Japanese A5 Wagyu Is the Easiest Steak to Cook (If You Avoid These Common Mistakes)

Whatever you do, don’t cook it like a ribeye from the grocery store.

Published February 16, 2025

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When asked about the most common mistakes home cooks new to Japanese A5 Wagyu, Cameron Hughs, founder of Holy Grail Steak Co., says it has nothing to do with cooking ability.

“It basically comes down to not reading the instructions first,” Hughs says.

In fact, Hughes, whose company is one of America’s largest purveyors of Japanese A5 Wagyu, says it’s easier to cook the high-priced Japanese beef than a grocery store ribeye.

According to Hughes, the most common misstep is failing to recognize the differences between A5 beef and a standard cut.

Japanese A5 Wagyu requires little technical skill to cook properly but it does demand that you check your standard steak knowledge at the door.

This is how you cook the world’s most coveted steak, the right way.

Step 1: Salt 1 to 3 hours before cooking

Because of Wagyu’s fat content, it can take more salt than a standard steak.

Salt your Wagyu early and generously at least an hour before cooking.

To capitalize on this, salt your Wagyu early and generously at least an hour before cooking. This way, the salt has time to work its way into the muscle fibers, then return the beef to the refrigerator.

Step 2: Preheat your skillet in oven

Ten minutes before cooking time, throw your preferred skillet in the oven on 400 to preheat.

yeti cast iron skillet — Cast iron is excellent at searing but hot spots are common. The best way around them is to preheat a pan thoroughly in an oven.

Hotspots are more problematic for quick sears, so preheat your chosen pan in the oven to ensure it’s heated all the way through (not just your burner’s ring).

Hughes says cast-iron, carbon steel or stainless steel skillets will all do the trick. No matter your weapon of choice, the key is even, high heat.

Step 3: Keep your steak in the fridge (or freezer) until it’s time to cook

The fat in Wagyu has an extremely low melting point. Unlike standard cuts of beef, allowing it to come to room temperature is bad — all you’ll have to show for it is a small puddle of expensive melted fat.

For this reason, it’s not uncommon for restaurants to cook them straight out of the freezer.

Speaking of, don’t cook Wagyu on a grill. The fat content will cause dangerous flare-ups and you’ll sacrifice a lot of flavor to the flames.

Step 4: Sear both sides on high heat (oil is optional)

Place your cold cut of Japanese A5 Wagyu on the hot skillet and let it rip.

Hughes notes that, because the fat content, you can forgo oil altogether if you wish. If you opt for oil, he says it needs to be a neutral, high smoke point oil like safflower oil — not common cooking oils like olive or peanut oil.

“To coax intense umami flavors from A5 steak, developing a caramelized crust is key.”

Hughes says cooking A5 Wagyu, contrary to popular belief, is the easy part. Unlike a thick, marbly ribeye, it cooks quickly and rather evenly.

“To coax intense umami flavors from A5 steak, developing a caramelized crust is key. Allow the steak to cook for about three minutes on the first side and then flip and repeat for two minutes on the other side,” Hughes says.

Step 5: Let it rest, slice small and serve

As with a regular steak, high-grade Wagyu needs to rest before serving and eating. When preparing Wagyu, the only significant departure in the post-cooking dinner prep is the size of the portions. Sure, it’s expensive, but it’s also the richest cut of meat you’ll ever eat.

Eating an entire steak of this stuff is a shortcut to an upset stomach. Slice and serve accordingly.