Grilling Season: The Best Wagyu Beef Cuts to Cook

Can you smell it? Are you just imagining it? Is grilling season really right around the corner? In our world, it’s always grilling season. But if you’re not the kind of person who takes pleasure in grilling at the center of a polar vortex, we hear you. That doesn’t mean you can’t get inspired!

We’ve got the perfect cuts, tips, recipes, and more so you can marinade on everyone’s favorite time of year: grilling season.

Best Wagyu Cuts for Grilling

We’ll grill just about any Wagyu, but these are our picks for prime grilling:

• Flank steak: The flank steak is tougher than other cuts of beef, so we recommend using a tenderizing marinade followed by a quick cook on the grill. Then, serve your Wagyu flank steak up in tacos!
• Flat iron: Once upon a time, this cut’s main destination was the grinder. That all changed in 2002 thanks to two university researchers who “discovered” the flavorful steak while analyzing the muscle structure of cows.
• Skirt steak: This thin cut is known for being a little tough, but the marbling delivers such a rich taste. With a bit of salt and pepper, throw your skirt steak on the grill at a high heat for a quick sear.
• Strip steak: Whether you call it a New York strip, KC strip, or boneless sirloin, Wagyu strip steak has tender marbling and rich flavor that’s perfect for grilling up summer favorites like our Grilled Wagyu Strip Steaks with Garlic Rosemary Butter.

Grilling Pro Tips

Whether you’ve been grilling since you could walk or finally moved to a climate where you’re ready to embrace the culture of grilling, here are some pro tips to get you started:

Brand recognition

Whether you go charcoal or gas, choose a brand with name recognition—and avoid the seasonal discounts aisle. Discount grills are cheap for a reason; they’re flimsy and won’t last you the season.

Plan ahead

Let your steak reach room temperature by removing it from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to grilling. In fact, never grill straight from the fridge. Why? Your steak will cook more evenly and brown better because its temperature will be closer to the ideal temp you want to serve it at.

Season

Don’t go crazy with seasoning on high-quality Wagyu; it just needs some salt and pepper on both sides of the steak. Also, consider salting overnight if your cut is on the thicker side.

Onions

Onions work magic on the grill. Once you’ve heated the grill to high heat, rub the grates down with an onion dipped in oil—you’ll thank us later when your steak doesn’t stick, of course—and then grill the onion alongside your steak, because why not?

Sear and slide

When you’re grilling, put the “sear and slide” method into practice for thicker cuts. Essentially, sear your steak over direct heat and then move the steak on to indirect heat to achieve an even cook. Pro tip: This is a great strategy for ribeye.

Rest

Repeat after us: I will let my steak rest after grilling. Once they leave the grill, steaks usually increase in temp about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and that resting allows the steak to keep all those juices. If you don’t let your steak rest, chances are those delicious juices will end up all over the cutting board.

Tools

Use the right tools for your grill and take care of—and by that, we mean clean—the grates and the goods to maximize the life of your grill.

Charcoal or Gas?

Yankees vs. Red Sox, Coke vs. Pepsi, well-done vs. medium-rare. These rivalries are real—and you know where we stand on that last one. But what about the greatest backyard rivalry of all time? No, we’re not talking about cornhole vs. lawn Jenga; we’re talking about charcoal vs. propane.

Charcoal

Pros	Cons

Propane

Pros	Cons

Big Green Egg

If you’re feeling lavish and have some extra cash to spend, consider getting a Big Green Egg, which can run anywhere from—brace yourself—$399 to $2,999. Steak savants swear by this outdoor ceramic kamado-style charcoal grill. It hits high temps because the heat is focused, thanks to the ceramic shell, and it can also hold low temps for smoking.

Not for the faint of heart or weak of muscle, that $2,999 model is more than 400 pounds and can grill a whole suckling pig or three dozen burgers if you’re absolutely famished.

Grill Up the Sides

We’re big believers in grilling anything and everything, from your starters to the sweets, but here are a few grilled sides to round out the spread:

• Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint
• Grilled Veggies with Caper Butter
• Grilled Broccoli with Avocado and Sesame
• Quick Barbecued Beans
• Charred Spring Onion with Sesame-Chile Butter
• Jalapeno Popper Mexican Street Corn

The grill knows no seasons, and neither does our Wagyu. So clean out the pool, set up the fire pit, order our Legends of the Grill, and embrace grilling season no matter what time of year it is.