Japanese A5 Wagyu Miyazaki New York Strip

Miyazaki has won Japan's national Wagyu competition — informally called the Wagyu Olympics — three times running, and taken home the Prime Minister's Award. That's not a regional fluke; it's a systematic commitment to raising cattle with a genetic and dietary program so consistent that the marbling is almost architectural. When you cut into a Miyazaki strip, the fat distribution looks deliberate, because in a sense it is.

Here's why the New York Strip is the right cut to showcase Miyazaki A5 specifically: unlike a ribeye, which carries a lot of its flavor in the spinalis and rib cap, the strip is a single, uniform muscle — the longissimus dorsi — with no structural fat pockets to hide behind. The marbling has to be in the muscle itself. At BMS 11, it absolutely is, and that means every bite across the entire steak is consistent. You're not hunting for the best part. The whole thing is the best part.

BMS 11 — near the ceiling of the Japanese marbling scale

Miyazaki Prefecture: three-time Wagyu Olympics champion, Prime Minister's Award recipient

Certificate of Authenticity with individual nose print included with every steak

Single-muscle cut means marbling consistency from edge to edge

Fat melts at approximately 77°F — below body temperature — which is what creates that signature dissolving texture

The Most Important Rule: Low and Fast, Not Low and Slow

A5 Wagyu at BMS 11 has so much intramuscular fat that conventional steak timing will destroy it. This is not a steak you cook for 6 minutes a side. The fat renders almost immediately under high heat, which means your window between perfect and greasy is narrow. Here's how to stay in that window:

Recommended Method: Cast Iron Sear (No Oil Needed)

Temper the steak: Take it out of the refrigerator 20–30 minutes before cooking. Cold A5 on a hot pan causes uneven fat rendering.

Season minimally: Flaky sea salt only, applied right before cooking. The beef has enough flavor — pepper can compete at this marbling level.

Preheat your cast iron until it just begins to smoke. No oil — render a small edge of the fat cap directly on the pan first to lubricate the surface.

Sear 60–90 seconds per side for the 11–12oz size; 90–120 seconds per side for the 15–16oz and 19–21oz sizes. You want a deep mahogany crust, not a gray band of overcooked meat underneath it.

Target internal temp: 125–130°F (medium-rare). At BMS 11, going above 135°F causes excessive fat bleed and you lose the texture that makes this steak worth what you paid for it.

Rest for 3–5 minutes on a wire rack, not a cutting board — pooled fat underneath the steak will continue cooking the bottom.

Portion Note

A5 Wagyu is rich in a way that domestic Wagyu and USDA Prime are not. The 11–12oz steak comfortably serves two people as a shared course alongside sides. The 19–21oz is genuinely a two-to-three person steak unless you're serving it as the centerpiece of a serious meal. Don't let portion sizes from regular steak experience guide you here — fat satiety is real with BMS 11.

Avoid

Butter basting — the steak is already basting itself

Marinades — they mask what you're paying for

Sous vide followed by sear — the prolonged heat renders too much fat before the sear even begins

Well-done or medium-well — the fat structure collapses and you're left with a greasy, not silky, result