Step 4: Sear both sides on high heat (oil is optional)
Place your cold cut of Japanese A5 Wagyu on the hot skillet and let it rip.
Hughes notes that, because the fat content, you can forgo oil altogether if you wish. If you opt for oil, he says it needs to be a neutral, high smoke point oil like safflower oil — not common cooking oils like olive or peanut oil.
“To coax intense umami flavors from A5 steak, developing a caramelized crust is key.”
Hughes says cooking A5 Wagyu, contrary to popular belief, is the easy part. Unlike a thick, marbly ribeye, it cooks quickly and rather evenly.
“To coax intense umami flavors from A5 steak, developing a caramelized crust is key. Allow the steak to cook for about three minutes on the first side and then flip and repeat for two minutes on the other side,” Hughes says.