For many, nothing beats a home-cooked steak. Some, however, are partial to the fine dining experience, and many of them only go for the most expensive steaks available.
Of course, whether the price is worth it for the meal is a question that will differ per customer.
If you’re interested in finding out the answer for yourself, then keep on reading for a guide on the most expensive steaks in the world!
The answer might seem obvious, but many still have the question: “what makes a steak a steak?” In general, a steak is a thick slice of meat that cuts across (sometimes parallel) the grain of the animal’s muscle fiber.
Most steaks come from cows, but there are alternatives for those who don’t like beef, such as turkey, sheep, and goat. Some restaurants also offer steaks cut from fish such as salmon, swordfish, and marlin.
There are also steak alternatives for vegans. Vegan steaks are usually made from a mix of seitan, lentils, and seasonings to provide a high protein meal.
What are the factors that affect the price of steak?
Like any other item for sale, the price of steak heavily depends on its quality. You might have noticed how prepackaged meat usually comes with tags of “prime”, “choice”, or “select” meat.
These are some of the grades or rankings by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). After the USDA assesses the quality of the meat, they grade the meat, with “prime” as the highest quality. The higher the quality of the steak means the higher the price of the meat.
The quality of a steak, of course, relies on many factors, and the USDA inspects all of these very closely. The most common factors include thickness, marbling, animal source, and type of cut.
Thickness
When it comes to steak, the general rule is the thicker, the better. A thick steak will cook better, with even and tender bites. Furthermore, a steak cut that is too thin will look more like ham than a steak.
The ideal thickness of a steak is around 1 inch, which is what most grocery stores and butcher shops sell. Common steakhouses will also sell steaks that are 1 inch thick. While this is the ideal thickness for most steaks, some steak cuts are usually thinner, such as strip steaks.
Most expensive steaks are usually around 1.5 inches thick or more. These types of steaks usually receive a prime grade rating from the USDA.
Marbling
If you look at a slice of uncooked meat, you’ll notice streaks of white all over it. It is reminiscent of marbled tiles, which is why it is called “marbling”.
Marbling refers to the meat cut’s white lines, which are actually the fats of the steak. The better the marbling, the more expensive the steak is.
Most expensive steaks have fine marbling. While cooking, the fat melts down to help tenderize the meat. The fat helps in making the meat cook evenly, resulting in a juicy and delicate mouthfeel. Some examples of steaks with fine marbling are Japan’s Kobe and Wagyu beef.
Grocery stores and standard steakhouses will usually serve steak with medium marbling. Steaks with medium marbling still have tender fat but with some inedible chunks of fat as well. This often results in uneven cooking.
Animal Source
While there are other alternatives, most cuts of steak come from cows. You’ll find that the most expensive steaks are beef. Their prices differ depending on the breed of cattle, the cow’s age, what the cow eats, and more.
In the United States, most steak cuts come from Angus beef, which comes from Angus cattle. Angus is a Scottish breed of cattle, and it populates areas of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
While Angus beef isn’t the most expensive, it is still of exceptional quality. It is also common, so most steakhouses will usually serve Angus beef.
The most expensive steak cuts come from “Wagyu” or “Japanese Cattle”. Wagyu beef refers to beef cut from any of the four breeds of Japanese cattle. This includes Japanese Polled, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, and the most common, Japanese Black.
The reason behind Wagyu beef’s superb quality is its breeding. Wagyu cattle undergo selective breeding and a long fattening period. This process is strict, time-consuming, and expensive. Naturally, it results in expensive steak too.
A crossbreed of the Wagyu and Angus cattle is also popular. This is the American Style Kobe Beef or “Wangus”.
Steak Cut
Lastly, which part of the animal you slice the meat from can also greatly affect its quality and price. A steak cut refers to the type of steak based on which body part it came from. There are many kinds of steak cuts, and they vary in price range too.
What are the different cuts of steak?
Before we go over the most expensive steaks in the world, it’s important to first learn about the different steak cuts. That way, it’s easier to understand how various factors affect a steak’s price.
