In a Nutshell

Wagyu is a prized Japanese breed of cattle that are known for genetically depositing outer backfat into the muscle to generate large amounts of intramuscular marbling. The intramuscular marbling generated from Wagyu creates a rich buttery flavor that can only be sought through the Fullblood Wagyu breed.

History

The Wagyu breed originated in the country of Japan. The term Wagyu literally translates to “Japanese cow” in English. Wa translates to “Japanese” and gyu means “cow.” In Japan, the Wagyu breed was originally used to cultivate rice farms since the second century. Japan’s leadership also banned the consumption of Wagyu cattle to preserve the animals in times of drought. This ban lasted for more than a thousand years. It was only recently in 1968, the ban was lifted. After the year 1968, the role of Wagyu cattle began to change. The people of Japan began to partake in consuming Wagyu beef at a faster rate. This began to raise interest in other neighboring countries. In 1976, the first two Wagyu bulls were imported into the United States. Their names were Judo and Rueshaw. Then, in 1993, the United States imported three Fullblood Wagyu heifers. After the importation of Fullblood Wagyu cattle in the 90s’, Japan declared the Wagyu breed a national treasure and shutdown all exports of Wagyu cattle. Today, there are only 30,000 Wagyu cattle present in the United States. Of the 30,000 present, 5,000 are Fullblood with DNA genetics that can be traced back to Japan. To buy our Fullblood Wagyu beef, click here.

Health Benefits

The Wagyu breed is known for genetically depositing outer backfat into the muscle to generate large amounts of intramuscular marbling. The intramuscular marbling generated in Wagyu beef contains a higher ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats than other breeds. Wagyu beef also contains a considerable amount of omega acids. These fatty acids generate the Wagyu buttery taste while also providing aid to strengthen your heart. When the beef contains a considerable amount of these acids, this results in the Wagyu beef literally melting in your mouth. Wagyu beef has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels. The high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats have been shown to help decrease cholesterol levels. So, when looking for an alternative to red meat, Wagyu is the perfect beef.

Fullblood

While there are 30,000 Wagyu cattle present in the United States, only 5,000 are deemed Fullblood by the American Wagyu Association. The term “Fullblood Wagyu” is defined by a steer that’s 100% Wagyu and contains no other breeds within the genetics. Other types of Wagyu include; American Wagyu and Purebred Wagyu. These types of Wagyu contain higher amounts of monounsaturated fats, but not enough to generate the “melt in your mouth” sensation. The American and purebred Wagyu beef cannot generate the same amount of marbling as Fullblood Wagyu beef. Therefore, the experience and health benefits will be different overall.

In a Nutshell

The term “Grass Finished” refers to the lifestyle of the steer in which they forage completely on pasture grass before being processed. Typically, steers on grass take three times longer to feed compared to an average steer on grain. This results in a product with a low-fat content ratio. In the United States beef industry, Grass Finished beef only make up for 3% of all beef. This is due to the time-consuming process of allowing the steer to forage completely on grass for up to 30 months.

Health Benefits

While allowing a steer to forage completely on grass is a time-consuming process, this ultimately generates health benefits for the beef. Grass Finished beef contains more omega-3 fatty acids than Grain beef. Grass Finished beef is also shown to have increasing amounts of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). Both of these acids strain to different health benefits within Grass Finished beef. The high amount of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Also aiding the heart healthy benefit are the high levels of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The high amounts of (CLA) have been shown to improve blood sugars.

Grass Fed VS. Grass Finished

In the beef industry, Grass Fed and Grass Finished are commonly misinterpreted. While they may sound the same, they are different. Kind of like homophones. As previously stated before, the term “Grass Finished” refers to the lifestyle in which the steer completely forages on grass with an open pasture before being processed. The term “Grass-Fed” are under the same rules as Grass Finished with the exception the steer can be fed inside feedlots. So, Grass-Fed restricts the steers proximity to only being fed within a feedlot. A Grass Finished steer is able to forage on grass in wide open pastures. You’re not just buying the health benefits and quality with our Grass Finished beef, you’re also buying the lifestyle raised with the steer.

Beginnings

Rooted deep into the cattle industry, our story can be traced back for six generations. Six generations of our family have been incorporated into the cattle industry including myself. On April 28th 2018, I officially launched my beef retail business at the Stillwater Farmers Market. Today, we strive to provide both Fullblood Wagyu and Grass Finished beef to cater the needs of all beef connoisseurs. It’s important that everyone has a memorable experience with their steak.

Meet THE FOUNDER

"My roots run deep in the cattle business being a sixth generation cattle rancher. Our goal is to ensure product meets the need of the proper wagyu experience. We at the payne county beef company hope you taste this experience with us"

The practice of いただきます

In the Japanese language, the word “Itadakimasu” has two different meanings. At Payne County Beef Co., it’s our intention to uphold both meanings of the word “Itadakimasu.”

The first meaning of “Itadakimasu” is “giving great respect to the rancher.” We at Payne County Beef Co. provide Full Blood Wagyu and Grass Finished beef from ranchers who respect our steers. Our ranchers know the importance of keeping our steers in a low-stress while also catering to their needs.

All steers processed through Payne County Beef Co. have NO hormones infused into the beef.

The second meaning of “Itadakimasu” is “giving great respect to the steer.” We, at Payne County Beef Co., greatly respect all steers processed through our company by giving respect in their life and through consumption.

We, along with our ranchers, strictly believe in raising our steers naturally without any additives.

Through our Fullblood Wagyu steers, we respect them by assuring they’re placed in a low-stress environment. In addition to the low-stress environment, our Fullblood Wagyu steers are given proper treatment of feed and watering. We believe that proper care towards Wagyu cattle greatly increases the amount of marbling present in the final product.

Through our Grass Finished steers, we respect them by also placing them into a low-stress environment. This low-stress environment helps our Grass Finished steers to develop that desired low-fat content ratio. In addition, our ranchers monitor the Grass Finished steers to assure they’re finished completely on Oklahoma grass only.

Goal

Our goal is to provide a unique eating experience to each beef connoisseur. We value each connoisseur and hope you taste this experience with us.