A Dallas-based hospitality group has developed its own prime-graded Wagyu beef that is now being sold throughout its multiple restaurant locations and its new Fig & Favor market.
In order to provide a consistent, affordable, and high-quality beef product, Harwood Hospitality created its own Wagyu cattle breed, which has been directly derived from the bloodline of native Japanese cattle, Eater Dallas reported.
By definition, Wagyu refers to all cattle native to Japan. The word simply means “Japanese cow.” Akaushi is a breed of Japanese cattle renowned for their quality, marbling, tenderness, and unique taste, according to the American Wagyu Association.
Growing demand for this prime-graded beef product and its limited availability in Texas spurred Harwood’s culinary VP, Taylor Kearney, to form his own animal program and Wagyu herd in 2020.
“Selling beef in Texas is a competitive business, so it’s hard to stand out,” said Kearney, per reporting by Eater Dallas. “We wanted to serve the best beef available at an affordable price,” and in the end, “we couldn’t find beef that was both affordable and high-quality, so we decided to do it ourselves.”
To produce a high-enough quality cattle breed, Kearney worked closely with a Texas/Oklahoma rancher to develop and modify an effective food source that would yield a consistent beef product of predictable size.
By harnessing its own source of Wagyu beef, Kearney says that Harwood Hospitality is able to achieve stable pricing and has a better likelihood of staving off volatile market fluctuations.
“Now we know how much we’re paying per cow, and I can divide that up however I want,” Kearney told Eater Dallas. “I’m not relying on the beef market to tell me that. A $48 filet can stay at $48, even if the beef market shifts in six months.”
With such a quality product, Kearney ensures nothing goes to waste in his kitchens, committing financially and ethically to respecting and highlighting the cattle in every way possible.
“I try to run as zero-waste of a kitchen as possible,” Kearney said. “Most people buying cows never think about what happens to the parts you don’t eat.” Kearney ensures that nothing goes to waste — fat is made into tallow for use in the restaurant’s fryers and in candles sold at Fig & Favor, tendons and knuckles in dog treats, and hides in leather products.
The company’s unique Wagyu beef — HWD Premium Beef — became available in 2022 and can be found in a variety of dishes at its restaurants, which include Te Deseo’s, Mercat Bistro, Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar, Elephant East, Harwood Arms and Dolce Riviera.