If you’re like me and can appreciate a thick, juicy steak, then you know how life-changing a high-quality piece of meat is! The breed and quality of the beef we eat, greatly affects the flavor, because not all beef is the same.
As a foodie...or just someone who loves beef, I’m sure you've heard of Angus and American Wagyu beef.
Both Angus and American Wagyu are incredibly rich, superior sources of beef, and due to their genetics and diet, each creates a unique and exquisite dining experience. I highly recommend you try both.
Because once you’ve sampled a quality, flavorful cut of beef, you won't look at regular beef the same!
What's the difference between Angus and American Wagyu?
Both Angus and American Wagyu refer to the breed of the cattle.
Black Angus originated in Scotland and made their way to the US in the 1890s. This breed of cattle has been around for ages and thus has become incredibly popular in the US. Angus were bred to be hearty enough to withstand the harsh Scottish winters, while the Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred strong and stocky to be used for agriculture in Japan. Japanese Wagyu came to the US much later, around 1975, and soon after, as cattle breeders began crossbreeding Japanese Wagyu with higher quality American breeds of cattle, our beefy, robust American Wagyu cattle were born.
How do they compare in flavor?
Angus has a tender, juicy and enticing flavor profile with a higher amount of marbling than regular beef. However, the marbling of American Wagyu is even more intense, and flaked throughout the muscle to create that velvety texture and delicate flavor.
Angus are known for their high, consistent marbling and tenderness, whereas the American Wagyu are known for their even higher, superior marbling and are treated as a delicacy in most cases.
The beef from both breeds create a buttery, juicy, flavor, but Wagyu takes it further and has been known to “melt in your mouth.”
After they've been grass fed for the first part of their lives, both our Angus and American Wagyu cattle are finished with a high energy grain diet for a rich, consistent flavor, and higher marbling.
How healthy are they?
Both kinds of beef carry a “Natural” label from the USDA which means they’re minimally processed with no artificial ingredients.
We take it a step further with our cattle and ensure that from birth to harvest they never receive antibiotics, growth enhancements, or hormones. Just one 3 oz serving of both of these beef provides half your daily value of protein and are packed with healthy nutrients like B12, Zinc, and Niacin.
Due to the high-fat content, American Wagyu is also full of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is a trans fat, however it's a naturally occurring trans fat that's not harmful to our health like its industrially produced counterparts.
How should I prepare Angus and Wagyu?
You can grill both your Angus and American Wagyu for a classic, charred flavor, pan-sear them to create a restaurant style meal at home, or simply cook them in the oven for a quick and easy meal. However with American Wagyu, watch your cooking times, as Wagyu tends to take less time to cook due to the higher fat content.
Null Ridge Premium Beef sells both Angus and American Wagyu beef.
Our cows are sourced from a single ranch, and never treated with antibiotics or growth enhancements, so you'll know exactly where your beef comes from, for safe and consistently delicious beef. We also dry age our beef at least 21 days to intensify the flavor of an already tender and flavorful beef.
You can shop our Angus Collection HERE, and our American Wagyu Collection HERE.