That’s partly why many customers opt for The Meatery’s American Wagyu, which comes from Wagyu- Angus cattle crosses and can be a fraction of the cost. Most of The Meatery’s American Wagyu comes from the 7,000-acre Masami Cattle Ranch in Corning, owned and managed by Japanese ranchers. Masami’s meat is “just phenomenal,” Fiorentino says. “One night, I lined up a Kobe filet, an Australian Wagyu filet and a Masami filet, and I really enjoyed the American Wagyu filet the most—and it’s sitting next to a $200-something piece of Kobe tenderloin, which is widely regarded as the most prized meat in the world,” Fiorentino says. “Japanese A5 Wagyu is for when you’re looking for something very heavy and very, very rich,” suitable as an appetizer, he says. American Wagyu’s appeal is that it maintains much of the flavorful marbling from the Wagyu genes, but the Angus genes make it mild enough to eat as a main course and give it a more familiar flavor profile that American steak lovers have grown to love, he adds. “I can only eat 4 or 5 ounces of Japanese Wagyu and I tap out, but I can have a whole Masami steak and enjoy it, and not feel heavy and weighed down.”
Serendipitous business With a full-time career in internet marketing, Fiorentino started The Meatery during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 to provide restaurant-quality meat to people when going out to dinner wasn’t an option. But he stumbled upon the idea serendipitously. Influenced by his family, who owned slaughterhouses, Fiorentino and a friend had decided to launch a side business making internationally themed spice blends for steak. “We had all these country-specific spices: Italy, Japan, Mexico, Brazil. I bought a piece of Wagyu to try our Japan flavor on. It was my first Wagyu experience—and I immediately fell in love,” Fiorentino says. Friends he shared the meat with were equally enthusiastic. Seeing its business potential, he quickly put together a website, advertised online and started selling and shipping Wagyu directly to home cooks. One of Fiorentino’s first hires was Morales, who started in the warehouse and now runs operations. Joining them on the staff are a few warehouse and sales employees and a videographer for social media marketing. Even after opening the storefront, internet sales still
Masami Cattle Ranch manager Seiya Uezu, left, checks some alfalfa hay before it’s mixed into the American Wagyu cattle feed and placed in the troughs, above.
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Spring 2024
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