I watch this while eating my ramen noodles to pretend like I'm eating steak. Ah college.

3:20 your description of Kobe and Wagyu is wrong. Real “Kobe” beef is in fact Wagyu that originates from Kobe Japan. Unfortunately the name “Kobe” has been ripped off and put on non Wagyu meat products. There are also some version of America Wagyu which use actual imported Japanese pure bread cattle. And then there are other variants of Wagyu which can be a mix between a Wagyu and Angus cow. Beyond that, you get into different grades of Wagyu with B through A, Wagyu A5 being the highest grade and best level of intramuscular fat. Also the fat within Wagyu beef has a different flavor and more buttery texture than that of other types of meat.

Stop confusing everyone about Wagyu! All it means is Japanese cow. Kobe is wagyu, miyazaki is wagyu, there just regions of where the wagyu cows come from.

Thanks Mr La Frieda!! As a former restrauteur, I wish I had had access to your excellent product. I know this video is not new, but people need to see it for it's value in selecting good beef. A great steak can be a really memorable experience, and you have given that to so many people. Thank you!

Thanks!!! One thing you can expound on that will help everyone a lot: There can be a wide gap or narrow gap between choice and prime. Sometimes you can can find a choice steak that could almost be graded prime, and a prime steak that could almost be graded choice. There's a huge difference in choice steaks. I have eaten some that melt in your mouth, and others that were chewy or had hidden gristle. (USDA marked and bought at the same national chain store!)

I've just learned something new today! Thanks for passing on your knowledge of beef/steer to us. Thanks.

Thank YOU SOOO Much!~ Finally, someone who knows what they are talking about!!

This was an amazing insight. Going to be looking much differently at beef from now on, that's for sure. Looking forward to putting some of this new knowledge to the test.

Pasture raised steer have a darker meat with a little bit of a grass taste. Its different and takes some "getting use to". For health reasons it's worth it.

definitely an informative video BUT... way to confused more people about wagyu... so, allow me to get this straight: 1. wagyu = japanese beef (kobe [is a prefecture in japan] produces "kobe beef", which is a type of wagyu. therefore, its also considered as "wagyu") *note* not all wagyu = kobe 2. american wagyu = wagyu raised in america - could be 100% wagyu AND raised in the states OR angus or wtv cow mixed with wagyu raised in american *note* as long as the cows related to some wagyu then producers can brand it as american wagyu 3. american kobe = kobe raised in US or kobe mixed with other breed raised in US producers like using the term "wagyu" and "kobe" to essentially 'trick' and 'confuse' people to make big bucks while having the buyers think that theyre getting a fair price or even a steal. *note* just because it says american wagyu or american kobe, it doesnt guarantee that the beef will have better marbling than USDA prime (BMS 4-5 [beef marbling score] - A5 being BMS of 8+ (essentially the best graded wagyu and most kobe)

This is a great video, aimed at politely and respectfully de-bunking some inaccuracies about beef. Thank you.

Great Video! Thank you for explaining this. I actually learned a few things.

Pat, you are the man I love watching you.

Costco has prime beef. It is around $15 a pound in Florida 6/2019. You can drop a fork through it. They are the only steaks we buy.

Thanks for taking the time.

Wow great information for a home cook like myself. Thanks so much Pat for sharing. Here in the Bronx where I live most of the Butcher shops are dying out and there are a lot of smaller chain supermarkets popping up, very few with a butcher counter and if they do have one, very, minimal choices in meat selection. I would have to travel to Manhattan or all the way to Hunts Point to find these specialty cuts and that's out of my way.

Finished by corn, the sugars and carbs created by corn in a minimum movement tipe pen, corral, usually in the winter months pack's on the fat!

Some of the best meals I've had at restaurants were with meats supplied by LaFrieda. I once ordered a $16 open face steak sandwich at a diner. It seemed expensive for "diner quality." It was one of the best steaks I've ever had and certainly the best steak sandwich. I later found out it was LaFrieda.

Very educational. Knowing that's going into my mouth is important.

An eye opener - many thanks!

I got a great pre packed La Frieda sirloin at Amazon market for like 7.50 for 8 ounce. Had great marbling and texture.

Thank you Sir for the great lesson on steak. I've always wondered.....

Thanks for this video. It is really straightforward and informative. Every time I go shop for meat, I see "grass fed" beef being sold for TWICE the price as other cuts, and I've never been curious about buying them, because they simply didn't have the marbling that the other meat did. This video explains why.

Great job explaining corn fed vs. grass fed. And he is right about corn farmers being right next to beef producers. In Nebraska this is a very sustainable and efficient circle that happens all around me. I know this well because I grow corn, raise beef and am a butcher.

Thank you on the grass versus grain/corn finish. Grass finished steers suck for steaks and roasts. Just make them all hamburger.

Stop & Shop now has USDA Prime dry-aged steaks at the butcher window. They are amazing. Cost is about $25-$28 per pound.

Very informative! Thank you.

Very informative, thanks

Very informative. I really enjoyed this video

At the end I thought it would end, "....these are the things I look for. And this is how I select my friends." haha

Thanks Pat that was helpful!

Thanks, Pat. Good stuff and very relevant Paulie

We just ordered his burgers! Some of the best burgers we have ever had!!!!!

Great video thank you for the great info.

Very informative, thank you so much

Learned alot with this!

Very good stuff here learned a lot thanks.

Costco has amazing steak including Prime for low prices

Interesting about the Corn finishing. I see "grass fed" in the grocery store and found the same thing, it just doesn't taste anywhere near as good. I thought it would be better the way they marketed it, but nope. Love the corn fed beef.

Excellent video

Learned a lot. Thanks

Pat, Jr. is amazingly knowledgeable and his videos, this one in particular are so informative that they are entertaining as well as educational. Thanks for the great tips.

Wow. Learned a lot. Thanks!

That was very helpful. Thank you. My Shop Rite offers what is labeled USDA Prime. I want sure if there were different grades of Prime.

Great info thanks!

Some places are selling utility as select or choice. I rarely see choice grade kind of intermuscular fat in grocery store meat.

I can tell you from experience the best beef, Pork, turkey, duck, chicken is milk fed and corn finished, my Brother had a farmette, my Sister in Law raised their on meat, but she kept goats and milked the goats and couldn't use all the goat milk for drinking and cooking, so she fed all the animals they were raising for slaughtering goats milk. That was the BEST EATING EVER!!!

An amazing video

bravo! very informative

Wow amazingly knowledgable. 100

People tell me I am unhealthy because during the 3 summer months in Sweden I eat 1 beef a day on average, some times 2 a day just because I like grilling. They can go and shove a carrot upp their behind. This is life.

Just Great Info

"You just cant eat much of it, it's so heavy". Challenge accepted sir

Good presentation.

Love the apron.

Good advice!!

Wow I like this beef meet

awesome vid!

Very informative.

Are the huge chunks of fat around the edge of choice any worse in quality than the intramuscular fat on prime?

Wow! Good to know!

I heard that the intramuscular fat in Wagyu is the healthy fat, like mono and polyunsaturated fats. And generally, fats aren't such a problem, sugars are much worse, so I guess eating a prime USDA every day, even though it would be very expensive, it won't be probably as bad as drinking 3 Cokes a day. But lovely video, thank you for your explanation, it was exactly something I was looking for. Can I ask - is it possible to marble Angus the same way as Wagyu? Because I heard original Japanese Kobe is just kept indoors for majority of it's life and grain fed at least 600 days, cattle gets massaged because of muscle problems resulting from having barely any movement... I mean, if I fed Angus with grain for a long time, would it marble just as well or is the difference deeper in genetics? Thank you!

Thank you

Great video! Thanks for the info. What kind of watch are you wearing?

Wagyu is the cattle, Kobe is the region. All Kobe is Wagyu, but not all Wagyu is Kobe. Only 9 licensed sellers of true Kobe in the US. Australian Wagyu bms#7 is an amazing piece of beef. Japanese A5 Wagyu is the second best piece of beef I've ever had. The absolute best piece of beef I've ever had, hands down is the Matsusaka.

Damn I didn’t realize that meat could be analyzed like that, I usually look at a steak to make sure it’s not green or anything of that type, then I look at the price. I did know I was doing it wrong because they all look alike to me.

Very informative, looking forward to future videos!

saying that cows prefer corn therefore it's healthy for them is like saying "Well I prefer to eat candies everyday so it's healthy for me!"

Grass fed/finished is leaner and much higher in omega 3. Grain fed/finished is fattier and much higher in omega 6. Grass fed/finished is healthier but it is a different taste that some are not accustomed to.

I enjoyed this until they got to the last steak and didn’t know about the “Japanese” style cut. Wagyu are the breeds and Kobe is the city in Japan. Wagyu is raised all over now. US, Canada, Australia. We get miyazaki wagyu in our restaurant and it is unreal.

which cut would be best for my pizza toppings?im on a 2 dollar/lb budget

Cool stuff. 😄

This is great information very simple and easy to understand. My name is Ronnie I work at Benjamin prime for my cuzen Benjamin next time you get at prime I be happy to serve your a great steak

In the country I live in a buy an entire beef tenderloin every week. The issue is that they pack it in plastic bag and once you pick the one you want they cut it up for you. How can you tell before cutting into it if its Prime? In 3 years I've purchased one prime and the rest Select.

things I kind of knew but not to this extent great job

Not only steers, heifers too are a common source of beef steaks in the US.

Wagyu is called Wagyu in Japan as well

My Kroger meat is at best Select....just looking at what's in front of Pat and what I see in the store.

Kobe is a brand of Waygu in Japan. Waygu is the breed of cattle native to Japan. American Waygu is just Japanese cattle raised in america. The breeds are actually quite different than american or angus cattle.

I just realized how little I know again. Thank you so much for your time and incredible knowledge.

nice apron bro

The man is knowledgeable

wagyu is the race of the cattle, the difference between kobe and wagyu is that the kobe comes from that zone from the kobe prefecture in japan and its traceable

I agree that a full 12 oz, A5 grade wagyu rib eye would probably be too much to handle for the traditional palate. However, I can eat an "American wagyu" 16oz rib eye any Saturday night, no issues. Wha's the difference compared to prime? Delicious buttery flavor and super soft consistency. It is way better than prime grade. I don't mind paying twice as much per pound than prime. My family loves their American wagyu inside skirts (they don't like the "liver" flavor of the outside skirt). My local grocery store carries American wagyu finger ribs every now an then, also delicious. Bottom line: with American wagyu you are paying more than prime for an enhanced buttery taste and reliable meat softness. You only live once, so what the heck.

I like your apron

The problem is that these days the choice steak has downgraded to level of the select cut.

nice video ....pat....

8:20 They can digest an ear of corn. Lol. It's actually a treat for them. It's like candy. Go to a rancher near you and hand feed cows ears of corn. It's fun. You can collect ears of corn for free if the rancher has a recently combined/harvested corn field there will be ears on the ground.

Eating grass fed beef is an experience. Grade applies, obviously, but preference would easily split the room between the two types.

Wagyu is a term for a high quality, high fat beef, from 4 certain Japanese cattle breeds. It can be from Japan, America or anywhere you please. Kobe would designate that it's Wagyu specifically from Kobe, a city in Japan know for it's waygu

Canada grades vs. American , what is the difference Pat?

I think PLF is wrong on grass fed vs corn fed cattle. People will choose corn fed over grassfed because they are not used to *stronger* flavor one gets from grass fed. The way it is questioned as well is important. It's important to first ask (I've been dozens of these sorts of blind taste tests) is: can you tell the difference. What is grass fed, what is corn fed? Of this half the people get it correct. Secondly, we serve TWO kinds of cuts. A sort of market steak like the NY Strip or Rib Cap he did in the video AND either flank, sirloin or hanger steak. Pat...most people take the grass fed steak! Try the test. The *cut* of meat is important because leaner cuts have more "beefier" flavors than the well marbled cuts. In this grass fed always beats the corn fed...the flavors are almost by definition stronger and better than the corn fed..in leaner cuts! I prefer a corn fed prime rib than to a grass fed one any day. But never, ever, with flanks, sirloins, top-round/tri-tip or hanger steaks! ------- On the Wagy vs Prime debate. This is one area I agree with PLF on (besides his overall laying out the USDA grades). The Japanese eat 1/4 thick steaks (but they do make it rare oddly) and it's amazing. But I've had once a very expensive Kobe, Japanese breads, hi fat content US style rib steak and it simply wasn't that good. Too much fat, not enough beef flavor. So I thought that point was well taken. ------ Lastly, the way one can tell a grass fed cow/cattle/steer is grass fed is if it is FINISHED with grass, not corn. How to know? The color of the fat is never white, it's a dull yellow. Don't be fooled. ALWAYS ask the pervayor if the beef is grass *finished*. If it's not, you get worst of both worlds and not the best.

Standard, and commercial come between choice and utility.

Very informative. I could really not give a shit about how my steak leaves a carbon footprint. I've accepted the fact that I'm at the top of the food chain.

cool video. don't think the wagyu bit was 100% spot on but close enough i suppose.

Thanks for debunking the grass fed nonsense. I've always preferred corn finished beef.

You nailed it my friend. Only one observation though. That piece of Wagyu beef looks to be grown in the USA as it is not as fatty as are those same beef grown in Japan. Kobe is a town, but yet everyone refers to that beef by its home name, Kobe not by its animal designation name which is Wagyu. We need to help everyone who is working with that style of meat to call it by its name, like calling Angus an Angus, and not using KOBE to describe Wagyu Thanks

Yesterday I went to my local butchers in St Paul's, London. I'm quite aesthetically / visually led so I pointed to two cuts without actually looking at the price. 2 Steaks.....£33.50....that's $44. It turns out, I was buying USDA select graded meat. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Time and time again, I have purchased choice grade porterhouse Angus steaks that have more marbling than a prime steak, so why should I pay double for prime with less marbling ? Prime isn't hard to get, so I don't get that part. I buy the well marbled choice grade, unwrap it, and let it age gracefully in my refrigerator until it changes color. If a store doesn't have well marbled choice grade steaks in stock at the time I'm shopping, then I don't buy one until it does, then I stock up on them. I never have to ask myself why didn't I buy prime.

Wish they put those numbers on the package the consumer was buying say at kroger,public's, giant eagle ,and so on.