Wagyu has been a growing topic in Wichita. A handful of restaurants and bars in Wichita used to or currently serve some form of wagyu beef. And the latest arrival is a local business, Wheat State Wagyu, that started breeding American Wagyu a few years ago and it’s now ready for your consumption.
For starters, many of you many be curious what is Wagyu beef? It’s the simplest definition Wagyu (pronounced wah-gyoo, not wah-goo) means Japanese cow, but there’s so much more behind it that could be a whole blog in itself which I’m definitely not the expert on. The luxury version of wagyu refers to a specific breed of Japanese cattle with special genetic qualities. Japanese wagyu is a rarity in Wichita and is very expensive when available. Nearly any place in Wichita that has it typically sells it by the ounce, offers it thinly sliced and eaten in small portions.
Three years ago, Wheat State Wagyu bought Japanese Wagyu embryos and started breeding their own American Wagyu with black Angus. Fast-forward to today and they are now selling various cuts. While in the early stages of operations, they will be at the farmers markets & hope to be in other specialty meat shops in Derby & Wichita. Currently, their cows are raised in Garden Plain, KS and processed in Kiowa, KS. And fear not, they are USDA approved.
I got my hands on some recently and let me tell you, the look of it alone was impressive.
The afternoon was a great education lesson for me on beef but I was more excited for the education lesson my taste buds were about to get. After the first bite, I knew I was in for a treat. There was a rich buttery flavor to my steak. It didn’t have as strong of a beefy, grainy flavor but just felt cleaner if that makes sense. There was a tenderness to it that stuck out as well.
I’ve had Japanese grade wagyu and it certainly wasn’t the same but that wasn’t the expectation. What I had was still a very delicious cut that had me wanting to come back for more.
As more and more places in Wichita start to offer wagyu, it’s definitely something worth giving a try. Wheat State Wagyu just opened up their website and are now taking orders on beef. If you’re a big time carnivore, I’d say it’s a must-try.
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Happy Dining,
Eddy
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Pratt used to have the best steaks ever, not quite Wagyu but mighty fine regardless, right smack dab in beef country. Simple cafe on Main St. May still be there.