Confused by grass-fed, Prime, or Wagyu labels at the meat counter? In this episode, Evan sits down with Desi Cicale of the Triple Crown Steak Challenge to break down exactly what these terms mean, how to tell them apart, and how to buy beef with confidence.

Desi has spent the last seven years researching beef quality, carcass merit, and running scientific taste panels at UC Davis. She brings real data and real experience to help you understand what you’re actually paying for.

In this Episode:

• What “grass-fed” really means—and why true grass-fed beef has yellow fat

• How to visually identify USDA Prime

• The difference between F1 Cross, Purebred, and Full-Blood Wagyu

• Why Wagyu often outperforms Prime in marbling, flavor, and tenderness

• How some beef labels can mislead consumers

• Tips for choosing steaks at the butcher counter

• Why supporting U.S. ranchers matters more than ever

Whether you're shopping for holiday steaks, learning how to spot real Wagyu, or just want a better understanding of the beef world, this episode gives you a practical blueprint for making smarter choices.

Learn more about Desi Cicale's Beef Studies: https://www.triplecrownsteakchallenge.com

Why is Wagyu beef different—and why are more ranchers betting their future on it?

In this episode of The Meat Dudes, Evan sits down with Jim Skartvedt of Renew Livestock & Five Bar One Meat to unpack everything most people never hear about Wagyu beef.

We get into:

• The real reasons ranchers choose Wagyu

• Why consumers are still intimidated by it

• How Wagyu’s genetics shape marbling, flavor, and tenderness

• The role of stress, feed, and environment in creating great beef

• The three-year journey from breeding to the steak on your plate

• Why American Wagyu is exploding—and where the industry is heading

• The health benefits, fatty acid profiles, and misconceptions around red meat

Jim also shares what most people don’t realize about ranchers, how hard it is to raise top-tier beef, and what it takes for independent producers to stay independent.

If you care about where your beef comes from—or why Wagyu tastes the way it does—this episode is a must-listen.

👉 Find Renew Livestock: renewlivestockcompany.com/
👉 Order beef: 5bar1meat.com

Subscribe for more rancher interviews, beef science, and real talk from the world of Wagyu.

Meat nerds, assemble. Evan and Tyler sit down with Dr. Phil Bass—associate professor of Meat Science at the University of Idaho, meat cutter since childhood, and all-around legend—to geek out on what actually makes beef great. Fresh off judging the American Wagyu Association’s “Best Steak in America” competition together, we dive into BMS scoring (yes, those 14s and 15s), why the USDA grade tops out too early for Wagyu, and what “quality” really means across tenderness, flavor, and juiciness.

We get into grass-finished vs. grain-finished (and why consistency matters), the truth about antibiotics and labels, how to shop smarter at the butcher counter, and why the future likely belongs to Wagyu crossbreeding. Plus: the magic of dry-aging, the umami bomb that is koji, myth-busting on Wagyu fat (hello oleic acid), and quick detours into Piedmontese, flat iron “meat jelly,” and why ribeye off the 5th rib slaps.

In this episode:

• Judging ultra-marbled Wagyu & reading the Japanese BMS 1–12

• USDA vs. AUS vs. JPN grading—should there be one global standard?

• Grass vs. grain: flavor, texture, and reliability

• Dry-aging, koji rubs, and regional mold “terroir”

• Labels, antibiotics, and how to actually talk to your butcher

• The next decade of Wagyu (hello, F1 crosses)

Dr. Bass’s pod: meatspad.com • Book: It’s Not a Cow (available on Amazon)
Hit play, get smarter, then go eat something worthy.