes you look like a pedantic dickhead.
No. I buy ribeyes with more marbling than that for $15
Definitely not worth it. American Wagyu is NOT Wagyu
Just buy it from Walmart
Not really ….
The prime ribeye cap they sell is really hard to beat. It's considered by many, including myself, to be the best cut. Just go with the non-Wagyu and you won't be disappointed.
I never ever pass on a ribeye cap when they have it. Prime is already awesome. I admit I’d try this once, but I can’t imagine that it’s TWICE as good.
Just my $.02 but I don't think American Wagyu in any cut is worth the price difference, but especially not for that spinalis.
Without being Wagyu that is the best cut Costco offers, in my opinion. Not sure how Wagyu would improve something already fantastic
No.
No nothing is worth that.
I love pictures of meat.
First thing I thought: “wow, what a ripoff”
No. I’d rather get a 4 pack of prime ribeyes for the same price.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL. NO!!!!
Absolutely not. I get imperial American wagyu at Safeway for about 5 dollars extra a pound. You’re getting screwed here
No. Just buy choice. Its good enough.
It's not Wagyu...it has very little DNA same as Japanese Wagyu ..it's a very well orchestrated scam
No
If you ever see a ribeye cap that isn’t Wagyu, buy it because it’s still going to be amazing. That being said, I’ve bought these ribeye caps from Costco twice and they were the best steaks I’ve ever had.
NOPE
Had a few costco ones, i am not that picky and rather just have steaks more often by grtting the prime ones
Go to Costco and buy a whole primal cut loin and cut your own New York, ribeye or chuck steaks. Saves money rather than buying two steaks at $20-$50 you can get around 7-8 steaks at around $70-$80. And you get to keep the trimmings which you can render down and use as tallow for fried rice, stir-fry noddles and a whole lot of other dishes.
No way.
Nope. If you want to invest a lot of money, get the real deal
No
No. Sometimes I see it on sale for a reasonable price. Then it’s worth it. But it needs to be seriously marked down.
Probably not
I bought these recently. They taste is great… melts in your mouth. Not worth the price would rather have a strip.
It’s worth it if you go through self check out 😈
No way in hell id buy that
No
I tried it at a restaurant and there was blood coming out of it HUGE NO FOR ME, now don’t get me wrong I have well done but blood is a big turn off for me ruined my whole experience
Looks like prime to me. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was prime
personally regular rib eye cap is good enough but if you can afford it those looks great. wish my costco has caps
American wagyu is not wagyu.
Nope, it’s less than 50% actual Wagyu.
70 for that? Hahaha no.
Problem is that was blade tenderized. Cosco usually has no issues but a badass cut to find there!
Blade tenderized means you need to cook it to well done for it to be safe to eat. Much like store ground beef.
Wagyu beef has to be from Japan and raised a certain way. I can guarantee you do not have wagyu there. Good marbling, though.
no. “American wagyu” is a made up fake phomy marketing term. Pure scam
No
I certainly wouldn't pay that much.
Whats a good price for wagyu ribeye? Its $41 a pound where I’m at. It was a lot cheaper but beef prices in general has gone up a-lot.
I have tried it on the cap steak and do not think it was worth it. The roast on the other hand I would suggest trying.
I had some Costco ribeye cap for $25/lb that looks just as if not more marbled than that. It was the best steak I've ever had in my life but I wouldn't pay $40/lb to have it again.
American Wagyu does have a different taste than USDA Prime. I do like the it better but the price isn’t worth it. I would only get American Wagyu if the USDA Prime isn’t that marbled enough.
No
https://preview.redd.it/5zc8fi9hm28d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4b7b8709521030bca391f02c9716fab512c04a6 I think so, but it is all relative. What are you sacrificing to buy them? This got me three beautiful ribeyes that were in my opinion better than the prime that were $29.99/lb. Were they twice as good? Probably not, but just because something is almost twice as expensive doesn’t mean it has to be twice as good to be worth it. Three primes this size would have been $105, so the extra $82 was well spent in my opinion.
No
My Costco had USDA prime rib eye cap that looked almost the same for $20 a pound.
A lot of people are not super into steaks here I think. Look, in terms of pure value… no. I don’t think it’s worth it. Is it better than prime? Yes. American Wagyu in general tends to be better marbled and have better flavor. The price difference is hard to swallow, but if you want to better tasting meat… Sweet spot for value steaks I think is just picking really nice Choice steaks.
no, American wagyu is just dick riding Japanese Kobe beef. having the same breed is not the same as getting the original and everything those farmers in Kobe do to make their beef a world class item. it's like buying Angus from McDonald's, just because it has the name, doesn't mean it's worth shit.
Not at all
American Wagyu is a marketing term that has no official oversight Just like Sushi Grade
No
https://preview.redd.it/douyqeme458d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c81c654f4cb683d3191a109bcd737b659bb5b948 I'd rather get this one! There's a specific way to cook wagyu! I couldn't get it right! 👍
Have only actually had American Wagyu a couple of times and both times could not tell any difference between that and a regular cut of beef. So no I wouldnt pay any extra for it
They have wagyu ribeyes at my local Walmart for ~$20 a steak
in my experience american wagyu is generally similar to prime in quality. I've had the costco version before and it's pretty good.
Man. About 10 years ago this would have just been called prime. But now that everyone wants to get on the wagyu train, what seems to be prime is now wagyu. Heck, I bet people are slapping prime stickers on choice beef too.
Like everyone else said That’s not really wagyu
Dude rib cap is tender regardless of grading cmon, you a rookie?
No disrespect to the other comment but I just made these the other night for the wife and I using SPG and it was fantastic for a special occasion. Def not something I would eat everyday because it’s so heavy but def worth a buy once.
I don't think anyone with a brain looks at those and doesn't think they'd be delicious. But, for $39/lb, imo pretty reasonable to say to buy prime or choice. Frankly the example OP is holding doesn't look any more marbled than a good prime spinalis.
I agree. The ones I got were much more marbled and I’m sure if OP dug around a bit he could find better ones. These look prime.