An American Steakhouse Bid In A Private Japanese Wagyu Beef Auction For The First Time — And Then Served It

On Monday night about two dozen journalists, steak-enthusiasts and all-around hungry people gathered in a private room at Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to enjoy an experience months in the making.

For the first time ever, Americans were about to dine on the highest quality Japanese Wagyu steak purchased at one of the country’s exclusive beef auctions. Greg Sherry, a co-owner of Old Homestead along with his brother Marc, traveled to Japan’s Gunma prefecture to bid on some beef and bring it back home.

Rose Corr for Business Insider(Left to right) Marc and Greg Sherry, owners of Old Homestead

“Marc and I always try to be the first in everything we do,” Sherry told Business Insider. “Wagyu is something Marc and I brought to this country 18 years ago and we’ve just kept searching for the best of the best of the best.”

▼(Left to right) Marc and Greg Sherry, owners of Old Homestead

An American Steakhouse Bid In A Private Japanese Wagyu Beef Auction For The First Time — And Then Served It2Rose Corr for Business Insider

Indeed, in some meat-circles the Sherry brothers are known as ‘The Ambassadors of Steak’ for lobbying Japanese and American food regulators to get Wagyu to America in the first place. Eating the extra fatty steak has been a culinary experience for steak lovers across the country ever since.

Wagyu is distinct because of the way the cattle is raised — and that is, slowly. Unlike your average 1,600 lbs American cattle, Wagyu cattle are not force fed or allowed to graze (all that running around builds too much muscle). They’re also only brought up to about 1,300 lbs.

The result is an incredibly fatty, tender meat that melts in your mouth like butter.

Steak butter.

Think about that.

▼ The Old Homestead BQT

An American Steakhouse Bid In A Private Japanese Wagyu Beef Auction For The First Time — And Then Served It3Rose Corr for Business Insider

Greg Sherry started the process of getting into the auction about 4 months ago. Once he was approved, he jetted over to Japan. It took about 45 days for the meat to get through customs after purchase.

Once it got to the U.S., Marc Sherry went to work creating a tasting menu for the launch (yes, a meat launch).

On Monday night guests dined on five courses including Wagyu tenderloin bites, a Wagyu chuck mini burger with quail egg and truffles (a BQT), Wagyu sirloin Carpaccio, a Wagyu rib steak, and homemade vanilla bean Wagyu ice cream.

It was incredibly rich and incredibly incredible.

It’s also, of course, incredibly expensive. A 12 oz cut of Japanese steak will run you about $350 at Old Homestead.

So save up.
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