a quick guide to picking your hb beef

Hi Bräu Beef Co.
Mar 31
3 min read

If you’ve never heard of South Poll, Akaushi, or Wagyu… you’re not alone. This guide helps you choose the right beef based on marbling, richness, flavor, and finish style without needing a cattle PhD.

start here: what's your flavor profile?

if you want lean, clean, "real beef" flavor

Choose Grass-Finished South Poll.

Finish: 100% grass-finished
Experience: clean, classic beef flavor; leaner; not buttery
Best For: everyday eating, grilling, meal prep, health conscious, “I want beef that tastes like beef”

Nutrition Note: Our grass-finished South Poll has tested around an Omega 6:3 ratio of ~1.4:1 (that’s considered optimal), based on Clemson University testing.

if you want a classic steakhouse experience (balanced crowd-pleaser)

Choose Grain-Finished Angus.

Finish: pasture-raised + grain-finished
Experience: familiar steak flavor, juicy, easy to love, good marbling
Best For: families, cookouts, “just give me a great steak”

if you want a deeper, old-school flavor with more character

Choose 40-Month Live-Aged Angus.

Finish: longer time on the animal = deeper flavor development
Experience: richer “beefy” intensity; not the tender-marbling lane, but exceptional marbling for a grass finished animal
Best For: people who love bold flavor and don’t need everything to eat like butter

if you want our best "traditional" angus

Choose Premium Angus.

Finish: pasture-raised + grain-finished
Experience: more consistent tenderness and quality than standard Angus, mid to high prime level marbling, the kind of steak you literally pay $100 for at the fanciest steakhouses
Best For: steak nights where you want to impress without going full Wagyu

now the luxury lane: akaushi vs wagyu

If you want big marbling, tenderness, and richness, you’re in Akaushi/Wagyu territory.

american akaushi: an upgrade but not decadent

Choose Grain-Finished American Akaushi if you want:

High marbling + tenderness, but usually a more balanced richness than Wagyu
A little more classic beef backbone (it’s a 50/50 Angus × Akaushi cross)
A premium experience that’s less expensive than Wagyu, but pricier than most of our lineup
Healthy fats note: Akaushi is known for a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat (often discussed alongside oleic acid, the same category people associate with olive oil).

american wagyu: the special occasion option

Choose American Wagyu if you want maximum luxury:

Next-level marbling and that unmistakable buttery richness
Healthy fats note: Like Akaushi, Wagyu is known for a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat (often discussed with oleic acid).

We offer Wagyu in two styles:

Grain-Finished American Wagyu: rich, buttery, decadent, classic Wagyu experience
Grass-Fed & Finished American Wagyu: the rare “best-of-both-worlds” lane—grass-finished, but still aiming for Wagyu richness (limited and special by nature). Health and luxury in one.

quick price ladder (least to most)

Grain-Finished Angus (least expensive)
Grass-Finished South Poll
40-Month Live-Aged Angus
Premium Angus
Grain-Finished American Akaushi
Grain-Finished American Wagyu
Grass-Finished American Wagyu (most expensive)

one cooking note that matters

We cut ALL Wagyu and Akaushi steaks at 1" thick (instead of our standard 1.25") to better match Japanese culinary standards, aka lighter, quicker cooks and thin-slice traditions.

Translation: these cuts love a hot sear and a clean finish. Don’t treat them like a 2-inch steak

that needs a half-hour therapy session on the grill.

the fastest way to pick

Want lean, clean, healthy, nutrient-forward? South Poll (Grass-Finished)
Want classic and affordable? Grain-Finished Angus
Want deep, bold, old-school beef? 40-Month Live-Aged Angus
Want best traditional high-end steakhouse Angus? Premium Angus
Want high marbling, premium, healthy, but not full Wagyu pricing? Akaushi
Want maximum buttery richness and marbling to impress your friends? Wagyu (Grain-Finished)
Want the rare unicorn lane of healthy but decadent? Wagyu (Grass-Finished)

→ Shop By Breed (and if you ever want help picking based on your favorite cuts and how you cook, we’ll happily nerd out with you.)