Tri-Tip Filet | A5 Hannari Wagyu

Learn about how we label beef and Beef Grading Standards

This is a Tri-Tip steak cut in the shape of a filet. Its a nice, round, thick steak that has a lot of flavor... The tri-tip is a small, triangular cut from the sirloin. It goes by the name "The Newport" or "Santa Maria" steak the Tri-Tip is a very popular cut in California and South America. It is a lean cut, with a beefy taste... slightly nutty.

It is NOT going to be as tender as a Ribeye or Filet Mignon, but it does present beautiful marbling and spectacular flavor. This actually 

About A5

Hannari Beef

In Japan it is believed that the quality of meat from female Wagyu cattle is higher than that of male Wagyu cattle. There is certainly a more refined flavor profile and a silkier texture. We came, we tried and we loved it. 

Hannari beef is raised in a multigenerational family farm located in the prefecture of Kyoto, Japan, a farm of breeders that focused on only select female cows... hence there is a very limited production of less than 250 female cows per year. They are raised in an idyllic environment.

The farm is surrounded by the mountains of Tamba and it is blessed with clear underground water. The cows are raised in a stress-free environment, to the point that it is hard to hear any mooing (cows moo when they are stressed). The cows are fed a different diet depending on their stage of growth and the diet is modified according to the temperature of the day.

Our agreement with Hannari beef means we only get the cream of the crop, the cows that grade BMS12.

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. 

Setting Expectations 

Tri-Tip is a fickle muscle, the grain runs in all directions so we have to play around and cut the muscle from different angles to get decent-sized, consistent 6-8oz filets. So it is very likely that not any two filets will be the same (unlike a Ribeye, Striploin, or Filet Mignon). This picture shows the filet sizes and shapes we get from a whole muscle. They are all the same weight, and similar thickness but slightly different.

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: Kyoto, Japan