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Pot roast is a classic American dish that many think of as the ultimate comfort food. A perfect pot roast is tender and melts in your mouth, all the while filling it with rich, beefy flavor. How do you choose the best meat for pot roast? There are many options, but we’ve found a specific cut, all but guaranteed to make your next pot roast memorable.

Find the Silver Lining - Introducing SRF Silver Label™ American Wagyu Beef  If you're a Snake River Farms enthusiast, you know about our Black and Gold marbling designations. SRF Black® (also known as Black Grade) represents our standard high level of marbling for our American Wagyu beef. Those looking for our top tier marbling select products with the SRF Gold®.   A third option for Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef is SRF Silver™ with marbling that falls below SRF Black®.      How to Pick the Right Grade for Your Tastes To understand how we classify SRF beef grades, it's good to know the basics of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) beef grading. The USDA separates domestic beef into eight grades based on intramuscular fat, also known as marbling, and other qualities like tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. The two highest grades are Prime and Choice. Prime is the top grade on the USDA scale and features abundant marbling.  At Snake River Farms, we produce beef that measures above USDA scores. We use the 12-point Beef Marbling Score or Beef Marbling Standard (BMS) from the Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) to measure the higher levels of marbling and quality that make our beef stand out.  SRF Black® and SRF Gold® both score above USDA Prime, while SRF Silver™ has marbling scores like USDA Prime: SRF Silver Label™ has a BMS of 4 to 5 with similar marbling to USDA Prime grade beef. SRF Black® has a BMS of 6 to 8 with significantly more marbling than USDA Prime grade beef.  SRF Gold® registers a BMS of 9 or higher and contains the highest level of marbling we offer.      Much More Than Marbling Marbling is a primary factor in determining beef quality. Other elements that affect flavor and texture are the cattle breed and how the animals are raised. Snake River Farms American Wagyu is a cross between purebred Japanese Wagyu and high-quality American cattle. These unique animals are raised on family-owned ranches and fed a special diet over a longer period of time than commodity beef. Both factors influence the final quality of SRF beef. The result is American Wagyu beef that has the rich marbling of Japanese Wagyu and the robust beef flavor that most folks associate with top-tier steaks and roasts.     Why Choose SRF Silver Label? While the marbling of SRF Silver Label™ American Wagyu is very similar to USDA Prime, it has other qualities that create a superior beef-eating experience. Meat scientists (yes, there really are meat scientists!) have run comprehensive taste tests and found that American Wagyu is significantly higher in buttery aroma and flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and umami. Although the results are from a scientific test, the differences are easy to detect for anyone who enjoys a good steak. SRF Silver Label™ offers a new option to our full line of American Wagyu and USDA Choice and Prime beef. This new addition is a delicious option worth exploring.     

Snake River Farms offers beef in five different grades. Double R Ranch Northwest beef options are USDA Choice and USDA Prime. American Wagyu is offered in SRF Silver™, SRF Black® and SRF Gold®. What are the differences between these grades? And which one is best for your next meal? We’ll explore these grades and look at the different flavor profiles of USDA grades and American Wagyu.

Ribeyes are often called the steak lover’s steak. Snake River Farms American Wagyu ribeye steaks are a steak lover’s dream. Beautiful marbling infuses each American Wagyu ribeye steak with complex flavor and juiciness.

Japanese A5 Wagyu is a premium grade of beef  prized by chefs and foodies worldwide. Learn how A5 wagyu compares to American wagyu.

What to buy for those who love to smoke meat but seem to have everything? You can’t go wrong with Wagyu Beef or Kurobuta Pork.

Meet Southside Market and Barbeque  Meet our partners, Bryan and Rachel Bracewell, the third-generation proprietors of Southside Market and Barbeque. Southside provides the expertise to produce our line of fully cooked American Wagyu smoked brisket, Kurobuta pork steaks, and beef and pork sausages. These products are the delicious result of combining our quality beef and pork with Southside’s 140 years of experience.  Learn about Southside’s deep history that started in Texas back in 1882. If you find yourself in Elgin, Texas, be sure to stop at Southside Market and Barbeque for some of the best BBQ in the state. Not sure of the address?  Just follow the aroma of brisket smoking over post oak to their location on Highway 290. Southside Market and Barbeque is the oldest BBQ joint in Texas. That’s quite a claim, considering the history of barbecue in the state. The title has been vetted by the publication, Texas Monthly, the official guide to barbecue throughout The Lone Star State. Southside’s history, and BBQ experience, goes back 140 years. Today there are four Southside restaurants that continue serving world class barbecue.   Southside - The Beginning The history of Southside dates to 1882 where it was started by William Moon, who raised and processed cattle. Moon sold his beef from a horse-drawn wagon he guided door to door to the homes in Elgin. Refrigeration wasn’t available, so any leftover beef was lost to spoilage. Moon solved this problem by making and smoking sausage with the beef he couldn’t sell. In 1886, Moon opened a brick and mortar butcher shop in town with Smoked Sausage and BBQ selling in the back of the store. Local legend says Moon’s smoked beef sausages quickly developed a following that stretched beyond Elgin.   The Next Chapter William Moon sold Southside to Lee Wilson in 1908 and Wilson continued the tradition of a butcher shop with a space in the back to sell cooked sausages and barbecue. There were multiple owners during the coming years, but one constant was Bud Frazier, who worked at Southside from 1895 to 1971. As the keeper of the flame, Frazier witnessed the changes of owners. He told stories of the business changing hands over late-night card games.   The Business Expands In 1991, the Bracewell’s purchased the old Security National Bank building on Hwy 290 in Elgin and moved from the original Central Avenue location. Ernest Sr. and his son, Billy, remodeled the new location to include a pit room, kitchen, meat market and meat plant. In July of 1992, the new Southside Market and Barbeque began making sausage and opened the restaurant. The basic meat-by-the-pound menu was expanded to include beans, potato salad and baby back ribs.   Bryan and Rachel - Next Up Southside continued to produce quality meats and barbecue throughout the 1990’s with many of the Bracewell family taking part in its success. In 2010, it was time to pass the torch. Bryan Bracewell and his wife, Rachel, officially purchased Southside Market and Barbeque from Bryan’s grandparents, Ernest and Adrene. Under their leadership, the family business continued to expand and there are now four total markets and restaurant locations in Texas. They can be found in the cities of Elgin, Bastrop, Austin and Hutto.   The SRF Connection The barbecue community is big in size, but closeknit when it comes to all the folks in the business. Through mutual contacts, Bryan reached out to Snake River Farms with an idea. Southside was making a fully cooked, smoked beef brisket for folks who loved barbecue but didn’t have the time, experience or desire to smoke their own. There was an opportunity to do the same with SRF American Wagyu beef. Snake River Farms has strong ties to competitive BBQ teams, where our briskets take home top honors every season. The reputation of SRF American Wagyu briskets carries over to experienced backyard pitmasters, but many of our great customers don’t have the equipment to do a brisket at home. The possibilities seemed tremendous.   A Fully Cooked Brisket? As Bryan says, “Some folks will bristle at a pre-cooked brisket. They're proud of how they smoke them at home. But there are folks who don’t have a smoker and they would love to serve authentic Central Texas barbecue.”  The SRF smoked brisket is prepared exactly the same way as the product Bryan and Rachel serve at Southside. “We use the same process, in fact the exact same BBQ pit that’s all wood fired with post oak wood. There’s no gas assist, just wood,” says Bryan, “The cook is in the 12 to 14 hour range at 210°F to 225°F . There’s no corner cutting, or any fancy ingredients used. A simple rub of salt and pepper is all that’s added to our American Wagyu.  The final product is pretty amazing. The flavor of smoke melds with the richness of our briskets.  “No surprise here,” says Bryan, “it’s just high quality beef, simple dry rub, real post oak wood, and time”. Here are SRF, we’re excited to work with Southside Market and Barbeque. All the products are quick frozen and arrive in our SRF black boxes ready to go. Just thaw, heat and serve.    

When it comes to meat and fresh vs frozen debate, it's important to understand how modern methods have closed the gap. Fresh? Frozen? Which is better? Discover the differences of fresh vs frozen meat and the effect each option has on quality.

Learn about lesser known steaks that are incredibly delicious and how the quality of American Wagyu beef elevates them to a new level.

The first step to successfully smoking meat is selecting the smoker that best suits your needs. Anyone who’s done a little smoker shopping knows there are many choices available to produce that classic smokey goodness. 

The Great Expanse  SRF’s cattle are born and bred on ranches like Northern Nevada’s massive IL Ranch — and tended to by folks like Sam Mori. Photographer Robert Jacob Lerma talks life, love and land with one of our longest-standing producers.   The Great Expanse The world seems to be moving faster and faster, but life doesn’t hurry in rural Northern Nevada. And neither does Sam Mori, a third-generation rancher and cattleman who makes his home outside Tuscarora, a tiny outpost about an hour’s drive northwest of Elko. It’s a peaceful drive up to the ranch. Homesteads are tucked here and there, with neighbors often miles apart from each other. Not much has changed over the years, and the folks who call these parts of the country home wouldn’t have it any other way. Cell phone signals are sparse. There are no supermarkets. Driving out here? You better have enough gas to get back. I didn’t see a gas station the whole way up, or many of life’s other conveniences, for that matter. Come to think of it, I saw none. Just thousands of cattle, roaming the vast IL Ranch’s 1.6 million acres (about twice the area of Rhode Island).   Born to be a Cowboy It takes a tough-as-nails person to live here. Even tougher to raise cattle in some of the most remote backcountry in America. But according to Sam, he’s been ranching “since I could walk.” I believe him. I’d guess he probably saddled up with his dad, Nelo Mori, even before that. Sam was born into the life. His father, who is still alive and well at 98, grew up in Fornovolasco, a town in the province of Lucca, Italy. Nelo’s family operated a restaurant and hotel there, but in 1938, when Nelo was 14, he and his father departed to Ellis Island. They eventually settled in Fallon, Nevada. “I have no idea how they ended up in Nevada,” Sam says. “My dad always wanted to be a cowboy and a cattleman, though.” The family cut wood for the mining operations around Fallon. Over the next few years, the family farmed row crops, branched out to alfalfa and corn, and built a feed lot for cattle. Buying their own cattle was the natural next step. When it was time to move the cattle from the ranch to Eureka, Nevada — a distance of more than 150 miles — Sam’s family did it the hard way. “Back then (in the 1940s), there were no trucks,” Sam explains. “So, when they went out to these ranches, they drove the cattle on horseback back to Fallon. He never put one of them on a truck or a trailer. That’s a long way from Eureka.” Funny thing, with as much technology as we have these days, much of the operation is still done the same way. We still drive cattle around the ranch on horseback. Fix fence, too,” Sam says. Some people go their whole lives not knowing what they want to do. Not Sam. Aside from four years at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in farm and ranch management with a minor in accounting in 1977, Sam has spent his whole life in the lands of Northern Nevada, raising and tending cattle. “I never had a backup plan,” he says. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t raise cattle. I never really thought about that, to be honest.”   Neighbors and Friends Sam met Robert Rebholtz Sr., the founder and visionary behind Agri Beef and Snake River Farms, around 1990. “Bob,” as Sam calls him, had cattle adjacent to his ranch. It was the beginning of a long relationship with Agri Beef, which continues to this day. “He was a good man,” Sam says. “Bob was an example of the American dream. He had a vision. A vision for himself. A vision for his family. A vision for his company. It’s very rare where you find someone who has a dream and is able to piece it all together and connect the dots. But he was intelligent and brave. He had a lot of guts.” After Bob’s untimely passing in 1997, his son, Robert Rebholtz Jr., took over the reins of the company. “You wonder if those kids (of Bob Sr.) were ready?” Sam remembers. “It was quite a scary thing for us as producers.” The uncertainty, as is common during transitional periods in any industry, gave pause to the relationship. “A boy became a man real quick,” Sam recalls. “And that’s hard. Bob prepared him. His father instilled values in his family first, and they, in turn, instilled these values in their family of companies. There’s a very high regard for the relationship and the respect they have for their customers and their customers’ needs. And in return, that develops trust from the company to their producers to their customers. It’s very impressive, and we appreciate what they’ve done for us as producers.” The relationship Sam maintains with Agri Beef is as strong as ever. It all begins and ends with trust and integrity, much like any important relationship in life. “Agri Beef has the latest technology with some of the oldest values. And that’s the difference. They still maintain personal relationships with all their customers,” Sam says.   An Extension of Family Sam’s primary operation revolves around backgrounding cattle, which is a beef production system that keeps cattle on pasture from the time calves are weaned until they are transitioned to a feedlot. “We have a purebred herd,” Sam says. “Basically, a seedstock center out in our place in Lovelock (Nevada).” This is where Sam develops his bulls and replacement heifers to create his herd. Sam operates multiple ranches across the region, each with a specific purpose. “As far as what’s here (Mori Ranch and parts of IL), we run a cow/calf operation,” he says. “We put out some yearlings, but that’s a flexible option according to the feed.” Being on the ranch with Sam, you can’t help but marvel at the beauty of the landscape. It’s the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere. Some places surprise you. This place surprised me. It’s peaceful and easy to understand why Sam values this place. He sees and spends more time with cattle than people. They’re important to him, too. “I probably take better care of them than I do myself,” Sam says. “We all do, actually.” It’s easy to detect the sincerity in his voice. It’s almost like the cows he raises are an extension of his family. They might as well be.   It's Not Work You’d never know by looking at his face, but Sam’s been ranching for 43 years, married for 44. He’s a family man who loves what he does. He’s in bed by 7 p.m. and up at 3 a.m., every day. “If you love what you do, it’s not work,” Sam says. When asked about the last time he took a vacation, Sam quickly quips, “Don’t ask that in front of my wife. I can’t tell you the last time. It’s been a while.” He’s 65 now and may not move as fast as he used to, but then again, this is cattle country. Sam moves at the speed of cattle. He estimates he’s raised thousands of them — at least 40,000, probably more. If you look at his genes and proclivity for work, Sam likely has tens more thousands of cattle to raise. And that’s just how he’d like it. “I’ll do this until I can’t do it anymore,” he says. We should all be so lucky.    

A Feast for the Eyes - Our Favorite Cookbooks Who couldn’t use a little inspiration? These cookbooks provide it, page after colorful page. Here at SRF, we see a lot of cookbooks (and we mean a lot of cookbooks), but these are the cream of the crop. Whether you buy them for yourself or for your favorite home cook, they’re sure to become kitchen staples.   For the Aspiring Pitmaster  Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue | Tuffy Stone   Six-time World Champion Tuffy Stone is known as “The Professor” because of his encyclopedic knowledge of smoke, wood, fire and meat. His book explains in clear detailed language how to use a smoker and create world-class barbecue in your own backyard.   For Those in Pursuit of Sublime Steak  Franklin Steak: Dry-Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef.  | Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay  Aaron Franklin won a James Beard award for his barbecue expertise and focuses his culinary prowess on steak. Co-written with spirit and food writer Jordan Mackay, this book is packed with info about beef, grilling, side dishes and everything needed to achieve steak perfection.    For Those New to the Kitchen   How to Cook: Building Blocks and 100 Simple Recipes for a Lifetime of Meals | Hugh Acheson    When the James Beard Award-winning author and chef Hugh Acheson’s daughter was headed to college, he wanted to equip her with the knowledge to cook simple and delicious meals. His project evolved and this book is the result. Perfect for those just learning their way around a stove, but equally valuable for seasoned home chefs.   For the Food Explorer  Field Notes for Food Adventure: Recipes and Stories from the Woods to the Oceans | Brad Leone   Bon Appetit’s resident funny guy is no joke in the kitchen. Famous for his YouTube videos, Brad brings his humor and insight to the written page. Join him as he hits the road in the Northeast in search of new tastes and techniques. It’s a heck of a ride.    For the Haute Cuisine Lover  Ad Hoc at Home | Thomas Keller Keller is a longtime SRF supporter and created the extraordinary 3-starred restaurant, The French Laundry. He focused the kitchen of Ad Hoc on the American comfort foods of his childhood. This book showcases over 200 recipes from Ad Hoc that highlights his culinary expertise with simpler fare.   For the Buddy who Just Got a Smoker   The Four Fundamentals of Smoking: Pit Master Secrets to Making Incredible BBQ at Home | Chris Sussman   Chris is a Snake River Farm's influencer and uses his vast experience to take the mystery out of barbecue by breaking down the process into simple, actionable steps. Never smoked a brisket? A complete tutorial guides you through the entire process from trimming to wrapping to slicing.    For the Social Media Chef   Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from my Barn in the Mountains | Tieghan Gerard   Like four million other followers, we discovered Tieghan Gerard on Instagram. Her easy-to-follow but deliciously complex recipes are all here. You find a bit of everything, ranging from crockpot classics to weekend-worthy meals. Ideal for busy folks and cooks who are still learning.   For the Process Fanatic  The Food Lab | J. Kenji Lopez-Alt   This book is an extension of Lopez-Alt’s column on Serious Eats, and it really is serious — there are no calls to carefree improvisation here. But science lovers will thrill at the detailed explanations and instructions that churn out impeccable results time after time.    For the Can-Do Home Chef  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook | Deb Perelman   Perelman’s award-winning blog smittenkitchen.com has launched a thousand imitators, and this cookbook proves why. Her recipes are somehow both easy to make and wildly impressive for both weeknight meals and get-togethers with friends.   For the Trivia Master   Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts | Daniel Holzman and Matt   Ever wonder why restaurant food just tastes better? Holzman and Rodbard decode the tips and tricks that separate the amateurs from the masters…all replicable at home. In addition to the culinary Q&A, the book includes delicious recipes that utilize the techniques identified and explained.       

Meet Mandy Tanner: Trained Chef and Team SRF Influencer  Mandy Tanner is one of the OGs of Team SRF. If you've surfed through our website, you've seen her photography and recipes. Mandy is a bona fide chef and graduated from the French Culinary Institute. Learn more about Mandy's background and how she became a trained chef,  a photographer and an influencer. She also includes some of her favorite tips for making Snake River Farms Kurobuta ham.  Don’t look at Mandy Tanner’s Instagram (@daydreamworkshop) posts if you’re hungry. Her glossy pics of grilled Snake River Farms Tomahawk, Cowboy and other American Wagyu beef cuts will torture your grumbling belly with deliciously captured details. The Orange County, California native took a high school class in photography but largely taught herself how to capture beautiful images of food with her iPhone. “I [recently] made the jump to a mirrorless full-frame camera, took a lot of bad pictures and learned in manual mode,” says the 41-year-old mother of one. “I’m pretty proud of what I’ve done the last few years.” Tanner’s journey to becoming a social media influencer sponsored by Traeger grills followed a winding road. While studying business in college, she interned at a recording label for an exec who had gone to culinary school. She introduced Tanner to some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles — which tapped into a passion for food that had first sparked in her childhood. “My grandmother is one of the big food influences in my life,” she says, remembering Italian pasta made from scratch on summer visits. Her parents divorced when she was 6, but those trips to her grandmother’s home nourished her with a lasting impression. “I’ve been able to take pictures of food we actually eat, carry the artistry through to every meal I make,” she says. While working with renowned chef Stephane Beau camp in an LA restaurant, Tanner expressed an interest in becoming a food stylist. “He said, ‘First learn to cook everything properly, with the proper techniques, then learn the tricks to make it look good on camera.’ It’s a whole different thing.”   So, Tanner left an uninspiring undergrad foray to attend the French Culinary Institute (now International Culinary Center) in New York City. She graduated with honors in 2005 with a degree in pastry arts.   These twin passions for food and photography converged when Tanner was in culinary school. Her parents wanted to see what she was working on, but emailing photos across the country was cumbersome, so she started posting on Instagram. That way, her folks could share their pride with all their friends. And unlike images of food in magazines — which are often coated with inedible substances to achieve that photogenic sheen — Tanner’s pics are the unadulterated real deal. “I’ve been able to take pictures of food we actually eat, carry the artistry through to every meal I make,” she says. After meeting and marrying her husband in Nashville, then giving birth to her daughter, Tanner’s little family of three moved to Texas. And new opportunities for expanding her skill set presented themselves. “I really wanted to learn how to make a brisket,” she says. “Backyard barbecue is completely different from anything we were doing in restaurants. It’s an art that they don’t have schools for — brisket, you have to learn by doing.” As Tanner’s popularity on social media grew, so did her culinary repertoire. Gaining sponsorship from Traeger Grills upped her influencer cred while sparking new inspiration for her cooking adventures. “As a mom, it’s one of the best grills,” she says. “I can monitor it from my iPhone or Apple watch, so I can play with my child or go to her dance class and [still] know the internal temp of my brisket.” Tanner loves cooking so many things that it’s hard to pinpoint her favorite. But one particular meal always hits home for her.  

Chris Sussman: The BBQ Buddha’s Quest for Grill Nirvana    Meet the BBQ Buddha, Chris Sussman, and get his take on freeing yourself from recipes by letting your senses lead the way to smoky, grilled SRF steak nirvana. Chris is a member of Team SRF and has published two books: "The Four Fundamentals of Smoking - Pit Master Secrets to Making Incredible BBQ at Home" and “The Ultimate Big Green Egg Cookbook”. Both are available from your favorite book seller. Pit master Chris Sussman began his journey toward barbecue enlightenment early. His father owned steakhouses in the Washington, D.C., area, and Sussman worked in them as a busboy, line cook, server and more throughout his adolescence. Regular visits to relatives included frequent stops at Pierce’s Pit BBQ in Williamsburg, Virginia, where pulled pork sandwiches were topped with house-made coleslaw and accompanied by ice cold bottles of Dr. Pepper. Back home, Sussman and his dad mixed brands of sauce, trying to replicate Pierce’s unique flavors. “Much like the ‘Karate Kid,’ you’ve got to go through the motions before you can have clarity,” he says. The 55-year-old northern Virginia native continues to experiment, learn and cook award-winning dishes, with a preference for Snake River Farms American Wagyu New York strip steaks and Big Green Egg grills. Follow his quest to break free from the tyranny of recipes and find grilling Nirvana.   The BBQ Buddha's Origin Story In college, Sussman studied philosophy and fell in love with Eastern schools of thought, especially Buddhism. Throughout the stages of his life — marriage, fatherhood, a first career in IT, his long exploration of offset smoke grilling — he carried the principles of Buddhism with him. But one was a recurrent stumbling block. “I just can’t commit to being a vegetarian,” he says. “It’s a hard line for me because I love barbecue so much.” His wife, Debbie, cut through his struggle with pragmatism: “She said, ‘there’s no rules in life, just be both.’” With that loving permission, he humbly accepted his moniker as the BBQ Buddha.   The Why, The Wood, and The Way During his corporate years, Sussman relieved weekday stress with weekend grilling. He treated food like an engineering project, keeping meticulous journals of his failures and obsessing over the rules of each recipe. After years of research, he had an epiphany. “I started seeing the story between the recipes,” he says. He began to see that he was relying too heavily on prescribed steps that pertained to only one cook’s specific environment, cut of meat, type of grill. As he learned to trust his own five senses, he picked up on nuances that indicated how different types of wood affected flavor, how various environs produced heat, how meat reacted to temperature, time and technique. These insights revealed Sussman’s way of “Grilling by Feel,” which has become his true Buddhist path. “If you want to learn how to cook great things over live fire, I’m the Buddha to lead you to the way,” he says.   The Fundamentals of Fearlessness Sussman’s book, “The Four Fundamentals of Smoking,” lays out the basic elements you need to know how to control to master your grilling universe. Get your autographed copy on Sussman’s website. Here’s a teaser of those four principles to pique your appetite: Combustion and Fuel Source: Explore live wood vs. dead wood, wood as fuel source vs. what wood does to your food. “White, billowing smoke is just the show, the beginning,” Sussman says. “You don’t want that acrid flavor on your food.” Humidity: “Smoky flavor comes from the gases released through combustion, and the way those gases are absorbed in the meat is through proper humidity in your cooking environment.” This section discusses the cues to manage that. Temperature Control: What is the linear effect of temperature to time? Why is barbecue between 225 and 250 degrees? “Temp and time are just numbers, but it’s not a one-for-one relationship,” Sussman says. “Mastering those variables breaks you open as a cook, especially on live fire.” How to Know When It’s Done: “This trips everyone up. I go into the visual and touch cues, in addition to time and internal temp, to master knowing that this meat is finished.”   The Buddha's Bottom-Line Advice “Don’t be afraid to fail, even with that super expensive piece of Snake River Farms beef,” Sussman counsels. “You bought it for a reason, now go out there and learn how to do it.”    

Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef can be prepared using your favorite techniques and recipes. The key to achieving maximum flavor is a perfect sear — which creates a golden-brown, flavorful crust — and ample seasoning. Here are some chef-proven tips for the best finished steak or roast possible.

  The Delmonico – A Steak of Aristocratic Proportions The Delmonico is a steak you sometimes see on the menu of a high-end steakhouse. As often occurs in the steak world, there’s no agreement on the precise definition of the Delmonico. Some say it’s a ribeye, some say it’s a New York strip. There's general agreement the Delmonico is a large, well-marbled, thick-cut steak. A popular theory is it was served at Delmonico’s, known as the first fine dining restaurant in the U.S. Since the restaurant operated in the 1840s, there is not a record of the exact cut that was the Delmonico.   In the Delmonico Guide: The Distinguished Delmonico What is the Delmonico Steak How does the Delmonico Taste? What's the Best Way to Cook the Delmonico? Steak House Method Reverse Sear Sous Vide Grilling Slicing the Delmonico Our Favorite Delmonico Recipes Wagyu Delmonico Steak from Snake River Farms   The Distinguished Delmonico The Snake River Farms Delmonico is a very rare and exclusive steak with a history of its own. John Kosmidis, COO of Prime Food Distributor (our dry-aging and specialty cut partner), worked in his uncle’s butcher shop as a boy and gave us background into the history of the Delmonico steak as was told to him when he was 11 years old. The head butcher at his uncle’s shop had worked at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Known for elegance and outstanding customer service, the Waldorf maintained its own butcher shop. One of the hotel’s most esteemed guests was the Prince of Monaco. At that time, as it is today, a visit to NYC was not complete without a lavish steak dinner. The Waldorf’s in-house butchers would prepare for the Prince’s visit by sourcing the finest beef subprimals they could find Using the full striploin, the special steak was cut from the 13th rib. This is the only rib bone within the striploin complex. This very specific location yielded a steak that was highly marbled, possessed a distinctive texture, and weighed more than two pounds. The loosely translated French name for this cut is de Monaco or del Monaco in Italian. Assuming these were starting points, we can postulate that over time the name evolved to simply Delmonico.   What is a Delmonico Steak  The Delmonico steak is cut from the longissimus dorsi muscle where the rib primal and loin primal converge. Each beef animal has 13 ribs, numbered from 1 at the front to 13 at the rear. Ribs 6 through 12 (7 total ribs) are associated with the rib primal. The 13th rib is part of the loin and this is specifically where the Delmonico is sourced.   The loin primal is where New York strip steaks are cut so the Delmonico resembles a large strip steak. At this point, the spinalis dorsi (or cap of ribeye) and internal swath of fat ends, leaving a solid rectangular section of well-marbled beef.   Because the Delmonico is a cut from the loin, only two Delmonico steaks can be sourced from each cow, one from each side.   How Does the Delmonico Taste? The Delmonico has a flavor that is rich and delicious. Since it is cut from the section between the ribeye and strip steak, it has a deep beefiness and is exceptionally juicy from its intense marbling. The texture is very similar to a great strip steak – firm and satisfying. It does not contain the swath of fat that is found in a ribeye, so it is more uniform. This is a bone-in steak, so the meat on the bone side is insulated from the heat and stays very juicy and tender.   BACK TO TOP     What's the Best Way to Cook the Delmonico? The Delmonico is a large, thick steak and an ideal candidate for the reverse sear. This can be accomplished using an oven and skillet indoors or a grill set up in 2-zone fashion outdoors. Sous vide, very similar in theory to the reverse sear, is also an excellent way to prepare the Delmonico.  Good results can also be obtained using the steak house method. The American Wagyu beef experts at Snake River Farms breakdown each method for how to cook a Delmonico steak:   Steak House Method  Heat oven to 350°Generously season the Delmonico on both sides with kosher salt or your favorite steak rub. Since this is a very thick steak, season the sides. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add a light coat of neutral vegetable oil, like grapeseed or canola. Place the steak in the hot skillet and sear for 4 minutes on each side. Also, sear the edge with the fat cap for about 2 minutes. Place the Delmonico and skillet in the heated oven. After 5 minutes, flip the steak. Let bake another 4 minutes and check the temperature. A steak of this size may show a good deal of temperature variability so test the temperature in multiple spots. When the steak reaches your desired temperature (rare-110°F, medium-rare-120°F, medium-130°F) remove from the oven, pull from the skillet, set on a cutting board and let it rest. Loosely cover with foil to help retain heat. As noted many times, this is a very large steak and the resting period is more important than with smaller cuts. Let it rest at least 10 minutes. 15 minutes is better. This allows time for the ample juices to be reabsorbed and to let the temperature throughout the entire steak. Slice and serve. To make slicing easier, cut the bone from the steak. The grain of the Delmonico changes direction from one end of the steak to the other. Find the section where the grain changes direction and cut the steak at that point so you have two pieces. Slice each section of the steak against the grain at a 90 degree angle. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes each bite provide a more tender slice.     Reverse Sear  This is the preferred cooking method for steak fanatics and is an outstanding way to prepare a cut of this significant weight and thickness. The lower starting temperature cooks the meat slowly and evenly, so it is ready for a perfect final sear. How to reverse sear the Delmonico steak:   Heat oven to 250°F to 275°F degrees. Lower temperatures will take longer but provide a more even cook. Season steak with kosher salt, pepper and/or your favorite rub. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a metal rack on top. Set the steak on the rack. The idea is to elevate the steak from the pan so heat can circulate freely. Place the pan, grill and steak in the oven. Bake until the steak reaches the temperature that matches your preference (rare-110°F, medium-rare-120°F, medium-130°F) using a meat thermometer. Check the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the steak. This will take anywhere from about an 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Since every oven is different, start checking the temperature after 45 minutes. Do not overcook! Once your steak hits your desired target temperature, remove it from oven, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a light coating of vegetable oil to a heavy skillet and heat over high heat until hot. Sear steak on each side for 60 to 90 seconds to form a beautiful crust. Also sear the fat cap. Remove from the pan, slice against the grain and serve.   Sous Vide  This is a very precise way to cook your Delmonico but requires minimal effort for a perfect steak. This requires an immersion circulator and a water bath container. How to sous vide the Delmonico Steak:   Set your immersion circulator to desired temperature (see chart below) and heat water bath. The temperatures for sous vide are higher than for other methods but are proven to work best for this method. Season the Delmonico with salt and pepper and seal with a food sealer or place in a zip lock freezer bag and remove excess air by placing open bag in water bath and then sealing. Doneness Temp Range Time Range Rare 122° to 125°F 1.75 to 2 hrs. Medium Rare  125° to 130°F 2 to 2.5 hrs. Medium  130°F to 135°F 2 to 2.5 hrs. 3. Place sealed bag into the sous vide tank. See above chart for cooking time range. It's fin to cook the steak for up to 3 hours. 4. Remove steak from the bag, place on a cutting board or rack and remove excess moisture with paper towels or clean kitchen towel. Season with salt. 5. Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on burner. Add neutral vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat until the oil starts to smoke. 6. Add the steak to the pan and sear on all sides so that the entire cut has a nice brown crust. Since the steak is already cooked, the goal is to get a savory brown crust on all surfaces as quickly as possible. 7. Remove from the skillet, allow to rest for a few minutes. 8. Slice against the grain and serve.  Grilling If you prefer the flavor of grilled meat, here’s how to cook your Delmonico in the great outdoors. Any grill works, as long as it can be set up with a hot side and a cool side. How to grill the Delmonico steak:   Season the Delmonico liberally with kosher salt. You can also add your favorite rub, like the Snake River Farms Steak Seasoning. Set your grill up for two-zone cooking. For charcoal grills, arrange the hot coals to one half of the grill. For gas grills, turn the burner on one side to a medium low setting. The idea is to turn the covered grill into an oven. If your grill has air vents, close them to about half to keep the temperature lower. Place the Delmonico on the cool side and close the lid. Check the internal temperature of the steak frequently. Flip the steak each time you check. The cool side of a grill radiates heat from the bottom and occasional turning will cook the steak evenly. When the steak reaches the desired temperature (rare-110°F, medium-rare-120°F, medium-130°F), remove it from the grill. Lift the lid and open the vents to get the grill up to high heat. For gas grills, turn the heat to its highest setting. Rest the steak on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes while the grill comes to temperature. Quickly put a final sear on the steak on the hot grill. Remove and allow to rest for a few minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.     BACK TO TOP     Slicing the Delmonico When you come across a cut as special as the legendary Delmonico steak, you want to do it justice. Fortunately, the culinary experts at Snake River Farms have found that the Delmonico fits perfectly into any of our renowned ribeye or NY strip recipes. Here are some of the best recipes for Delmonico steak: Steakhouse Delmonico With Potatoes and AsparagusThe Delmonico is a steakhouse legend with a storied history. Team SRF member Mandy Tanner has created an awe-inspiring dinner that features the SRF Gold Grade Delmonico. Mandy elevated the classic side dish potatoes au gratin with Yukon Golds and the nutty richness of gouda cheese. To round out the meal, Chef Tanner offers up chilled asparagus with a Dijon lemon butter sauce. To add texture, the veggies are topped with crispy breadcrumbs. > Learn More. Sous Vide Delmonico (or NY Strip) With Truffle ButterAs you might guess from its name, the NY strip is one of the last steaks cut from the striploin end and has collagenous material that can be a little tough. Chef Emmanuel Baiden (@mannyeasts on Instagram) developed a recipe that uses sous vide cooking to help soften the chewy bits.As an elegant touch, the steak is finished with a special compound butter made with shallots, garlic and real truffles. This is a great final touch to try on other steaks. This recipe requires an immersion circulator (sous vide machine).  > Learn More.  Steakhouse Delmonico (or Ribeye): Restaurant Steaks at HomeHere's a simple marinade with the flavors of a classic steakhouse ribeye. Easy to make, this marinade is a great way to elevate Steak Night to mimic restaurant style steak. Sarah Kelly is a Boise native and self-taught chef with broad restaurant experience in restaurant from fine dining to barbeque. She was the executive chef at the Lodge at Cordillera in Vail where she met her husband, DK. Together they moved back to Boise, opened the local legend, Bleubird, closed it in 2017 and opened Petite 4, a French-inspired restaurant which is a cornerstone of the Boise culinary scene. > Learn More.  Get a USDA Prime Delmonico Steak  delivered directly to your door and prepare yourself for a meal fit for royalty.   BACK TO TOP      

Berkshire Pork and the Kurobuta Difference  Snake River Farms is renowned for American Wagyu beef. But some special meals call for ham, either as a tradition or for a change of pace. Our 100% Kurobuta pork hams elevate any meal with incredibly easy preparation and mind-blowing flavor. Learn all about the incredible heritage of Berkshire hogs and Snake River Farms Kurobuta hams — and how to choose the perfect ham for your holiday celebration.      What is Berkshire Pork? Berkshire pork comes from a specialty breed of pigs from Berkshire County, England. It is known for its higher level of marbling which lends a more tender and juicier flavor than regular pork. Berkshire pork is often referred to as Kurobuta or “black hog” in Japanese, a name given to the pigs when they were first imported to Japan. Kurobuta pork is the opposite of factory-farmed, commodified pork. Like American Wagyu cattle, Berkshire hogs are genetically predisposed to producing beautifully marbled meat. Marbling means flavor, and Kurobuta pork delivers a robust and rich sensation in every bite. You’ll notice Kurobuta pork has a deeper reddish hue than grocery store pork. That reflects its naturally higher pH, a product of exceptional marbling and an indicator of deeper flavor. Add to those qualities a closely monitored diet and humane conditions, and you’ve got pork cuts that deliver an unsurpassed dining experience.     Berkshire Pig Origins  Berkshire hogs have been bred and raised in Berkshire County, England for over 400 years. With their distinctive black color and richly hued flesh, Berkshire hogs have long been prized as a heritage breed — which means they are raised for exceptional flavor and tenderness, not speed or disease resistance like most commodity animals. Think of them in the same arena as an heirloom tomato. Berkshire pigs were some of the first imports Japan allowed at the end of its isolationist period in the 1800s. Renamed Kurobuta, their purebred progeny is still raised on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where their full flavor and remarkable juiciness gained acclaim among upscale diners throughout the 20th century.     Sustaining a Heritage of Pure Quality By the 1950s, Berkshire hogs had made their way to farms in the United States. These black beauties raked in championships and set a high standard for the American palate. In the post-World War II boom of commercial meat production, their popularity waned. Thankfully, a handful of small family farms persevered in cultivating this historic breed across the Midwest, particularly in Iowa. Much like the visionary founder of Snake River Farms, these hardworking families continue to champion sustainable farming practices and passionately safeguard the purebred genetics and superior quality of Kurobuta pork raised right here in America’s heartland.     Berkshire Pig Characteristics Snake River Farms offers a full line of Kurobuta hams that arrive at your door fully cooked and frozen for safe transport. Choose a ham sized to accommodate the number of people you’re serving, with eight to 12 ounces as the portion size. The choice of bone-in vs boneless depends on your priorities: Flavorful Tradition: If the best possible flavor is your top concern, go for the traditional look of our half or whole bone-in hams. Not only does the meat closest to the bone achieve an incredibly juicy and tender finish, but the leftover bone makes a savory foundation for soups and stocks. Convenient Serving: Opt for an SRF boneless ham if you value convenience at the table. These are comprised of the same high-quality Kurobuta pork and cured to the same level of perfection as bone-in hams, but they’re easier to slice and plate. Whichever type of SRF ham you choose, be sure to allow several days to safely thaw it before heating it thoroughly in your oven or on the grill. Get amazing flavor just as it is or change it up with our glaze recipe ideas.