When you're looking for something just the other side of spectacular, the American Wagyu Gold Grade cowboy steak is an excellent choice. Weighing in at over two pounds, this bone-in ribeye has quantity and quality in its corner.
The Gold Grade cowboy steak is full-bodied and has the velvety-rich flavor of American Wagyu ribeye. This uncommon steak's size and its signature "Frenched" or exposed rib bone, makes for an impressive presentation for nearly any special occasion. Graded on the Japanese Beef Marbling Scale (BMS) at 9+, it's the highest level of marbling available in an American Wagyu steak from Snake River Farms. See our Cowboy Steak Guide to learn more about this steak and our favorite ways to prepare it.
Beef Grading 101
This steak is American Wagyu Gold Grade, rated 9+ on the Japanese Beef Marbling Score (BMS)
Beef sold in the U.S. is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are eight total grades and the top grade is USDA Prime.
All Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef grades above Prime. Special breeds of cattle like Japanese Wagyu are capable of producing marbling beyond their American counterparts. To grade this high level of marbling, we adopted the Japanese Beef Marbling Score.
Using BMS, beef marbling is measured on a scale from 1 to 12, with a 1 being Select beef and a 12 being the highest level of marbling possible.
BMS 4 to 5 USDA Prime
BMS 6 to 8 SRF Black Grade
BMS 9+ SRF Gold Grade
Meatology
The cowboy steak is cut from the rib primal which covers ribs six through twelve and is located between the chuck and loin primals. A full ribeye, like the cowboy steak, has three major muscles. The longissimus dorsi, or large center eye, the complexus, a smaller side muscle which is not always present depending on where the steak is cut, and the spinalis dorsi, also called the cap of ribyeye or deckle. The cap is universally known as the single most flavorful and tender cut. The muscles of the ribeye are held together with tender sinew with large swaths of rich fat between them.
Fast fact: Ribeye steaks and prime rib both come from the exact same subprimal. Think of the cowboy cut as either a very large steak or a smaller prime rib - perfect as a holiday meal for two.