When you’re seeking the tenderest, most flavorful, high-quality beef on the market, what do you shop for? Prime beef is the highest grade of beef granted by the USDA, but there is beef that goes above and beyond even the Prime rating. That beef is known as Akaushi.
What is Akaushi beef, and how does it differ from even the finest prime beef available on the market? At Evan’s Meat Market, you can discover the difference between Akaushi and Prime Beef for yourself. But first, we’re pleased to explain what makes Akaushi truly the finest beef you’ve ever tasted.
What is Akaushi Beef?
Akaushi beef is from the unique Akaushi cow, a genetic breed of cattle cultivated from the legendary Japanese Wagyu beef herds renowned for tenderness, marbling, and exquisite flavor. Everyone knows that Wagyu produces gourmet beef in terms of flavor and tenderness. Akaushi cattle have been genetically selected for superior marbling to bring out the best of these qualities.
What makes Akaushi beef stand out from the rest?
Intramuscular Marbling
Akaushi cattle naturally store more of their fat intramuscularly for beautiful marbling throughout the cow. Where most cattle store the majority of their fat between the muscle and hide, Akaushi cattle favor intramuscular fat so that every cut is marbled to perfection with less fat below the hide.
Healthy Fatty Acids
Akaushi beef fat also favors monosaturated fats, the healthier of the fatty acids found in beef fat and marbled cuts. It also has a higher presence of oleic acid, also found in olive oil, which gives the beef a buttery yet healthy profile. This makes Akaushi heart-healthy and better for your long-term health if you prefer a diet of juicy steaks and roasts.
Taste and Tenderness Beyond Compare
These qualities combine to produce exquisitely high-quality beef with taste and tenderness that goes above and beyond the typical quality of beef rated ‘Prime’ by the USDA.
US Akaushi Beef
Best of all, Akaushi beef can be found outside of Japan, as the genetics were introduced to the US in 1994 and have been available for herd breeding since the late 2000s. This means we can offer local Akaushi beef, deliciously tender without importing cows or steaks from across the sea.
What is Prime Beef?
Prime beef is the highest rating that the USDA can grant when ranking the quality of beef. Prime beef is qualified based on its marbling and sourcing from young cattle. It is always flavorful and tender and only the best beef produced by US cattle herds can be ranked as Prime.
- Well-marbled
- Tender
- Well-fed young cattle
In your average grocery store, prime beef is the highest beef quality you can buy. It promises juicy and delicious steaks and roasts that will enhance every meal you prepare. The prime rating for beef is achieved by meeting certain marbling and cattle quality requirements. Typically 2% or less of all US beef is granted the prime rating.
Akaushi Prime
Cattle bred with Akaushi bulls consistently achieve the prime beef rating within the first generation due to the superior marbling present in the Akaushi genetics, which breeds true in new cows.
Flavor Profile Comparison: Akaushi vs Prime Beef
Prime beef tends to have a vivid flavor, bringing forward the natural flavor of each cut of meat. Akaushi beef, however, also brings a rich, buttery flavor profile due to the abundant marbling and high presence of oleic acid. If you like buttered steak or the creamy flavor of marbling in your beef, you will love the Akaushi flavor profile, which brings the natural flavor of each cut to a new and sumptuous experience.
Try Akaushi Beef at Evan’s Meat Market
If you are eager to try Akaushi beef for yourself and experience quality that goes beyond the prime beef ranking, you can find local Akaushi cuts at Evan’s Meat Market. Contact us or stop by to explore our selection of Akaushi steaks and roasts to taste the difference for yourself.
