Enjoying Your Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu

Unpacking Your Order

Your Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu beef will arrive frozen and packaged in biodegradable insulated packaging. Each box will contain dry ice to help keep the product frozen. Please use caution when unpacking and disposing of dry ice. Use protective gloves when handling dry ice. To dispose of the dry ice place it outside, out of reach of children and pets, and it will evaporate within 24 hours. The packaging your meat arrives in is non-toxic and made from recycled materials. It can be reused or recycled.

Storing Your Meat

Keep your delicious Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu frozen by placing it into your freezer as soon as it arrives. Your Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu will keep, in a freezer, for up to 6 months but should be thawed for use within 2-3 months for best flavor. If you plan to cook your Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu within a few days of receiving it, you may store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Safe Handling Guidelines

As with all meats, keep your raw Cross Creek Ranch meats separate from other foods. Wash working surfaces, utensils, and hands after touching raw meats. Once you have prepared and enjoyed your meat, refrigerate leftovers immediately, do not leave at room temperature for an extended period.

Thawing and Preparation

Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu should be kept frozen until ready to prepare. Wagyu is richly marbled with intramuscular fat and should be thawed slowly at a consistent temperature to maintain its rich flavor and marbling. Meat should be thawed in the refrigerator, at a slow pace. We do NOT recommend an ice- or cold-water bath or using a microwave defrost setting. Take meat out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before cooking.

Cooking Advice

The abundance of fat in Wagyu beef creates a tender, juicy, “melt in your mouth” flavor that is not found in ordinary cuts of beef. To get the most flavor out of your beef, you will need to adjust your normal cooking techniques. Here are some tips on how to prepare Wagyu beef cuts:

• Wagyu beef should not be served rare, it is important that heat penetrates the marbling, throughout the cut, in order to render the fat. This enables you to obtain maximum flavor.
• Wagyu beef should not be cooked "well done", this will over-render the fat and drain the flavor from the beef.
• Always season generously with salt and pepper, on all sides, before cooking.
• Make sure not to cover up the flavor of the beef by adding too much seasoning, sauce, or marinade.

Each cooking technique renders different results, but all will yield a great flavor if cooked to an internal temperature of at least 125°F. As with any steak, please ensure a proper resting period (5 minutes of rest per inch of thickness). We strongly recommend using a good instant read digital thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the beef.

Recommended Internal Temperatures

Recommended Resting Times by Cut Size