When you go to the store to buy meat, you’ll occasionally be faced with the choice of breeds—Black Angus, Red Angus, Wagyu. What do these terms mean?
Humans have been breeding cattle for thousands of years, just as we’ve been breeding roses and oranges and every other domesticated organism. Just as with any animal, each newborn calf displays a unique genetic imprint, carrying on some scrambled version of its parents’ traits. Over the millennia, people have selected particular individuals of their herds to interbreed, with the hope of getting offspring that will display certain traits—or simply kept the healthier, hardier calves and sold, traded, or eaten the less successful.
All cattle are derived from an ancient ox-like species, and it’s estimated that cattle are one of the first species to be successfully domesticated by man. Cattle’s uses for ancient humans were likely similar to what they are today—meat, milk, and work. Taurus and indicus may sound like strains of marijuana, but they’re actually the two species of cattle. Taurus is the European species, typically adapted to cooler climates, while the indicus evolved in the hot climates of Africa.
In this day and age, all those bloodlines have become concentrated into over eight hundred recognized breeds. Brahman, zebu, and Sanga are indicus breeds, while the more familiar Angus, Hereford, Simmental, and Charolais are taurus. By the way, animals like yak, buffalo, and bison are so genetically close to cattle that they too can interbreed with cattle. The object of breeding is to favor certain characteristics, anything from increased milk production, to heat or cold resistance, to docility, to rapid growth, to meat quality—and any desirable combination of those. Within each breed, dedicated ranchers—who now keep track of the genetics in highly advanced ways—continue to pair steer and cow to produce better and better offspring, which they then sell to other ranchers or continue to breed themselves.
I tend not to get too wrapped up in carrying a multitude of breeds, preferring to focus on only a couple at Knife. This is because the meat might be subtly or greatly different from breed to breed, making things unnecessarily complicated at the restaurant.
Here’s a little rundown of the breeds I use, which are, conveniently, fairly common.
Angus cattle are popular among ranchers because they reach maturity on the early side and carry a lot of muscle (meat) and good marbling. They’re popular among chefs and diners because, when well raised, they have terrific flavor. Originally a cool-climate breed, Angus can flourish in warmer climates too with proper care. Angus cattle were first bred in Scotland hundreds of years ago. They took hold in the United States in the late 1800s and have gone on to be the most common breed of beef cattle in this country. You will also hear about Red Angus cattle, which are no different from the Black, except in color. The United States is apparently the only country to register both as separate breeds.
One thing you should know about, because you’ll encounter it at the store, is the Certified Angus Beef sticker you may see on packaged meat. Certified Angus Beef is a brand created by the American Angus Association to help market its beef. The absence of a CAB sticker on a piece of beef does not mean that the meat is not Angus; it’s just not Angus that has been overseen by the AAA, which works with farmers and ranchers to help them raise their cattle. If the resulting beef meets the AAA’s ten specifications for marbling, tenderness, and consistency, then it can be sold as Certified Angus Beef. The organization says that only one out of every four Angus cattle passes the cut. Certifications like CAB are a fine promise of a certain level of quality, but you will not know where it came from. It could be Montana, could be Colorado, could be anywhere.
This much-misunderstood breed is the source of the renowned, clichéd, and overhyped Kobe beef. Kobe beef is simply a strain of Wagyu that has been raised in Hyogo Prefecture of Japan (its capital is the city of Kobe) according to the standards of the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association. Highly prized for its flavor, tenderness, and extreme marbling, Kobe beef is not seen very often outside Japan. If you’ve been sold Kobe beef somewhere, it’s almost certainly not this special beef from Kobe. It’s much more likely Wagyu that’s been raised outside of Japan and is being wrongly marketed as Kobe. It might still be fine meat, just not true Kobe beef.
Wagyu simply means “Japanese (wa) cow (gyu).” Modern Wagyu refers to a type of cattle that have been bred in Japan since the mid-nineteenth century when Japan’s native cattle were crossbred with some imported European breeds. Today, there are four breeds of Wagyu, the most common of which is Japanese Black. The second-most common is Japanese Red. Wagyu cattle have been tightly controlled by Japan. The first specimens came into the United States in 1975. Wagyu beef in America has been crossbred with American breeds to help the cattle adapt to American conditions. Here, it doesn’t have to be raised with any of the same standards as in Japan, but it still provides some amazingly tender and well-marbled meat. The thing about the extreme marbling is that the fat on Wagyu melts below human body temperature, so a piece of raw beef literally melts in your mouth. Meat like this is very expensive.
One of the four breeds of Wagyu, Akaushi is the only one constantly represented on the menu at Knife. Known as Japanese Red Cattle, the Akaushi is extremely rare. Nowadays, it’s being crossbred with Angus, which allows the cattle to flourish in the climate of Texas, and makes a nice meat that adds richness and depth to the standard Angus. For many people, it ends up being their favorite cut at Knife. It’s exceptional beef, with tremendous flavor, texture, and marbling.
At Knife, we’re lucky to be close to one of the country’s best sources of Akaushi beef: HeartBrand Ranch, not far from Austin. Indeed, it was never meant to be imported into the country and likely won’t ever be again since the sole time in 1992, when some Texas ranchers discovered a loophole (quickly closed) in the Trade Act that allowed them to bring in some Akaushi cattle. On a 747 specially outfitted to carry them, eight cows and three bulls were flown to the States. They are the seeds for the thousands of Akaushi being raised today, all under agreement and supervision of HeartBrand (from whom you can order the meat online).