The highest quality wagyu is tender, savory, juicy, and packed with the robust beefy flavors that meat lovers crave. But like most things, the results are highly dependent on execution. Even the most magnificently marbled wagyu steaks and roasts can turn into tough-to-chew disasters if not adequately prepared. These essential tips for roasting wagyu beef deliver all the mouthwatering tenderness, meatiness, and deliciousness you’ve come to expect from a premium piece of meat.

Top Quality Flavor Starts With the Highest Quality Wagyu Beef

Not all beef is created equal. The USDA uses a beef grading system to determine the quality and marbling (not excess fat) of cuts. But wagyu beef far exceeds the standards of even USDA Prime, their highest rating. Japanese wagyu beef grading uses the BMS scale.

American Wagyu beef scores above Prime beef and often eight or more on the BMS scale. If you want an extraordinary meal at home, ensure you’re buying the highest quality wagyu from a reputable provider that responsibly and sustainably raises their full- or crossbred wagyu cattle.

Tips for Roasting the Highest Quality Wagyu Roasts at Home

Whether you’re dealing with standard-quality meats from the grocery store or the highest-quality wagyu, you can take steps to ensure your meal packs a palatable punch. Let’s take a closer look at some tricks and tips you can use to bring the extravagance of a steakhouse straight to your home.

Season Liberally and Early

Sprinkling a few pinches of salt and pepper on a roast or brisket for a few minutes before you slide it into the oven is no way to unleash the flavors and texture of high-quality wagyu. To ensure your meat has a rich flavor, you should generously season it with salt for at least one hour before you start cooking. Season with salt the night before for the best results, and place it in the refrigerator uncovered.

This process is known as dry brining, and if you’ve never done it before, you’re sure to be amazed at the difference it makes. Salt draws moisture from the meat initially, but after about 45 minutes, that moisture becomes reabsorbed. The more time you give this process, the more evenly and deeply the salt penetrates the meat, giving you a perfectly seasoned roast.

Once your roast has absorbed the salt and moisture, there’s no need to add more salt. Lightly coat the roast in avocado, vegetable, or olive oil, then add pepper, garlic, herbs, or any other spices you prefer. And don’t skimp—roasts are large pieces of meat that benefit from a well-developed crust of flavorful seasonings.

Bring the Roast to Room Temperature

Substantially sized prime ribs, tri-tips, or briskets need time to come to room temperature. Taking your high-quality wagyu out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to cook helps ensure more even internal doneness. It significantly reduces cook time and the chance of your roast being overcooked and crispy on the outside and raw inside.

Preheat Your Oven, Smoker, or Grill

Before you start roasting wagyu beef, preheating your oven is essential. There are two distinct schools of thought regarding what temperature you should preheat to. Some experts prefer starting beef at a high temperature, like 500 degrees, then dropping it to 350 degrees. Those who favor the high heat start claim it develops a better crust. But proponents of starting at a low temperature and then finishing at a high temp make the same claim.

For home cooks, we think preheating your oven to 250 degrees and slow-roasting delivers more consistent results that certainly don’t sacrifice taste or tenderness. To use this method, roast wagyu beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees, then remove it from the oven, grill, or smoker.

Turn your oven temperature to 500 degrees, and loosely cover the meat with foil. Let it rest for a minimum of a half hour. During this time, the internal temperature continues to rise. When your meat thermometer shows the temperature is stalling or dropping, it’s ready to go back in.

Place the beef back in the oven until it develops a deep, golden-brown crust. Keep a close eye on the roasting wagyu beef and monitor it every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t scorch. As a bonus, you don’t have to let the roast rest after you’ve gotten a beautiful exterior because you already rested it.

Always Use a Meat Thermometer

There’s no better way to lose the wagyu tenderness you love than to overcook it. Every oven is different, and cooking time suggestions are just that; suggestions. By inserting a probe thermometer into the thickest part of your roast, you can monitor the internal temperature and avoid over or undercooking your high-quality wagyu.

Rest the Meat After Cooking

If you don’t slow roast your beef and finish it at a high temperature, resting it is vital to keep your meat juicy. Slicing roasted wagyu beef straight from the oven isn’t ideal. In fact, all the flavor-packed juices end up as a pool on your cutting board.

Letting your beef rest with foil tented over it for 15 to 30 minutes allows all those delicious juices to redistribute throughout the meat—leaving you with a sublimely succulent slice of the highway quality wagyu you’ve ever bitten into.

Roasting Wagyu Beef for a Special Occasion? Start With the Highest Quality Wagyu From Good Silver

Our American Wagyu beef provides all the wagyu tenderness, juiciness, and savoriness you could ever hope for. Our roasts are perfect for holiday gatherings, dinner parties, family dinners, or a night of indulgence at home.

We welcome you to shop our roasts, steaks, burgers, ground beef, and specialty products. Good Silver’s flight and bulk beef packs are a great way to try various of the highest quality wagyu selections and feed your cravings whenever they arise.