Wagyu Cattle Parts

1)   Sirloin, similar to the fillet is considered a high-quality cut and is located behind the ribloin. Its meat is finely textured and tender. It holds it shape well and it is possible to obtain identically sized cuts making it ideal for steak.

2)   Chuck Tender is rare because only 2kg can be obtained from each animal. This is the part of the forequarter running from the forequarter to the shoulder clod, however the meat is similar to round. The chuck tender is well marbled with a subtle, sweet taste that grows stronger the more it is chewed.

3)   Fillet Mignon is located on the inside of the loin, contains practically no muscle and is characterized by its fine texture, tenderness and low fat content. It accounts for only 2% of the entire dressed carcass and it is a luxury item making it the most expensive cut of beef available. Care needs to be taken as the color of the meat degrades rapidly.

4)  2 Rib Short Rib is the upper half of the short plate located at the belly. The short plate is well-muscled making the 2 Rib Short Rib fibrous with a proportionally large amount of connective tissue. The meat has a rough texture however the lean meat and fat are proportionately mixed giving it a rich taste and flavor. The 2 Rib Short Rib is also made up of a cut known as the flap meat that has a large proportion of lean meat that is well marbled.

5)   Chuck Roll is the forequarter portion that is cut between the 6th and 7th rib perpendicular to the dorsal line excluding the shoulder clod and the brisket. It is divided into the chuck and the neck. The chuck roll can be well-marbled and the meat is tender and tasty making it perfect for sukiyaki and barbecuing.

6)    Neck meat comes from the portion of the neck that is well-muscled. The meat is tough, rough-textured, and lean. The meat is also comprised of a large proportion of muscle tissue making it ideal for stewing. It can also be combined with other cuts for BBQ cuts and slices for stewing.

7)    Shoulder Clod is a well-muscled area with a large proportion of muscle and muscle tissue and is made up of both tough and tender meat. The meat typically has a deep colour and a strong flavour. It can be divided into cuts for sukiyaki, barbecuing and steak etc.

8)    Brisket refers to the chest area of the cow and is made up of cuts with very different meat qualities including fatty and tough pectoral meat, the brisket body-side meat located under the rib, brisket (pectoral meat) that is lean and tender, and chuck short rib (chuck rib) that has more flavor, marbling and a good appearance.

9)    Shank includes the shin and the shank. The shin is well-muscled and consists primarily of lean meat. Generally it is prepared for ground or chopped meat. The shin can be divided into the shin body and the komakura. The shank is also well-muscled and the meat lean.

10)    Ribloin is the loin next to the chuck at the dorsal side of the rib area. The meat is thick and fine textured. It is often well marbled giving it a full-bodied flavor.

11)   Short Plate is the bottom half of the Short Plate located at the belly. The meat, similar to the 2 Rib Short Rib, has a rough texture however is characterized by its rich flavor. The short plate includes a cut known as the flank steak with a proportionate distribution of lean meat and fat.

12)   Gooseneck Round is the lean, well-muscled part of the round. The meat generally has a rough texture and is relatively tough. The Gooseneck Round is divided into three parts: eye of round, a cut that is paler in color and more elastic than other parts; the heel, a cut prepared for sale after removal of the M. flexor digitorum superficial located in the center; and the outside round (Gooseneck Round) that is commonly used for stewing.

13)   Top-Round consists of a large block with a proportionately large amount of lean meat. It has a cover of fat however very little underneath. Meat quality can vary from the outside, towards the Gooseneck Round to the inside, towards the knuckle. Towards the Gooseneck Round the meat contains proportionately more fat, however has a rough texture with slightly tough meat. On the other hand, meat towards the knuckle is characteristically tender.

14)     D-Rump can be divided into the sirloin butt that runs into the sirloin and the top sirloin cap that runs into the Gooseneck Round. The D-Rump has a very attractive color, is lean, finely-textured and is characterized by the proportionate fat and tender quality. The top sirloin cap has a deep color and a strong flavor however it is important to pay attention to the direction of muscle fiber when cutting it for retail.

15)     Knuckle is spherically-shape and consists primarily of lean meat. It consist of four parts; the inside knuckle muscle, slightly deep in color and tender; the knuckle main muscle that has muscle running into the center, is fine textured and tasty; the outside knuckle that is deep in color and slightly tough; and the tri-tip that has some marbling but is not as tender as would be expected from the appearance.

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Wagyu cattle head, innards (liver, intestines, kidney), bone, skin and tails are prohibited for exports under current Japanese laws.