Our Cattle
Our Cattle
At Napa Valley Wagyu, we raise premium American Wagyu beef from a carefully selected herd. Our foundation stock comprises exceptional Angus cows and F1 50% Wagyu mother cows, ensuring a strong genetic base for our program. We utilize only the highest quality registered Tajima-line Wagyu bulls, renowned for their superior marbling and flavor. This meticulous breeding strategy, combined with our commitment to maintaining strict genetic standards, results in the finest American Wagyu beef available.
We exclusively raise our own cattle, never purchasing feeders from auctions or other sources. This allows us complete control over their care and ensures the highest level of quality. Recognizing that exceptional beef begins before birth, we prioritize optimal nutrition and mineral supplementation for our cows throughout their entire lifecycle. At Napa Valley Wagyu, we nurture our cattle from conception to the finished product, delivering the exquisite Ribeyes that our customers crave.
How is your beef packaged?
Our beef is humanely hung, cut and packaged at a LOCAL USDA processing facility. All packages are vacuum sealed to maintain freshness and frozen. All meat is frozen when we receive it back and kept in freezers until delivered.
Do you vaccinate your animals?
We vaccinate our cattle for their general health and disease prevention when they are 6-months old, but they do not receive a mRNA vaccine nor do we know of any cattle that are receiving any type of mRNA vaccinations.
What kind of cattle do you have?
Our mother cows are Angus and F1 (50% wagyu) that get bred by one of our Full Blood 100% Japanese Black Wagyu Bulls. We pride ourselves in providing American Wagyu 50% and 75% wagyu beef that grades above prime and will leave you wishing you had bought more.
Do you sell Whole and 1/2 Beef Shares?
Yes, we have both options available, year around. Please visit our online store to learn more.
How long does meat last in the freezer?
We recommend using our beef, within 1 year of receiving it frozen in the mail.
Where is the beef raised?
On one of our many ranches in Northern California's famous wine region Napa and Sonoma County
Cooking Tips
How do I thaw Wagyu meat?
It’s best to move the frozen meat from your freezer to your refrigerator at least 24 hours before you plan to cook it. However, you can also thaw the meat by leaving it in its vacuum sealed package and placing in cool water for several hours.
Note: NEVER thaw Wagyu meat using hot water or in the microwave due to the lower melting point of its fat – you will seriously compromise if not ruin it.
Should I bring Wagyu steaks to room temperature before grilling?
Due to Wagyu beef’s lower fat melting point, it is actually best to grill steaks when they are closer to refrigerator temperature. If you bring them to room temperature and then grill, you run the risk of rendering the fat out of the steak – resulting in a tougher, dryer piece of meat.
How should I season my Wagyu steaks?
We recommend a very simple seasoning. In fact, one of our favorite ways to season our steaks is a liberal amount of fine sea salt and coarse ground black pepper with a touch of garlic powder. This beef speaks for itself – put your Montreal Steak seasoning and BBQ Rub back in the cabinet!
How should I cook my Wagyu steaks?
Get a grill you can trust – know your hot spots, cool spots, flare zone, etc.
When steaks get ruined, it’s usually because of poor fire and heat management. If grilling on a standard propane grill, run it as hot as you can and make sure it is clean to minimize flare ups because Wagyu will drip fat as it cooks. If on a higher-end gas grill or charcoal grill, shoot for the 500°F range at the grate level (high heat). You can cook steaks on a pellet grill but we recommend using a cast iron griddle or “Grill Grates” with your pellet grill to help give the steak’s surface more “bark” and texture.
For a 16oz ribeye, a good rule of thumb is about 4-5 minutes per side at high heat, or 8-10 minutes total for medium rare / medium. A 12oz steak should be 6-7min total but remember that the best way to judge time is by thickness. The thicker a steak is, the longer it will take. So a 2” filet that is 8oz may take longer than a 1” chuck eye that’s 10oz.
