Hook and Cleaver Ranch®
Back home
From the Ranch Kitchen

Cook It Like a Chef.

Every cut deserves to be cooked right. Chef-tested recipes, timing, and technique for your American Akaushi Wagyu — from weeknight flat irons to weekend brisket.

Cast-Iron Reverse-Sear Ribeye
Medium 50 min Serves 2

Cast-Iron Reverse-Sear Ribeye

Cut used: Ribeye Steak

Low-and-slow in the oven, then a screaming-hot cast iron crust. Edge-to-edge medium rare with a steakhouse sear.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi ribeye, 1.5–2 in. thick
  • Kosher salt + coarse black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp neutral high-smoke oil (avocado or grapeseed)
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 garlic cloves (smashed)
Method
  1. 1.Pat the ribeye bone-dry. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Rest at room temp 30 min.
  2. 2.Heat oven to 250°F. Set steak on a rack over a sheet pan. Roast until internal temp reaches 115°F (about 25–30 min).
  3. 3.Heat cast iron over high until smoking. Add oil. Sear steak 60–75 sec per side until deep brown crust forms.
  4. 4.Drop heat to medium. Add butter, thyme, garlic. Tilt pan and baste 45 sec.
  5. 5.Rest 5 min on a board. Slice against the grain. Finish with flaky salt.
Reverse-Sear Flat Iron
Easy 35 min Serves 2

Reverse-Sear Flat Iron

Cut used: Flat Iron Steak

Weeknight royalty — buttery tender, fast, and forgiving. Perfect for a salad, taco, or rice bowl.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi flat iron, ~0.625 lb
  • Kosher salt + cracked pepper
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter, 1 sprig rosemary
Method
  1. 1.Season the flat iron 30 min before cooking. Pat dry.
  2. 2.Oven at 250°F — roast on a rack to 120°F internal (~15–20 min).
  3. 3.Sear in a smoking-hot cast iron 60 sec per side. Baste with butter and rosemary the last 30 sec.
  4. 4.Rest 5 min. Slice thin against the grain.
Low-and-Slow Smoked Wagyu Brisket
Weekend Project 12+ hrs Serves 10–12

Low-and-Slow Smoked Wagyu Brisket

Cut used: Wagyu Brisket

The Texas-style standard, dialed in for Akaushi's rich marbling. Worth every hour of the wait.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi brisket, 10–14 lb, trimmed
  • ½ cup coarse kosher salt
  • ½ cup coarse black pepper
  • Post oak or hickory wood
  • Butcher paper for the wrap
Method
  1. 1.Trim fat cap to ~¼ in. Coat brisket all over with a 50/50 salt-pepper rub.
  2. 2.Smoke fat-side up at 225°F until the bark sets and internal hits 165–170°F (6–8 hrs).
  3. 3.Wrap tightly in butcher paper. Return to smoker until probe slides in like warm butter — typically 200–205°F internal.
  4. 4.Rest in a dry cooler, wrapped, for 1–2 hours. Don't skip the rest.
  5. 5.Slice the flat against the grain at pencil thickness. Slice the point thicker, or chop for burnt ends.
Pan-Seared New York Strip
Easy · 20 min 20 min Serves 2

Pan-Seared New York Strip

Cut used: New York Strip

Bold flavor, firm bite. The classic strip done right in a single hot pan.

Ingredients
  • 2 Akaushi NY strips, ~0.875 lb each
  • Kosher salt + black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 Tbsp butter, 4 garlic cloves, 3 sprigs thyme
Method
  1. 1.Salt the strips 40 min ahead. Pat dry just before cooking.
  2. 2.Heat cast iron until smoking. Add oil, lay strips away from you.
  3. 3.Sear 3 min per side. Add butter, garlic, thyme. Baste 1 min, flipping once.
  4. 4.Pull at 125°F internal for medium rare. Rest 7 min. Slice against the grain.
Show-Stopper Tomahawk on the Grill
Medium 1 hr 15 min Serves 4

Show-Stopper Tomahawk on the Grill

Cut used: Tomahawk Steak

Built for the grill and the camera. Two-zone fire for a crusty sear and a perfect pink center.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi tomahawk, ~2.5 lb
  • Kosher salt + coarse pepper
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Compound butter (butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest)
Method
  1. 1.Salt 1 hr ahead. Build a two-zone fire — coals piled to one side.
  2. 2.Place steak on the cool side, lid closed, until internal hits 115°F (35–45 min).
  3. 3.Move directly over coals. Sear 90 sec per side, rotating for grill marks, until 125°F internal.
  4. 4.Rest 10 min under foil with a slab of compound butter melting on top.
  5. 5.Slice off the bone, then cut against the grain into thick strips. Serve family-style.
Brazilian-Style Picanha
Medium 45 min Serves 4–6

Brazilian-Style Picanha

Cut used: Picanha Roast

Fat cap up, coarse salt only. Sliced thin across the grain for true churrascaria flavor.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi picanha, ~2.5 lb, fat cap intact
  • 2 Tbsp coarse rock salt
Method
  1. 1.Score the fat cap in a shallow crosshatch. Salt heavily on all sides.
  2. 2.Sear fat-side down over high heat until the cap is deep golden (5–7 min). Flip and sear 2–3 min.
  3. 3.Move to indirect heat, fat-side up. Cook to 125°F internal for medium rare.
  4. 4.Rest 8 min. Slice with the grain into 1-in. steaks, then each steak against the grain.
Santa Maria Tri-Tip
Easy 45 min Serves 6

Santa Maria Tri-Tip

Cut used: Tri-Tip

Coastal California classic — garlic, pepper, oak smoke, and a perfect pink center.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi tri-tip, ~2.5 lb
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp coarse pepper
  • 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
Method
  1. 1.Mix the rub, coat the tri-tip all over, rest 30 min.
  2. 2.Grill over medium-high heat, fat-side up, lid closed, ~20 min.
  3. 3.Flip, sear hard 5–8 min until 130°F internal.
  4. 4.Rest 10 min. Slice — the grain changes direction halfway through, so always cut against it.
The Ultimate Wagyu Smashburger
Easy · 15 min 15 min Serves 2

The Ultimate Wagyu Smashburger

Cut used: Ground Wagyu

Thin, crusty edges, jammy onions, melty cheese. The burger Akaushi was born for.

Ingredients
  • 1 lb Akaushi ground beef, divided into 4 loose 0.25-lb balls
  • Kosher salt + pepper
  • 4 slices American cheese
  • ½ yellow onion, very thinly sliced
  • 4 soft potato buns, toasted in butter
Method
  1. 1.Heat a flat-top or cast iron over high heat.
  2. 2.Place a ball of beef on the surface, top with a pinch of onion, and smash hard with a stiff spatula for 15 seconds.
  3. 3.Season the top. Cook 90 sec until edges are lacy and dark.
  4. 4.Flip, immediately add cheese, cook 30 sec.
  5. 5.Stack two patties per bun. Add sauce of choice. Eat immediately.
Teres Major with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Medium 30 min Serves 2–3

Teres Major with Red Wine Pan Sauce

Cut used: Teres Major

A butcher's secret cut — silky tender, dressed in a glossy red wine reduction.

Ingredients
  • 1 Akaushi teres major, ~2 lb
  • Salt + pepper
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 shallot (minced), 1 cup dry red wine, 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 Tbsp cold butter
Method
  1. 1.Season generously. Sear in a hot cast iron 2 min per side on all four sides.
  2. 2.Finish in a 400°F oven to 125°F internal (~6–8 min). Rest on a board.
  3. 3.In the same pan, sauté shallot 1 min. Deglaze with wine, reduce by ⅔.
  4. 4.Add stock, reduce by half. Off heat, whisk in cold butter.
  5. 5.Slice teres against the grain. Spoon sauce over the top.
Shop the Cuts