Why Wagyu Brisket Is the Ultimate Cut for the Home Chef

Wagyu is one of the most sought-after types of beef in the world, and brisket is one of the best cuts for entertaining. Put them together, and it’s a recipe for a delicious meal (chef's kiss)! When you select wagyu brisket for your next NYC dinner party, gathering, or get-together, you’ll instantly level up your meal and put yourself at the top of their list of the best cooks they know. Wagyu is known for its tenderness and flavor, making it a favorite among world-class chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants throughout New York City (many of which our team at Piccinini Bros has supplied with premium meats for decades). Now, our online store for wagyu brisket in NYC brings these high-quality cuts to home chefs throughout Manhattan, Long Island, and beyond! Learn more about how to select and cook Wagyu brisket in NYC for your next at-home celebration below.

What is Wagyu?

Wagyu means “Japanese cattle” and refers to several cattle breeds native to Japan. These cattle have been carefully raised and bred for hundreds of years, which makes their meat some of the highest quality in the world. Today, the most common form of Wagyu is “improved Wagyu,” which is traditional Japanese Wagyu cattle crossbred with European breeds. Today, there are over 300 types of Wagyu beef, each named for the region where the cattle are raised. For example, Kobe beef is one of the most popular types of Wagyu beef, which is made from cattle raised in the Kobe region of Japan. Ōmi and Matsusaka are other popular types of Wagyu from Japan. Wagyu breeds outside of Japan, such as American and Australian Wagyu, offer the quality characteristics of Wagyu with a more affordable price tag. Wagyu crossbreeds maintain their distinctive features, which make them one of the world's most sought-after cattle breeds.

Wagyu Brisket: Defining Characteristics 

One distinct characteristic of Wagyu beef is the streaks of fat intertwined with the meat, referred to as marbling. Wagyu cattle are raised on strict diets and in low-stress environments to maximize this marbling effect for melt-in-your-mouth flavor and unparalleled tenderness compared to other types of brisket. Due to this marbling feature, Wagyu brisket melts at a lower temperature than other types of brisket, so cooking it slowly at a lower temperature is key, especially when smoking. Due to the higher fat content, it's beneficial to season your Wagyu brisket for longer than other briskets. We recommend seasoning it overnight before cooking. This fat content prevents the meat from drying out, resulting in buttery-like tenderness. 

How to Select Wagyu Brisket

The most important aspect when choosing wagyu beef (including brisket) is to purchase from a reputable butcher shop. Ensure you're ordering your wagyu brisket in NYC from a butcher shop, like Piccinini Bros, with more than 100 years of experience and understanding of how to supply, store, and sell these elite cuts. When you stop by our butcher shop, we’ll help you select the perfect cut for you. We supply our Wagyu brisket from domestic suppliers who raise American Wagyu cattle (which crosses Japanese Wagyu with American Angus) in the mild Northwest climate to increase fat content and marbling, and from Japan to provide different options. 

Tips and Tricks for Cooking Wagyu Brisket

When you choose quality meat, cooking and preparing your meal is easy. The cut does the work, so all you need is a bit of seasoning to bring out the cut’s natural flavor. Wagyu beef is best enjoyed medium or medium-rare, which preserves the cut’s fine marbling effect and tenderness. Wagyu beef will have a rich flavor and buttery texture when prepared properly. Due to Wagyu’s high-fat content, season the brisket and let it sit overnight before cooking. This will allow the seasonings to infuse into the meat for an even more flavorful meal.

Wagyu brisket is best prepared by slow cooking or smoking. When slow cooking, aim to cook the brisket on low for eight to ten hours. If you want to smoke the brisket, preheat the smoker to the ideal temperature of 225° and smoke it over a 10 to 12-hour period, ideally until the internal temperature is between 185° and 190°. Whether slow cooking or smoking, consider wrapping the brisket in butcher paper (or aluminum foil) halfway through the cooking process to retain moisture and enhance the meat’s tenderness.

Try our Spiced Brisket Recipe and use Wagyu brisket for even more flavor!

Order Wagyu Brisket in NYC from Piccinini Bros

Piccinini Bros is a family-owned and operated local butcher shop right in the heart of New York City. We’ve been feeding New Yorkers for over 100 years. We’ve provided Michelin-quality meats to the best restaurants in Manhattan for decades. Now, you can prepare premium meats at home when you order directly from our store! Shop our brisket in NYC online or stop by our butcher shop in Hell’s Kitchen to order your Wagyu brisket and other meats today. Looking for a specific cut? We take custom orders! Just email us at web-orders@piccininibros.com to place your order today.