What Is Zabuton Steak? The Wagyu Cushion Cut Most Americans Have Never Tried

Zabuton is the Japanese name for the under blade of the chuck (Denver steak in the US), prized in wagyu butchery for its hidden marbling. The word “zabuton” literally means “cushion” in Japanese, named for the cut’s soft, pillow-like shape when properly trimmed off the shoulder. It comes from the serratus ventralis muscle, the same muscle Americans usually grind into chuck. On wagyu cattle, this overlooked piece of the chuck primal marbles as intensely as a ribeye at roughly half the price. If you have never tried it, that is because most US butchers buried it in chuck for decades.

That is the short version. Below is the long version: where the cut actually sits on the animal, why the Japanese saw it before we did, how it compares to a Denver steak (same cut, different name), and how to cook a wagyu zabuton without ruining it.

What “Zabuton” Means in Japanese (And Why the Name Stuck)

The word zabuton (??? or ???? in Japanese) translates literally to “cushion” or “floor pillow.” In Japan, a zabuton is the flat, square cushion you kneel on during a traditional tea ceremony or sit on at a low table.

The cut got its name because, when properly trimmed off the shoulder of a wagyu carcass, the muscle has a flat, rectangular, slightly pillowed shape that looks remarkably like one of those cushions. Japanese butchers (called shokunin) name cuts by what they look like, not where they sit on a USDA chart. That naming tradition has given us a whole vocabulary of Japanese steak names that are slowly making their way into American butcher cases: misuji (the inside chuck top blade flat), ichibo (top sirloin cap, what Brazilians call picanha), sankaku (chuck flap), and harami (skirt).

[QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: Insert a quote from Circle 7’s head butcher or a partner Japanese wagyu importer about why the cushion name is more accurate than “Denver.” Example angle: “When you pull a zabuton out of a wagyu chuck cleanly, it really does look like a little pillow. Denver doesn’t tell you anything. Zabuton tells you exactly what you’re holding.”]

The cushion comparison is not just poetic. It tells you something useful about the cut. Zabuton is soft. It does not have the fibrous, knotty character most Americans associate with “chuck.” When trimmed correctly off the shoulder blade, the muscle is uniformly tender, flat enough to portion into clean rectangular steaks, and thick enough to take a hard sear without overcooking.

For the broader context of where this fits in the wagyu beef tradition, it is worth understanding that Japanese butchery breaks a carcass into roughly 40 named primal and sub-primal cuts, where American butchery breaks the same carcass into about 12. Zabuton is one of the many cuts that does not exist in American nomenclature at all, because we never bothered to separate it out.

Where Zabuton Comes From on the Animal (Chuck Primal, Under Blade)

Zabuton sits in the chuck primal, specifically under the shoulder blade (the scapula). The muscle is the serratus ventralis (Latin for “the ventral saw muscle”), which is the large fan-shaped muscle that connects the rib cage to the shoulder blade.

On a beef carcass, the serratus ventralis is the most heavily marbled muscle in the entire chuck. That is because it does almost no locomotive work in the live animal; it acts mostly as a stabilizer between the rib cage and the front leg. Less work means less connective tissue, more intramuscular fat, and a tender eating experience that has more in common with the rib primal than with the rest of the chuck.

According to the USDA Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications, the chuck primal is broken into the chuck roll and the chuck shoulder clod. The zabuton (Denver steak) is pulled from the under blade portion of the chuck shoulder clod, identified in IMPS 116D as the “under blade pot roast.” When that piece is denuded of its connective tissue and silver skin, then portioned into steaks, you have what the Japanese call zabuton and what Americans call Denver.

The North American Meat Institute’s Meat Buyer’s Guide formally recognized the Denver cut in 2009, after research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Innovations Group identified it as one of the most tender muscles in the entire carcass that was being underutilized. That 2009 reclassification is why most American consumers have only started seeing Denver steaks in the last decade and a half.

The position of the muscle on the animal matters for what you taste:

• Heavy marbling: the serratus ventralis is buried deep against the rib cage where intramuscular fat deposits naturally.
• No tendon, almost no silver skin: when properly trimmed, the cut eats like a tender muscle, not a working muscle.
• Flat, uniform shape: portions cleanly into 6 to 10 ounce steaks of even thickness, which means even cooking.

That is the whole reason Japanese butchers separated this cut out centuries ago. They were not going to grind a heavily marbled, naturally tender muscle into chuck just because it happened to sit in the shoulder.

Zabuton vs Denver Steak: Same Cut, Two Names

This part trips people up, so let us be plain about it: zabuton and Denver steak are the same cut of beef. Zabuton is the Japanese name. Denver is the American marketing name, given to the cut by the Beef Checkoff Program in 2009 when they were looking for ways to add value to the chuck primal.

The differences are not anatomical. They are cultural and commercial:

Attribute	Zabuton	Denver Steak
Origin of name	Japanese (cushion)	American marketing (Beef Checkoff, 2009)
Typical sourcing	Japanese A5 wagyu or American wagyu cross	American commodity beef, some American wagyu
Trim style	Cleaner, more aggressive trim; almost no silver skin	Often left with more connective tissue, depending on butcher
Portion size	Smaller, 4 to 8 oz typical	Larger, 8 to 12 oz typical
Price	$30-90+ per pound (wagyu)	$12-25 per pound (commodity)

When you see a steakhouse menu list a “wagyu zabuton” at $48 and a “Denver steak” at $24, the underlying cut is the same muscle. The difference is in the trim, the genetics of the animal it came from, and the story the menu is telling.

This is similar to how picanha and top sirloin cap describe the same cut with different names, or how the cowboy steak and tomahawk are both bone-in ribeyes with different bone treatment. The cut does not change; the name and the presentation do.

If you are weighing wagyu zabuton against a Denver steak from a commodity source, the question is not “which cut is better” (they are identical). The question is “which animal is better.” Wagyu genetics produce dramatically more intramuscular fat in the same muscle, which changes everything about how the steak eats. We cover that in our guide to wagyu vs angus beef.

Why Wagyu Zabuton Is a Showstopper (Chuck Marbles Hardest on Wagyu Genetics)

Here is the part most beef writers miss: on wagyu cattle, the chuck primal marbles more intensely than on any other breed. That is not marketing. It is genetics.

Japanese black wagyu (Kuroge Washu) cattle were selectively bred over centuries for a specific trait called intramuscular fat deposition, regulated primarily by a mutation in the SCD1 gene that produces softer, lower-melting-point fat distributed throughout the muscle rather than around it. Research published in the journal Meat Science (2007) documented that wagyu cattle deposit marbling first in the chuck and rib primals, with the serratus ventralis being one of the highest-marbling muscles measured in carcass studies.

What that means in practical terms: a wagyu zabuton from an A5 Japanese carcass or a high-grade American wagyu animal can score a BMS (Beef Marbling Score) of 8 to 12, which is the same range you would expect from a wagyu ribeye. We break down the BMS scale and what the numbers actually mean in a separate guide, but the short version is: 12 is the ceiling, 8 is exceptional, and most commodity Prime ribeyes score 4 to 6.

You are getting ribeye-level marbling out of what the US beef industry historically treated as chuck. That is the entire pitch.

[QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: Insert a quote from a Circle 7 customer or a culinary partner on the first time they tasted a wagyu zabuton. Example angle: “I’ve eaten wagyu ribeye that cost twice as much and didn’t deliver this. The zabuton has the same buttery finish but holds onto its beef flavor longer because the muscle does a little more work.”]

There is one more thing the wagyu zabuton has that a wagyu ribeye does not: a slightly meatier, beefier finish. Because the serratus ventralis does some stabilizing work (where the longissimus dorsi of the ribeye does almost none), the muscle fibers carry a bit more myoglobin and iron-forward flavor. The result is a steak that gives you the soft, buttery marbling experience of a wagyu ribeye but lands with a deeper, more savory finish.

For most palates, this is a better steak than a wagyu ribeye. It costs less per pound, eats with more character, and portions into a size that does not overwhelm the way a 16-ounce wagyu ribeye can.

Flavor and Texture Profile: What to Expect on the Plate

A properly cooked wagyu zabuton eats like this:

• Texture at first bite: yielding but not mushy. The fat melts before the muscle gives, which produces a sensation closer to soft butter than to chewing meat.
• Mid-bite: the muscle fibers break down cleanly. You will notice the cut has a subtle directional grain, which is why slicing across the grain matters.
• Finish: longer and beefier than wagyu ribeye. The iron, mineral, and slightly sweet notes from the chuck linger 5 to 10 seconds after you swallow, where a ribeye finishes faster and cleaner.
• Fat character: low melting point (around 77 to 86 degrees F for wagyu intramuscular fat, per the Journal of Animal Science), which means it liquefies on contact with your tongue.

If you have eaten Korean BBQ at a high-end galbi place that serves wagyu, there is a strong chance you have already had zabuton. Korean butchery refers to a very similar cut as buchaesal (“fan meat”), and it is one of the most prized cuts on a Korean wagyu menu.

How to Cook Wagyu Zabuton (High Heat, Fast, Don’t Overthink It)

Cooking a wagyu zabuton is not complicated. The single biggest mistake people make is treating it like a tough cut because it came from the chuck. It is not tough. It does not need a braise, a marinade, or a long sous vide. Treat it like a tender steak.

The fundamental rule: high heat, fast cook, salt-only seasoning, slice across the grain.

Best Methods, Ranked

1. Cast iron sear (best for most people). Get a heavy pan ripping hot (500 to 550 degrees F surface temp), no oil added (the wagyu fat will render), sear 2 minutes per side for a 3/4 inch steak, rest 5 minutes. This is how every Japanese yakiniku place cooks it. The technique is the same as our ribeye cooking guide, with shorter times because the cut is thinner.
2. Charcoal or hardwood grill (best for flavor). Two-zone fire. Sear over direct heat 90 seconds per side, finish over indirect if the steak is thicker than 3/4 inch. Use lump charcoal or oak/hickory chunks. Avoid mesquite (too aggressive for wagyu fat).
3. Reverse sear (only if the cut is 1 inch or thicker). Low oven (225 F) until internal hits 110 F, then hard sear in cast iron. This is overkill for most zabuton steaks because they are usually portioned thin, but it works if you are cooking a larger piece.
4. Yakiniku / tabletop grill. The traditional Japanese way. Slice the raw steak into 1/4 inch slabs, grill each slice 30 seconds per side over charcoal at the table. This is the highest-end experience and the cut was bred for it.

Avoid: sous vide (the marbling does not need help), long marinades (you are paying for the fat, do not mask it), and any cook past medium-rare. Wagyu zabuton at medium-well loses 60-70% of what makes it special. The fat is gone, the texture has tightened, and you have a $40 piece of meat that eats like a $12 one.

Internal Temperature Targets

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, whole-muscle beef steaks are safe to eat at 145 F (medium) with a 3-minute rest. For wagyu zabuton, most chefs target lower:

• Blue rare: 110 F (Japanese yakiniku style)
• Rare: 120 F
• Medium-rare (recommended): 125 to 130 F
• Medium: 135 F (the ceiling for this cut)
• Past medium: stop cooking now

Seasoning

Kosher salt, full stop. Apply 30 minutes before cooking, not right before. The salt draws moisture, then the moisture reabsorbs carrying the salt into the muscle. Black pepper after cooking, not before (it burns on contact with a 550 F pan). Skip garlic, herbs, butter basting, and steakhouse rubs. The whole point of wagyu zabuton is the fat. Do not bury it.

Slicing

Across the grain, on a slight bias, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. The grain runs roughly parallel to the long edge of the steak. Get this wrong and the steak eats chewy regardless of how perfectly you cooked it.

[QUOTE PLACEHOLDER: Insert a quote from a Circle 7 chef partner on the most common zabuton cooking mistake. Example angle: “Everyone overcooks it. They see it came from the chuck and they think it needs more time. It needs less time than a ribeye, not more. Pull it at 125 and walk away.”]

Why You’ve Never Seen It (US Butchers Ground It Into Chuck for Decades)

If wagyu zabuton is this good, why is this the first you are hearing about it?

Three reasons.

First, American butchery never separated it out. The traditional US cutting style treats the chuck primal as roast meat or grind. Until the Beef Innovations Group’s research at the University of Nebraska identified the chuck under blade as one of the tenderest muscles in the carcass, almost every American butcher was grinding the serratus ventralis into 80/20 hamburger. We were turning what the Japanese call zabuton into Tuesday-night meatloaf.

Second, wagyu was not in the American market in any volume until the 2000s. Japanese wagyu beef was effectively banned from US import between 2010 and 2012 due to disease concerns, and even after the ban lifted, volume was tiny. Domestic American wagyu programs (full-blood, F1, F2, F3 crossbred) did not reach meaningful production scale until around 2015. Without wagyu carcasses to work with, US butchers had no reason to start separating zabuton out, because on a commodity Angus carcass, the chuck under blade marbles maybe a 4 on the BMS scale. It is fine. It is not exceptional.

Third, the cut requires careful trim. Pulling a clean zabuton off the shoulder requires a butcher who knows where the serratus ventralis ends and the surrounding chuck muscles begin. The cuts have to be made with a knife, not a saw, and the silver skin and connective tissue have to be removed by hand. On a commodity production line moving 500 carcasses an hour, nobody has time to fish out a zabuton. It gets bandsawed into roasts or dumped into the grind bin.

This is why finding a real wagyu zabuton in the US is still hard. Most grocery stores do not carry it. Most steakhouses do not list it. The cut exists almost entirely in the direct-to-consumer wagyu market and at high-end Japanese-style restaurants. The supply chain just is not there yet for it to be mainstream.

The good news: if you can find a butcher who carries it from a wagyu source, you are eating one of the best-value premium steaks in the American market right now.

Wagyu Zabuton Sourcing: What to Look For

If you are buying a wagyu zabuton steak, here is the honest checklist:

• Genetics declared: full-blood wagyu, F1 (50% wagyu / 50% Angus), or American wagyu cross. Each has a different price point and a different marbling expectation. Full-blood marbles hardest.
• Marbling score documented: BMS 6 or higher is the floor for wagyu zabuton. Below that, you are not getting the experience.
• Trim style: ask whether the cut comes denuded (silver skin and connective tissue removed) or in its raw under-blade form. Denuded is the standard for steak presentation. Raw under-blade is fine if you are willing to trim it yourself.
• Portion size: 4 to 8 ounces is traditional. Anything over 10 ounces is probably cut against the grain or includes muscles other than the serratus ventralis.
• Source farm or program: a reputable seller will name the farm, program, or import lot. If they will not tell you where the beef came from, walk away.

Circle 7 Meats carries wagyu zabuton from American wagyu cross genetics, trimmed clean, portioned to 6 to 8 ounces, with BMS scoring documented per lot. If you want to compare against the Denver-name version, we also carry a wagyu Denver steak from the same source.

For broader context on how this cut fits into the rest of the wagyu cuts we carry, see our Japanese cuts collection and our full wagyu steak inventory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is zabuton steak?

Zabuton steak is the Japanese name for a cut of beef pulled from under the shoulder blade in the chuck primal, specifically the serratus ventralis muscle. The word means “cushion” in Japanese and refers to the cut’s flat, pillow-like shape. In the United States, the same cut is marketed as the Denver steak. On wagyu cattle, zabuton is one of the most heavily marbled cuts in the entire carcass.

Is zabuton the same as Denver steak?

Yes. Zabuton and Denver steak are the same cut of beef (the serratus ventralis muscle from the chuck under blade). Zabuton is the Japanese name; Denver is the American marketing name introduced by the Beef Checkoff in 2009. Differences in price and presentation come from sourcing (wagyu vs commodity) and trim, not from the cut itself.

Why is it called zabuton?

The cut is named after the traditional Japanese floor cushion (the zabuton, ???) because the muscle, when properly trimmed off the shoulder, has a flat, square, slightly pillowed shape that resembles the cushion. Japanese butchery names cuts by their visual appearance rather than their anatomical location.

What does wagyu zabuton taste like?

Wagyu zabuton tastes like a slightly more savory, meatier wagyu ribeye. The intramuscular fat melts at body temperature, producing a buttery texture, but the muscle does just enough stabilizing work in the live animal that it retains a deeper iron-forward beef flavor on the finish. Expect ribeye-level marbling with a longer, more savory aftertaste.

How do you cook a zabuton steak?

Cook zabuton over high, dry heat (cast iron at 500 to 550 F, or charcoal grill direct heat), 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side, salted 30 minutes before cooking. Pull at 125 to 130 F internal for medium-rare, rest 5 minutes, slice across the grain in thin pieces. Avoid sous vide, long marinades, and any cook past medium.

Why is wagyu zabuton more expensive than American Denver steak?

The cut is the same; the animal is different. Wagyu cattle deposit dramatically more intramuscular fat than commodity Angus, particularly in the chuck primal where zabuton is located. A wagyu zabuton typically scores BMS 6 to 12 on the Beef Marbling Score scale; a commodity Denver steak typically scores 3 to 5. The wagyu animal also costs 3 to 4 times more to raise to slaughter weight.

Is zabuton tender or tough?

Zabuton is one of the most tender cuts in the entire carcass when properly trimmed. The serratus ventralis muscle does almost no locomotive work in the live animal, which means very little connective tissue and very fine muscle fibers. The cut competes with ribeye and tenderloin on tenderness scores in carcass research from the University of Nebraska beef innovations program.

Where can I buy wagyu zabuton in the US?

Wagyu zabuton is rarely carried in supermarkets and is uncommon even in upscale butcher shops because the cut requires hand trim that commodity production lines cannot accommodate. Look for direct-to-consumer wagyu sellers who name their source farm, document marbling scores per lot, and offer the cut denuded (silver skin removed) and portioned to 4 to 8 ounces. Circle 7 Meats carries wagyu zabuton steak from documented American wagyu genetics.

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Image Specifications (6)

1. Hero image: /images/blog/zabuton-steak-hero.jpg — overhead shot of a raw 6 oz wagyu zabuton steak on black slate, dense marbling visible, salt crystals scattered on the surface, soft natural light from the left. Alt: “Raw wagyu zabuton steak on a black slate board showing dense intramuscular marbling and a soft pillow-like shape.”
2. Anatomy diagram: /images/blog/zabuton-anatomy-chuck-diagram.jpg — beef carcass diagram with the chuck primal highlighted in red and the serratus ventralis muscle (zabuton) called out with a label and arrow. Alt: “Beef anatomy diagram showing the chuck primal and the serratus ventralis muscle where zabuton steak is cut from.”
3. Zabuton vs Denver side-by-side: /images/blog/zabuton-vs-denver-comparison.jpg — two raw steaks on butcher paper, one labeled “Wagyu Zabuton (BMS 9)” and one labeled “Commodity Denver (BMS 4),” showing the marbling difference. Alt: “Side by side comparison of wagyu zabuton and commodity Denver steak showing the difference in marbling intensity.”
4. Searing in cast iron: /images/blog/zabuton-cast-iron-sear.jpg — wagyu zabuton mid-sear in a black cast iron pan, fat rendering, golden brown crust forming, shot from a 45 degree angle. Alt: “Wagyu zabuton steak searing in a cast iron pan with fat rendering and a golden brown crust forming.”
5. Sliced and plated: /images/blog/zabuton-sliced-plated.jpg — cooked wagyu zabuton sliced across the grain into 1/4 inch slices, fanned on a wooden board, finishing salt sprinkled on top, internal color showing medium-rare. Alt: “Sliced wagyu zabuton steak fanned on a wooden board showing a perfect medium-rare interior with visible marbling between the muscle fibers.”
6. Japanese cushion comparison (cultural context): /images/blog/zabuton-cushion-name-origin.jpg — split image showing a traditional Japanese floor cushion (zabuton) next to a trimmed raw zabuton steak in the same square pillow shape. Alt: “Side by side image showing a traditional Japanese floor cushion called a zabuton next to the wagyu zabuton steak cut named after its shape.”

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External Citations Used (8)

1. USDA Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS 100 Fresh Beef): https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/IMPS_100_Fresh_Beef%5B1%5D.pdf
2. North American Meat Institute, Meat Buyer’s Guide: https://www.meatinstitute.org/
3. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Innovations Group: https://beef.unl.edu/
4. Beef Checkoff Program / Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/
5. Wikipedia, Serratus ventralis muscle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serratus_ventralis_muscle
6. SCD1 gene marbling research (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17468060/
7. Meat Science (Elsevier), wagyu marbling research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0309174007001349
8. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, safe beef temperatures: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/beef-tracing
9. Journal of Animal Science (Oxford), wagyu fat melting point research: https://academic.oup.com/jas

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