8 Most Expensive Steaks in the World and How Much They Cost
For many carnivore consumers, buying a basic sirloin or even chuck steak for stew could be considered expensive and out of their budget. However, if money is no object, you may want to consider splurging on some of the most expensive steaks in the world.
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You’ll notice that most of the steaks on this list below bear an A5 rating and have specific Japanese Kobe beef, American Wagyu beef or other A5 Kobe beef designations to distinguish why they are such expensive meats. Here are the eight most expensive steaks in the world.
Hokkaido Wagyu A5 Wagyu Beef Whole Boneless Ribeye Steak
Estimated price: $1,199 for 11 pounds ($109 per pound at The Wagyu Shop)
Tokachi Farms makes our list with its beef raised in the Hokkaido region of Japan, near the active volcano Mount Tokachi. These cattle breeds feed on the fertile grass beside the volcano, and this diet gives the meat a rich flavor that compares to the other beef on this list. Though prices for this type of Wagyu steak can vary, you can expect to pay a pretty penny.
Omi Japanese A5 Wagyu Strip Steak
Estimated price: $249 for 13 ounces at Holy Grail Steak Co.
Omi is renowned in Japan as one of the top three regions for raising cattle, along with Kobe and Matsuzaka. First introduced to Japanese tables 400 years ago, the beef has a buttery and tender texture thanks to generous marbling. It will set you back around $250 per pound.
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Hida Japanese A5 Wagyu Filet Mignon
Estimated price: $125 for 6 ounces at Primal Butchery
Hida Wagyu is raised in the Gifu prefecture of Japan to an age of at least 14 months. It does not come from pure Black Japanese cattle but, instead, cows crossbred with European cattle in the 1800s.
That does not detract from its flavor, but it does make it slightly more affordable than pure Japanese Black wagyu. The pure spring water they drink results in a tender and flavorful cut of beef that melts in your mouth.
Sendai Japanese A5 Wagyu Strip
Estimated price: $249 for 13 ounces at Holy Grail Steak Co.
Kobe beef isn’t the only city-specific designation in Japan for quality cattle. The Miyagi prefecture of Japan raises Black cows whose meat qualifies for the A5 Wagyu rating. These cattle feast on a diet of rice stalks and barley grain, producing a generous marbling that delivers intense flavor and creates its own marinade as it cooks.
Matsuzaka A5 Wagyu Top Sirloin Steak
Estimated price: $119.70 for a 0.86-pound cut from Top Shelf Meats
Alongside Kobe, the Matsuzaka region in the Mie prefecture of Japan is known to produce some of the best cattle for beef. The cows are slaughtered before breeding, and the virgin meat is high in fat with generous marbling that leads to a tender and flavorful cut of steak.
A5 Kobe Beef Wagyu Striploin Steak
Estimated price: $329 for 10 ounces at The Wagyu Shop
Not everyone likes excessive marbling in their steak. In that case, a Kobe steak is the better choice as a Kobe A5 Wagyu Strip is still going to have enough marbling to make it tender and flavorful but without as much of the fatty profile. A strip, however, has more of a chewy texture than the buttery soft feel of a ribeye. A strip steak is harvested from the rear of the rib cage, while a rib eye comes from the upper ribs.
Kobe Beef A5 Wagyu Beef Ribeye Steak
Estimated price: $349 for 10 ounces at the Wagyu Shop
If the Wagyu A5 Tomahawk seems too pricey — or simply too much beef for your appetite — you can choose a Kobe ribeye. Best of all, you can even find this steak in the U.S. through online distributors. The ribeye is a smaller cut of beef and may contain part of the rib bone, or it can be separated from the rib and cut to make a slightly thinner cut of beef.
Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Beef Tomahawk Steak
Estimated price: $699 for a 4-pound steak at The Wagyu Shop
Though you can get this expensive meat online for slightly less, there is a Japanese A5 Wagyu Tomahawk served at Aragawa in Tokyo which goes for upwards of $1,000 on the menu. Another example in the U.S. is the the Beef Case Purebred Australian Wagyu Tomahawk served at Papi Steak in Miami Beach, which also goes for $1,000 on the menu. It is 55 ounces of beef served in a rhinestone-studded briefcase.
You can also find other high-quality Kobe beef A5 Wagyu’s at these places, but they won’t be the size of this one or have a lower grade. It is cut from the rib and usually has intense marbling that gives it a lot of flavor and makes for a tender cut of meat.
Unlike a bone-in ribeye or a “Cowboy cut” ribeye, the Tomahawk steak leaves on a sizeable length of rib bone, which is cut clean of fat and meat. The distinctive look of a Tomahawk will make you feel like Fred Flintstone when your meal reaches your table. Or perhaps you’ll feel more like Elon Musk or Warren Buffett dining on this pricey piece of beef.
Final Take To GO: The Highest Quality Steak in the World
Only a specific type of cattle from a certain region of Japan are selected to make Kobe beef, as it comes from the Hyogo prefecture region and, of the cows in that area, only a select number are chosen as A5 Wagyu beef. Roughly 1,000 cows make up all the Kobe beef available in the world in any given year. Kobe beef comes from certified Japanese Black cattle and it gets its name from the nearby city of Kobe.
The Wagyu A5 designation is a quality rating given to Japanese beef — Wagyu literally translates into “Japanese cow.” Like USDA Prime cuts of beef represent the highest quality of beef in the U.S., A5 is the highest rating given to Japanese beef.
The letter “A” stands for the yield while the number 5 refers to the quality, marbling, and other traits of the beef. The beef must have a marbling score of at least 8 out of 12 to earn the A5 designation. By contrast, American USDA Prime beef requires only a marbling score of 4.
If you see Kobe beef for lower prices in U.S. grocery stores, you are likely purchasing beef from a cow that has only a small percentage of Wagyu in its bloodline. That doesn’t mean these steaks aren’t high quality, but they probably will not compare in taste, tenderness or marbling to genuine A5 Wagyu Kobe beef.
If you are looking for the tastiest, most tender cuts of meat, you may not have to travel to Japan. Just make sure you are ordering genuine Kobe beef, and not American Kobe beef, if you are seeking a true A5 Wagyu cut.
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