Meat guide
Breeds & programs
Breed, feed and grade are the three things that actually decide how a piece of meat eats — and they are where most of the marketing happens. These guides say plainly what each label means, and what it does not.
Breeds
Ora King Salmon
The same species as wild king, farmed for fat and sold year-round.
Which Salmon Should I Buy?
Pick salmon by how it eats. Ora King is the richest and silkiest, with a sweet, mild flavor. Atlantic is rich and mild at the l...
Australian Wagyu: Fullblood and Wagyu-Angus Cross
Wagyu genetics raised in Australia. Fullblood is 100% Wagyu with no Angus cross. Most Australian Wagyu sold is a Wagyu-Angus cr...
Wagyu by Origin: Japan vs. Australia vs. America
One word, three countries, three different steaks — and the label alone won't tell you which one you're buying.
Ibérico Pork: Bellota, the Labels, and the Cuts
The only pork routinely cooked like steak, and the only pig routinely finished on acorns.
Black Angus Beef
The breed most American steak comes from — and the word most often mistaken for a grade.
Berkshire and Kurobuta Pork
Heritage pork that is actually worth cooking to medium instead of to safety.
American Wagyu: Fullblood, Purebred and Crossbred
Wagyu genetics on American and Australian pasture — richer than Prime, far easier to eat than A5.
Feed programs
Grading systems
Wagyu Grading: What A5 and BMS Actually Mean
The letter is yield, the number is quality, and the number that actually predicts richness is the BMS.
USDA Beef Grades: Prime, Choice and Select
Three retail grades, one measurement: how much fat is inside the muscle.
Japanese Wagyu
The most marbled beef in the world, sold by a grading system that actually means something.
