Hereford versus Angus etc. for Xmas dinner

centexsmoker said:

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I think what you are saying is that the standards for this type of thing are higher there and I believe that's true.....let's all hope so.

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What you say is true for the American market. Australia was allowed to get purebred cattle directly from Japan, the Japanese cattle breeds they have are pure to the genetic strains of the cattle in Japan.

American Wagyu is definitely no more than 50% Japanese cattle genetics, but, this does not mean the beef is not good, in fact, much of the American Wagyu (the more correct terms) is quite good, and it grades out decently.

Eat mo poke.

My take is that they are all marketing tools that may be of benefit to the consumer. I would bet that CAB beef, as well as Wagyu, is trying to separate from the run-of-the-mill beef. But can you say with absolute certainty that these are inherently superior to USDA "choice" or "prime" beef? I doubt that there are enough standards in place to prevent the technically correct but inferior producers from selling these products.

I would guess that beef is best designed around the geography of their surroundings and a good fit with the breed gives you the best chance of success. And genetics (no cattle equivalent to puppy mills) are always going to be key.

So if you want the best guarantee for superior results, I would have to believe that doing your homework on a particular ranch who sells to individuals or specific markets is your best choice. And expect to pay a premium for the guarantee. Me, I just hang out at Costco and get what looks good.