The World’s Most Expensive Steaks & Cuts, Explained

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Plus, an expert chef shares how to grill the perfect sirloin steak
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Have you ever thought about what the most expensive steak in the world is? You may recognize names like Kobe and Wagyu, but we’re here to demystify these super-pricey types of steak. Keep reading for a guide to the 16 most expensive steaks worldwide that includes facts on each cut’s texture, flavor, and price. We’ll also explore the best cuts of steak and how to choose one with meaty insights from chefs Helen Rennie and Ollie George Cigliano (including Cigliano’s own mouth-watering grilled sirloin steak recipe ).

Top 5 Most Expensive Steaks Worldwide

  1. A5 Kobe Wagyu: $480 – $700 per pound
  2. Olive A5 Wagyu: $300 – $550 per pound
  3. Miyazakigyu A5 Wagyu: $190 – $300 per pound
  4. Takamori Drunken A5 Wagyu: $233 – $251 per pound
  5. Hokkaido A5 Wagyu: $208 per pound
Section 1 of 5:

The Most Expensive Steaks

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  1. 1
    A5 Kobe Wagyu ($480 – $700 per pound) This most famous and expensive of all Japanese Wagyu steaks has an intensely rich and buttery flavor, strong marbling, and a high level of intramuscular fat, which adds to the mildly sweet notes. The A5 Kobe Wagyu cattle are raised in the Hyogo Prefecture (region) of Japan and only come from the Tajima bloodline. The bloodline began with a single bull named Tajiri, who lived from 1939 to 1958. [1]
    • Kobe is a specific type of Wagyu beef that is raised in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, in the city of Kobe. It’s highly sought after because of its exceptional tenderness, marbling, and rich flavor. The steak is unique because it comes from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle.
    • Not all Wagyu beef is Kobe, but all Kobe is Wagyu.
  2. 2
    Olive A5 Wagyu ($300 – $550 per pound) This steak boasts a very buttery flavor, along with a nutty taste and umami-like richness. Olive A5 Wagyu is quite rare due to the small number of cattle produced yearly, and contains marbled, yellow fat. The cows are raised on Shodoshima Island in the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan and are fed a mulch of dehydrated and roasted olives. The resulting flavor includes notes of olive oil in the steak. [2]
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  3. 3
    Miyazakigyu A5 Wagyu ($190 – $300 per pound) This steak is known for its high level of marbling, along with its richness, umami, and sweetness. Miyazakigyu A5 Wagyu is very similar to the Takamori Drunken Wagyu, but the Japanese Kuroge cattle (from the same region) are all-black. The cows are raised in a stress-free environment on a diet that includes wheat, rice, corn, and barley. [3]
  4. 4
    Takamori Drunken A5 Wagyu ($233 to $251 per pound) This steak is notorious for its rich, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor due to the sake-rich rice mash that these Wagyu cows eat. Takamori Drunken A5 Wagyu only comes from the Yamaguchi Prefecture of Japan, where the cows are raised on rice mash that comes from the Dassai Sake Brewery. [4]
  5. 5
    Hokkaido A5 Wagyu (up to $208 per pound) This steak has a rich, buttery flavor and the famous marbling that all Japanese wagyu steaks boast, plus a “melt-in-your-mouth” texture; it's said to share a savory “umami” taste and mild sweetness. Hokkaido A5 Wagyu is thought of as the most affordable Wagyu option. The marbling is due to the cold, snowy climate where the Wagyu breed spends its life. [5]
  6. 6
    Black Angus (up to $100 per pound) This steak has a rich and buttery, “juicy” flavor that puts it in the top 8 most expensive steaks. Black Angus is considered the top American-raised steak; the cattle are pasture-raised and grass-fed for most of their lives. [6]
    • The most expensive cut of Black Angus is the filet mignon.
  7. 7
    Beefalo ($45 per pound) This steak has a traditionally beefy flavor, along with some sweetness and gaminess. The Beefalo is an American crossbreed of 3/8 bison and 5/8 bovine. It boasts delicious flavor and lower levels of fat and cholesterol.
  8. 8
    Friesian ($42 per pound) This steak is known for its lean texture and rich flavor, and it’s usually dry-aged. It comes from Holstein-Friesian cattle. Friesian cows are mostly responsible for dairy, but the meat from their surplus males is also of very high quality due to their grass-fed diet. [7]
  9. 9
    Bonsmara ($40 per pound) This steak is known for its distinct red color and tender texture, even though it’s also one of the leaner steaks on the list. Bonsmara originated in the 1930s in South Africa, and today represents over 80% of the cattle in South Africa.
  10. 10
    Canadienne ($39 per pound) This thin-cut Canadian steak is popular in the UK and Canada. It’s often frozen, and is versatile enough for sandwiches and stir-fry; It’s often referred to as a “minute steak.” Canadienne is a breed of cows that originated in 17th-century Canada. [8]
  11. 11
    Simmental (up to $38 per pound) This steak has a higher fat content, which produces a pronounced, rich flavor and marbled appearance. Simmental cows are one of the oldest breeds in the world, and date back to the Simmen valley in Switzerland during the Middle Ages.
  12. 12
    Holstein (up to $37 per pound) This steak has a rich and creamy flavor directly caused by the high milk yield of the famous black-and-white Holstein cow. The steak’s milk content is 4% higher than many other steaks. Holstein cows were first bred in the Netherlands, including areas in modern-day Germany and Holland. [9]
  13. 13
    Murray Grey ($37 per pound) This grass-finished cow produces tender, marbled meat famous for its mild, flavorful taste. Murray Grey cows are Australian and were first bred in the Murray River valley in 1905.
    • Grass-finished cows only eat grass and don’t ever consume grain or any other supplemental food.
  14. 14
    Piemontese (up to $34 per pound) This steak is most known for its bone-to-meat ratio because of double-muscling, a genetic trait which caused an increase in muscle mass and a higher yield of meat. The Piemontese comes from cows in the Piedmont region of Italy. [10]
  15. 15
    Aubrac (up to $33 per pound) This is a rich-looking, mauve-colored steak that has a mildly milky taste. The Aubrac is a breed of French cows named after the Plateau de l’Aubrac in the Massif Central, which is where these cows came from. The flavor comes from the mountainous grasses the cows eat as they graze for 4 months of the year. [11]
  16. 16
    Montbéliarde (up to $29 per pound) This steak appears light and red in color, and looks similar to the Holstein cut. Montbéliarde is a combination of the French Tourache and Bernoise breeds of cow. The cattle are known for their milk, which is typically used to make Emmental and Gruyère cheese. [12]
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Section 2 of 5:

What is the best cut of steak?

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  1. 1
    Filet mignon Filet mignon is considered the most expensive cut and comes from the beef tenderloin muscle. It’s a tenderloin cut from the short loin of the cow, where the most relaxed muscles are. The result is a lean, tender cut of beef with a rich, buttery flavor. Some of the world’s most expensive steaks use this cut. [13]
    • Best prepared: Pan-searing or on the grill.
  2. 2
    Stripsteak Stripsteak comes from the shorter side of the cow’s loin. The relaxed muscles there contribute to strong marbling and a full-bodied flavor. The steaks can be sold both on and off the bone, and generally include New York strips, which is a term used in most restaurants. They’re also generally referred to as striploin (or sometimes a shell steak). [14]
    • Best prepared: Pan-searing, reverse searing, or on the grill.
  3. 3
    Ribeye steak The ribeye is a large, round cut of steak with a fair amount of marbling throughout the meat. It has a hearty, rich flavor and a tender texture. Ribeye steaks are sold both bone-in and boneless. [15]
    • Best prepared: Pan-searing or on the grill.
    • Tomahawk steaks are a type of ribeye with one long rib bone attached to resemble the shape of a tomahawk axe. It’s usually more expensive than a regular ribeye due to lengthy preparations, thanks to the rib bone feature.
  4. 4
    Rump and round cuts Rump and round-cut steaks generally come from the hindquarters of the cow. Where the exact cut comes from gives each kind of rump or round cut their unique characteristics, texture, and flavor. [16]
    • Best prepared: Slow-cooking (round cuts); Searing and roasting (rump cuts).
    • Rump cuts are from the upper area of the hindquarter and are known for being more flavorful and tender.
      • Rump steak: From the rump area; similar to bottom round.
      • Rump cap (Picanha): Flavorful, marble cut; best grilled.
      • Rump roast: Beef cut from the hindquarter that covers the hip bone.
    • Round cuts are from the lower area of the hindquarters and are leaner and tougher.
      • Top round: Lean and less tender; used for roast beef and sandwiches.
      • Bottom round: Lean; used for roasts and cube steaks.
      • Eye of round: Lean; used for steak or roast.
      • Sirloin tip: Boneless and lean; used for steak or kebabs.
  5. 5
    T-bone A T-bone steak is made up of a strip steak and a filet that are divided by a T-shaped bone. It’s known for its larger cut and the combination of tenderness and flavor from both cuts. When a T-bone steak contains a larger area of tenderloin, it’s called a Porterhouse steak. [17]
    • Best prepared: Pan-searing, broiling, on the grill.
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Section 3 of 5:

Choosing a Cut of Beef to Cook

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  1. 1
    Cooking method Consider the method you want to use to cook your steak. Chuck is typically used most as ground meat for grilling burgers or slow-cooked in the oven, while ribeye works best for grilling, pan-searing, or roasting. Cuts that are from more muscular, harder-working areas of the cow are best slow-cooked; more fatty cuts like Filet Mignon are tender enough to grill or sear on their own. [18]
    • Keep in mind that flank steak, skirt steak, sirloin tip, and eye of round are the best cuts of steak when you want to marinate the steak before cooking it. Marinating a steak will help tenderize the beef before it’s even cooked.
    EXPERT TIP

    Helen Rennie

    Chef
    Helen Rennie is a chef based in Natick, Massachusetts. She is both the owner of a cooking school and the creator of Helen’s Kitchen, a YouTube channel where she teaches cooking techniques and food science to over 560K subscribers. Helen’s classes and videos focus on many topics, including knife skills, fish, meat, poultry, sauces, vegetables, beans, grains, pies, tarts, pastry, pizza, pasta, grilling, and more. She started her cooking career with an internship in Casablanca Restaurant, and eventually earned a teaching position at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. In 2005, she founded Helen's Kitchen, her culinary education business where she teaches people to cook. Since its founding, Helen’s Kitchen has taught 1,000+ students. Helen's cooking philosophy centers on finding creative ways to prepare local ingredients. She teaches cooking classes in her house in Natick with a strong focus on culinary techniques and food science. She received a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
    Helen Rennie
    Chef

    All meats have two types of cuts. The cuts you cook to medium rare (tender and juicy) would be ribeye steak and tenderloin. All those cuts down the back of the animal tend to be tender because animals don't walk on their back. So, those muscles don't do that much work. The tough cuts are the muscles that do work.

  2. 2
    Thickness Choose a thinner steak if you prefer it to be mostly or fully cooked through, or a thicker one if you want it to be more rare. To better understand different cuts of beef , think about how successfully you can cook the steak using the method you have in mind. For instance, grilling a super-thin steak may result in it easily being overcooked. The idea is to get a crispy sear on the outside of the steak, along with a juicy pink center. [19]
    • Consult a beef cuts chart for a full list of beef cuts and what makes them unique.
  3. 3
    Grading The USDA grading system grades beef as prime, choice, or select. Prime cuts come from the rib, loin, and short loin of young, well-fed cows. Choice beef is still high-quality but has less marbling than prime cuts and can come from different parts of the cow. Select cuts have the least amount of marbling and are lean, yet tender, so they won’t be as juicy as prime or choice cuts. [20]
    • Prime cuts: Ribeye, Filet Mignon, New York Strip, T-bone, and Porterhouse
    • Choice cuts: Ribeye, Filet Mignon, New York Strip, T-bone, Porterhouse, and Flat Iron
    • Select cuts: Filet Mignon, Ribeye, T-bone, Porterhouse, and Sirloin
  4. 4
    Dry-aging Choose dry-aged beef for an especially flavorful steak. Dry-aging is the process by which cuts of beef are aged for many weeks to many months. Dry-aging takes place before the beef is trimmed and cut into steaks. The reason for the dry-aging process is mainly to give the steak more flavor and help it be more tender than it would be when fresh. [21]
    • Dry-aged beef develops more beefy, nutty, and cheese-like aromas.
    • It can lose up to 30% of its volume in water loss, which also adds to the flavor.
    • The enzymes in the meat muscles break down during the dry-aging process, which adds to the tenderness of the meat.
  5. 5
    Cut location Decide on a cut location with the amount of fat you want. The location of the cut of beef directly determines how tender or lean it is, as well as the amount of marbling from fat it has. Cuts of beef taken from the loin and rib sections are typically more tender, while cuts like chuck and round are tougher because of the harder-working muscles found there; chuck steak comes from the shoulder area, while round steaks come from the hind legs. [22]
    • The cut location also has an effect on the grain of the meat and how easily it can be chewed. The more tender the cut, the easier you can chew it.
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Grill a Sirloin Steak

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  1. 1
    Dry-age the steak overnight before grilling. Cigliano explains the process: “Dry age the steak by removing it from the package, drying both sides with a clean paper towel, and leaving it on a plate in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. Season the steak with salt and pepper (and any other desired seasonings or herbs) and let it rest at room temperature for approximately 1 hr (or at least 15 minutes) before grilling.”
    • This optional step “helps dry out the exterior of the steak, resulting in an even better sear,” he adds.
  2. 2
    Heat the grill to medium heat and grill for about 5 minutes per side. “Grill directly over the heat for 5 minutes. Then, turn the steak over and grill for an additional 5 minutes, or until your desired doneness is reached,” Cigliano explains.
  3. 3
    Check the steak’s temperature to know when it’s ready to take off. “Check the temperature of the steak using a meat thermometer by inserting the probe into the thickest part of the steak,” Cigliano says. “A medium-rare steak should read 125-130°F (51-54°C) before removing it from the grill.” The exact temperature will vary based on how done you want the steak:
    • Medium-rare: 125-130℉ (remove from heat); 130-135℉ (final Temperature)
    • Medium: 135-140℉ (remove from heat); 140-145℉ (final Temperature)
    • Medium-well: 145-150℉ (remove from heat); 150-155℉ (final Temperature)
    • Well-done: 155-160℉ (remove from heat); 160-165℉ (final Temperature)
    EXPERT TIP

    Helen Rennie

    Chef
    Helen Rennie is a chef based in Natick, Massachusetts. She is both the owner of a cooking school and the creator of Helen’s Kitchen, a YouTube channel where she teaches cooking techniques and food science to over 560K subscribers. Helen’s classes and videos focus on many topics, including knife skills, fish, meat, poultry, sauces, vegetables, beans, grains, pies, tarts, pastry, pizza, pasta, grilling, and more. She started her cooking career with an internship in Casablanca Restaurant, and eventually earned a teaching position at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. In 2005, she founded Helen's Kitchen, her culinary education business where she teaches people to cook. Since its founding, Helen’s Kitchen has taught 1,000+ students. Helen's cooking philosophy centers on finding creative ways to prepare local ingredients. She teaches cooking classes in her house in Natick with a strong focus on culinary techniques and food science. She received a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
    Helen Rennie
    Chef

    You want tender and juicy cuts to end up around 130°F after resting. The big mistake people make is that the recipes will tell them to cook to the desired doneness for medium rare, 130°F. They end up way more well-done because of residual heat. You have to take that into account.

  4. 4
    Remove from the grill when the desired doneness is achieved. “Place [the steak] on a cutting board or serving platter. Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the steak and let it rest for 5 minutes,” Cigliano instructs. “Slice against the grain and serve.”
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Section 5 of 5:

Most Expensive Steak FAQs

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  1. 1
    What steak costs $1,000? The most famous $1,000 steak is called the Beef Case, which is served at the Papi Steak Restaurant in Las Vegas. It consists of a 55 ounces (1.6 kg) Australian Wagyu Tomahawk steak, which is presented in a diamond briefcase. When you order this steak at the Papi Steak Restaurant, you’re also treated to a laser light show and additional amenities for your $1,000 bill. [23]
  2. 2
    Is Kobe or Wagyu more expensive? Kobe beef is generally more expensive than Wagyu beef on its own. Kobe is a specific type of Wagyu beef called Tajima-Gyu. The strains of cattle are raised in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan under very strict guidelines. Cows are fed a very particular diet of grain, grasses, and beer to cause marbling, and they’re raised in a stress-free environment that includes perks like getting massaged regularly. [24]
  3. 3
    What is Renegade sirloin? Renegade sirloin is a type of steak offered at LongHorn Steakhouse . It’s a lean, center-cut top sirloin steak that is seasoned and grilled with the restaurant’s famous “prairie dust” seasoning. Though it’s a leaner cut that can be a bit tougher than a ribeye, the Renegade sirloin is considered an affordable steak option. [25]
  4. 4
    Is Costco Wagyu worth buying? Costco Wagyu is worth buying for those who want the highest-quality meat but don’t want to order online. Costco offers both American and Japanese Wagyu (A5 grade). The American Wagyu is generally less expensive and has a stronger beef flavor than the Japanese option. The Japanese Wagyu has more marbling and is thought of as a more luxurious, flavorful option. [26]
  5. 5
    Where can you buy expensive steaks? High-quality steaks are sold at traditional kitchen-centric stores, at meat suppliers, and are even offered at Amazon. Check out the following retailers where you can order steaks like Wagyu.
  6. 6
    What makes a steak expensive? Factors like the type of meat and how it’s raised make a steak expensive. If it’s any kind of Wagyu, it means the cattle have been raised in a particular way and have likely eaten a strict diet. The cut of beef also helps determine its price—tenderloins are higher priced than rump and round cuts, for example. The tenderness of the meat, its marbling, and flavor profile also add to the “luxury” quality of the steak (and the corresponding price).
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/lifestyle/wine-plus-dine/most-expensive-steak-cuts/
      2. ↑ https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/lifestyle/wine-plus-dine/most-expensive-steak-cuts/
      3. ↑ https://miyazakigyu.com/
      4. ↑ https://www.chefspencil.com/worlds-most-expensive-steaks/
      5. ↑ https://www.chefspencil.com/worlds-most-expensive-steaks/
      6. ↑ https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/lifestyle/wine-plus-dine/most-expensive-steak-cuts/
      7. ↑ https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/dairy/24/friesian-2
      8. ↑ https://www.chefspencil.com/worlds-most-expensive-steaks/
      9. ↑ https://www.chefspencil.com/worlds-most-expensive-steaks/
      1. ↑ https://www.chefspencil.com/worlds-most-expensive-steaks/
      2. ↑ https://www.tourisme-en-aubrac.com/en/gastronomie/la-viande-de-race-aubrac/
      3. ↑ https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/dairy/27/montbéliarde
      4. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/804375/the-most-popular-cuts-of-steak-ranked-worst-to-best/
      5. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/804375/the-most-popular-cuts-of-steak-ranked-worst-to-best/
      6. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-the-best-cut-of-steak
      7. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/695592/steak-guide-cuts-types/
      8. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-the-best-cut-of-steak
      9. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/a-home-cooks-guide-to-all-the-cuts-of-beef-23589249
      10. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/695592/steak-guide-cuts-types/
      11. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/695592/steak-guide-cuts-types/
      12. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-dry-age-beef-at-home
      13. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-the-best-cut-of-steak
      14. ↑ https://www.brokenpalate.com/p/this-1000-steak-arrives-in-a-briefcase
      15. ↑ https://notesofnomads.com/kobe-beef/
      16. ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/longhorn-steakhouse-steaks-taste-test/
      17. ↑ https://www.tastingtable.com/1788218/is-costco-wagyu-from-japan/

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