What Does Yak Meat Taste Like?

“That Depends!”

Yak is a bovine, so from a technical standpoint the meat is called “Beef”. As with any meat, flavor is dependent on a number of factors. Breed, genetics within a breed, diet, age, environmental conditions,and the process used to “finish” the animal all play an important role in the end result. Yak meat is fairly rare at this point and each ranch or producer provides a unique product.
At the top of the “what does yak meat taste like?” question is: “Are you tasting 100% yak or a cross with a domestic cattle breed?”. Yaks are crossed with domestic cattle for various reasons including hybrid vigor, growth characteristics, hardiness, etc. Crosses will produce very different results as you are introducing genetics from any of dozens of breeds of domestic cattle.
Within domestic yaks, there are varying characteristics as well. Full-blood yaks are typically less marbled than production beef cattle with most of their fat being carried on the outside of the carcass. This produces a lean product that has a jump on even grass-fed beef.
Finishing may have as much to do with flavor as anything. There are various methods and philosophies. Grain finishing: corn, wheat screenings, various rations, all produce different results. Grass finishing has just as many variables.
Add in age of the animal, environmental factors including stress, the butchering and aging process, etc. and you are dealing as much with art as you are science. Consistency in the flavor of the end product is elusive.
Oh yeah,  someone has to cook it! or not…….
The great thing about yak meat is that you are starting with a naturally lean, high protein, meat with a great balance fatty acids that is tender and delicious.
Any good yak meat discussion should end with a little “cheese, “Once You Go Yak, You Will Never Go Back!”

Click here to get Yak Meat.

Some links from around the web offering their opinions.

Weird Meat – Yak in Yunnan

Weird Meat – Raw Yak Meat

Real Food Mama – Ground Yak

Moscow Food Co-op – Yak

San Diego Reader – Yak Burgers and Steaks

Yaks Meat. from andre 3000 on Vimeo.

On the way back from Seattle, we stopped at a little place that had Yak on the menu. I decided I must try some. Didn’t taste different from beef, maybe it would in a steak cut.