Ribeye Steak | A5 Kobe Beef (Wine Fed)

Learn about how we label beef and Beef Grading Standards

Kobe was the first prefecture of Japanese beef that exported A5. This is why so many people associate Wagyu or Japanese Wagyu with the word Kobe.

Kobe beef may be the most miss-understood and misused words in the culinary world. As a connoisseur of the industry it is truly annoying to me when I see restaurants or butcher shops mislabel and misbrand products and throw the word KOBE on something.

Kobe beef is Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture according to rules set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association.

Kobe also happens to be known for its production of wines. So of course, eventually wine producers and beef producers got together to feed the cattle with the grape lees produced from when the wine is made. The result? a delicious steak that also happens to be healthier.  That is because the grap lees are a fermented byproduct that raises the polyphenol levels in the cows. Elevated polyphenol levels create a very low-stress level in the cows, which then yields exceptionally tender meat. A total treat and a must-try.

Note that this is a properly butchered fully "clean" steak, meaning it has been trimmed. You are not paying for fat or an untrimmed or "half" a steak. Yes, this is a more expensive steak, but that is because we trim 28.3% of the muscle when we portion the steaks.

ABOUT A5

A5 beef is measured on five factors: (1) marbling, (2) meat color and brightness, (3) firmness and texture of meat, and (4) color, luster and quality of fat.

In the quality grade, the lowest score from the four items of the yield grade is adopted. In other words, even if grade 5 was given to marbling, color and brightness, and firmness and texture, and only fat assessments was grade 4, the quality grade of this beef is classified as grade 4. Quality grading is severely done.

A5 means this beef excels in every single factor.It has a gorgeous webbing of fat that will make you feel a creamy mouth-feel in each bite. Its literally like tasting a cloud... a cloud of beef.

Like all of our steaks, they come vacuum sealed and have been hand-cut by our expert butchers. 

NEVER HAD A5 BEEF BEFORE?

At first glance every cut of A5 beef will be EXTREMELY fatty compared to any other steak you have ever had. That delicate and yet rich fat, which can make up to more than 60% of the steak is what makes it melt in your mouth. 

This amount of fat makes the beef have a lower melting point, meaning it will cook faster than your average steak. Cooking A5 is extremely easy, that said... it is recommended to pay close attention so that you do not burn or overcook your steaks.

Best Cooked: Medium-Rare, Medium, Medium-Well

Source: Miyazaki, Japan