For big steak eaters, four pounds of ribeye may not seem worth $250; as one commenter on the Reddit post alleges, it’s barely enough to feed their family of five. But as others point out, A5 Wagyu isn’t the same as your typical ribeye. Because of the massive amount of marbling, it’s a very rich steak. As one person commented, “I love a good ribeye but I struggle to eat more than a few pieces of the A5.”
Wagyu follows a strict classification system based on the yield and the grade. A5 beef is the highest quality Wagyu can reach: It is a meat that has excellent marbling, texture, color, firmness, and fat. The Wagyu available at Costco is certified by the Japanese Meat Grading Association, signified by the logo on the sale sign. According to some commenters who have purchased Wagyu from Costco previously, each purchase also comes with a certificate, so it seems to be the real deal. If there’s any still available at the Irvine store (or any others), breaking the steak down into much smaller portions and freezing them — or throwing a big Wagyu party for your whole block — could be the best plan of attack for this kind of deal. The only thing sadder than not eating any Wagyu is overestimating how much A5 you can eat and wasting it.