What Type of Steak Are These? Are They Wagyu? Did I Accidently Get a Really Good Deal or Is This Normal Price?

Lthefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 10:14
Last edited 17/12/2020 - 10:15

To start with, I just want to say I am not steak or meat expert which will become clear as I tell this story.

I went to a butchers the other day and they had these https://imgur.com/a/mPKO4od, https://imgur.com/a/YN3A4u1 behind the counter. They were labelled as wagyu but with no price. Normally, I would not have spared a second thought about it (as it would be out of my price range) and gone about doing the rest of the shopping. However, a family member who loves the stuff was really curious (and perhaps secretly hopeful) and wanted to find out.

The butcher we originally asked didn't know the price and consulted with another. They came back stating $11.99/kg… Even I know that $11.99/kg for wagyu of pretty much any grade is extremely cheap, so we took a punt and bought it thinking that most types of steaks (wagyu or not) would cost more than this. I asked why it was so cheap and they said they had just labelled it as Y bone. Looking online, it does in fact look like a Y bone cut. I'm thinking what happened is that they had no idea how much to charge and didn't want to ask someone higher up?

So my questions are:

-What cuts of steak are these?

-Do these look like wagyu?

-If yes to wagyu, what kind of grade? (Ball park)

Food & Grocery Meat

Comments

  • bdl on 17/12/2020 - 10:22
    +2

    Did it taste good? That's all that matters.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 10:24

      Have yet to cook them. Plan on making them for dinner tonight, but cut might determine how to cook them and how well done.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 21:09
      +1

      They were really, really good despite most likely being oyster blade! Probably best steak I've had at home, ever! Soft, tender and ate it with onion and ponzu sauce.

      Did the whole drying thing, added salt, seared at high heat, etc as suggested by others.

      • bdl on 17/12/2020 - 22:22

        Damnit! You've made me hungry!

      • pjcook on 18/12/2020 - 08:59

        They are Blade Steak, The Oyster is part of the shoulder blade so is part of the steaks you have. They are called oyster blade once removed from the bone.

    • MontyMacaw on 18/12/2020 - 12:19

      Comment of the day. I stopped after this and posted my reply.

  • chrisie on 17/12/2020 - 10:28
    +1

    Yes looks like Y bone steak to me (shoulder cut) , but wagyu or not I can't tell.

  • lordsnipe on 17/12/2020 - 10:29
    +6

    With the marbling, certainly looks like wagyu.

    The right section of meat in the first picture looks like oyster blade to me, so I'd say it's up the shoulder area of the cow.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:36

      You're right. Looking at examples of oyster blade, it appears to be just that.

  • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 10:32

    Thanks for the answers so far. What would be the best way to cook them?

    • Ryanek on 17/12/2020 - 10:40
      +8

      With fava beans and a nice chianti

    • geek001 on 17/12/2020 - 10:42

      IMHO, Chargrill is best, but it is a bit of an effort sometimes. If you are a novice like me, I keep checking with a meat thermometer for "doneness".

      • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:37

        I definitely would go in the novice category. In fact, if there was something below that, I would probably belong there.

        • geek001 on 17/12/2020 - 12:49

          Then I guess char grilling is not for you. :) Probably go with what Bozman suggests below. Pretty much can't go wrong with a meat thermometer to check the "doneness". I think you can google the temperatures for your desired "doneness". Also, always rest your meat, I like to rest my meat in the oven at low temperatures just to get rid of the excess bloody juice from the meat.

          I am a bit envious, $11.99 for the marbled steak you bought is pretty good, irrespective of whether the steaks are "wagyu" or not.

    • Bozman on 17/12/2020 - 10:52

      Use a griddle pan, get it really hot (ie smoking) then put them on. How long depends on how you like your steak. I like Med-Rare so want it nicely browned on the outside but still a decent amount of give when you push the steak.

      If you use a flat bottom pan with Wagyu, the intra-musclular fat has a low melting point and runs out, so then shallow frys your steak. Delicious, but can be very rich.

      • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:46

        Learned something new regarding flat vs. griddle pan. Thanks for that!

    • eccles30 on 17/12/2020 - 11:16

      There's an app for that. Check out SteakMate.

      • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:47

        Haha should have thought of that. There's an app for everything.

    • pebee47 on 18/12/2020 - 13:53

      Low and slow but don’t overcook
      Or
      Sous vide then sear both side’s to brown

  • wudok on 17/12/2020 - 10:55
    +1

    Which butcher?

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:49

      I live in the Brisbane area. Rather not say the butcher in case it was a mistake and someone is going to get into trouble over this. If price seems about right, happy to share.

  • Archi on 17/12/2020 - 10:55
    +2

    If you want nice steaks leave the steaks uncovered in your fridge to dry over night, then leave them on your bench a few hours before you cook to let them come to room temperature.

    • high heat first on both sides, length of time depends on weight and thickness
    • then medium heat till desired rareness of meat
    • then rest
    • then enjoy
    • CheapandUsed on 17/12/2020 - 12:34

      This is my go to for a guide on how long to cook based on thickness of the steak. https://steaktimer.com/

      Hardest part is choosing if I want the instructions by Alf Stewart or Gordon Ramsey.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:38

      Is there a reason for drying them overnight?

      • [Deactivated] on 17/12/2020 - 12:49

        It doesn't matter. It's hard to (profanity) up cooking a steak. There's a million processes that a million experts will swear is the right way, but it's simple. Just salt it, slap it on high/med heat, flip it, and just before it's cooked to your desired rareness, drop some butter on it.

      • Archi on 17/12/2020 - 13:44

        mainly to lock in the moisture inside the steak.. depending on how thick it is..

        as @burnertoasty suggests.. wack on a some salt and cook it.

        i like to do mine on a charcoal BBQ.. that's if i need to cook more than 3 steaks. other than that a heavy based pan will do it,

        • Cheaplikethebird on 17/12/2020 - 13:46

          The juiciness of a steak is from dissolved fat. The point of air drying in a fridge is actually to remove moisture to allow for a better crust to form on the outside of the steak. For steak I don't really bother just dry off with some paper towel.

  • AustriaBargain on 17/12/2020 - 11:22

    Has china stopped the import of wagyu style meat? Maybe it really could be, did you buy it frozen? Or could be a cut that didn't meet some kind of official wagyu grading system.

    Where do you live?

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:40

      Hard to tell when I bought them. They either keep fridge at point it's close to freezing or thaw frozen meat depending on what it is. The pictures I've posted are after I've taken them out of my freezer. Live in the Brisbane area.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 17/12/2020 - 11:26
    +1

    Looks to be about MBS8+ to me so pretty high level of marbling. It's a leftover scrap cut which is why it's so cheap, nobody is going out looking for y-bone steak.

    As for steak tips, I've tried all the gimmicks including sous vide and my favourite method so far is reverse searing where you cook the steak to temp using indirect heat then it's a quick sear on both sides over direct high heat.

    If they're thin I would just go high heat on both sides. Don't worry too much about med-rare as with that amount of marbling it will still taste great all the way to well done.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:44

      Indirect heat as in oven first? They're probably about 2cm thickness.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 17/12/2020 - 13:15

        Yeah oven if you don’t have a bbq. 2cm I would just grill over direct heat. Focus on developing a nice crust over worrying about doneness.

  • Drakesy on 17/12/2020 - 11:47

    I'M thinking with Australia reaching it's meat export cap with China so early one in the year that we should be getting a few more examples of beef being sold cheaply in Australia.

    Having said that, it does look like Wagyu (although technically any fatty steak is wagyu) this one looks like it'll score somewhat highly).

    Sounds like a bargain.

    • Cheaplikethebird on 17/12/2020 - 11:55
      +1

      I follow a few butchers and producers on Instagram, I think the restaurant shutdowns have been a bigger factor. Meat prices are higher than normal though with producers holding onto stock and abattoirs at reduced capacity.

    • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 12:51

      Here I was thinking there were particular standards for steak to be considered wagyu. Good to know.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 17/12/2020 - 13:16
        +1

        Wagyu is the breed. You can still factory farm it and get economy grade meat.

    • Archi on 17/12/2020 - 13:49

      wagyu is a breed of cow. much like angus and galloway

  • thefinalproblems on 17/12/2020 - 19:27

    Thanks for everyone's replies! Been super insightful. :)

  • OzHunterNSW on 18/12/2020 - 09:51
    -6

    No matter what… you just paid for FAT.
    Look at it. No wonder it has no description. You should have asked as to which part of the animal did it derive.
    Change your eating habits. You don't have to eat silly meat and three veg.
    This meat looks unfit for export… so the poor Ozzie get stuck with the crap.

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