This Is The Single Most Expensive Steak You Can Buy
Whether you're buying a steak from the butcher counter or ordering one out at a restaurant, you can expect that it's going to cost more than the typical meal. There are plenty of different steak cuts you can buy, some of which are more expensive than others. A steak's cost depends on a number of factors, including the tenderness and marbling of a cut, plus how the cow was raised. But if you're interested in trying the world's most expensive steak, you'll want to get your hands on an A5 Kobe steak — a type of Wagyu beef that's hard to find.
Kobe beef is a type of Japanese beef that's known for being exceptionally tender, with a marbling throughout it that sets it apart from any other meat cut. Very few cows actually produce Kobe beef, which helps keep it exclusive; only around 5,500 cows are used annually to produce these cuts. If you ever order this type of steak at a restaurant, be prepared to drop anywhere from $480 to $700 per pound.
What makes A5 Kobe beef the best?
Kobe beef is a more exclusive type of wagyu beef. The difference is that Kobe beef must come from Tajima cows that are born and raised — and eventually slaughtered — in Hyogo Prefecture, an area in Japan.
In the United States and other parts of the world, meat is graded based on its quality. This grade is a direct result of factors like how the cattle were raised, the meat's tenderness, and the amount of meat that's actually usable from the cow. Kobe beef is already regarded as the highest-quality beef in the world, but that A5 rating comes from the Japanese rating system; it's the best grade a piece of meat can receive. The Kobe grading system is divided into many ratings. Each piece of meat is given an A, B, or C followed by a number between one and five. The grades are given based on four criteria: the meat's marbling, its vibrancy and color, the fat's coloring, and the texture or firmness. So, of the 5,500 cattle that qualify as Kobe beef, even fewer are given such a prestigious rating. As a result, the beef is incredibly tender, juicy, and expensive.