This page has everything you need to compare prices, make sure you’re not being ripped off on your steak, or just treat yourself to one of the world’s most expensive steaks. There’s a good chance that these five pricey steak cuts will break the bank, but when you eat them, they’ll be well worth it. Here are the most expensive options and best steak cuts your money can buy:
For beef lovers, nothing beats the mouthwatering experience of a premium cut of steak. While most steaks come with a hefty price tag, some take luxury to the extreme, commanding eye-popping prices that match their outstanding flavor and quality.
Let’s explore some of the world’s most extravagantly expensive cuts of beef and what makes them so special. Get ready to discover some of the finest bovine delicacies money can buy.
A5 Japanese Kobe – The Crème de la Crème
With an astronomical price tag averaging $200-300 per pound, A5 ranked Japanese Kobe beef sits atop the beef price pyramid. Regarded as the pinnacle of quality beef worldwide, genuine Japanese Kobe must pass extremely strict grading criteria
To achieve the A5 rank, Kobe cattle are pampered with daily massages and fed a precise diet including sake, resulting in spectacular marbling This extensive marbling creates an unparalleled tender, buttery texture that melts in your mouth The flavor is complex, robust and almost nutty. For beef connoisseurs, A5 Kobe is the holy grail.
Japanese Wagyu – Decadence Defined
While Kobe refers specifically to beef from Hyōgo prefecture, the term Wagyu applies to all Japanese-style beef. Like Kobe, Wagyu is revered for its heavy marbling, achieved through specialized breeding and feeding. This fat marbling makes the beef incredibly tender and gives it a rich, buttery flavor.
With quality scores approaching Kobe beef, Japanese Wagyu can cost $150-$200 per pound. For those seeking ultimate indulgence, Japanese Wagyu is worth the splurge.
Domestic Wagyu – A Luxury Take on American Beef
Over the past decade, demand for premium quality beef has led some American ranchers to breed and raise Wagyu-style cattle domestically. While not as prestigious as Japanese Wagyu, American-raised Wagyu still commands premium prices ranging from $50-150 per pound.
With delicate marbling and buttery texture, domestic Wagyu represents a luxury take on conventional American beef. For an elevated steak experience without importing from Japan, American Wagyu is an excellent choice.
Filet Mignon – The Tenderness King
Cut from the tapered end of the beef tenderloin, filet mignon is prized for its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and mild flavor. With minimal fat, filets emphasize purity of flavor and delicate texture.
Depending on cut thickness and quality grade, filet mignon costs $35-$60 per pound on average. Special cuts like Chateaubriand can run even higher. If you crave ultimate tenderness, filet mignon is worth the splurge.
Porterhouse – The Best of Both Worlds
Hailing from the rear back portion of the cow, Porterhouse steaks incorporate the tenderloin filet on one side of the bone and a flavorful strip steak on the other. This gives Porterhouses the best of both worlds – tenderloin tenderness and strip steak flavor.
Quality Porterhouse steaks range from $25-40 per pound. For special occasions, a thick, perfectly marbled Porterhouse really satisfies.
Ribeye – Where Flavor Reigns Supreme
From the rib section, bone-in ribeye steaks offer the peak of rich, beefy flavor. Abundant marbling gives each bite a burst of beefiness that steak connoisseurs crave. While not as tender as cuts like filet mignon, the intensely beefy flavor profile makes ribeyes a favorite.
Depending on quality and cut thickness, ribeyes cost $15-25 per pound on average. When flavor trumps all else, ribeye is the choice for serious beef lovers.
T-Bone – The Best of Both Worlds
Similar to Porterhouse, T-bone steaks are cut from the short loin and contain both strip and tenderloin portions on either side of the bone. You get a tasty sample of each in one steak.
With their signature T-shaped bone, T-bones offer the indulgence of two high-end steaks in one. Costing $16-26 per pound, T-bones make the perfect special occasion showstopper.
Omaha Steaks – A Mail Order Luxury
Known for exceptional quality and customer service, Omaha Steaks offers premium steaks, from filet mignon to ribeyes, delivered right to your door. Their website makes ordering gourmet steaks for home delivery smooth and convenient.
While pricey, their expertise in selecting, aging and cutting steaks is apparent in each meticulously trimmed and packaged cut, ready for an indulgent at-home dining experience.
Worth the Price Tag?
Outrageously expensive by most standards, these luxury beef cuts truly deliver next-level eating for hardcore beef fans. While everyday enjoyment may be unrealistic, they are absolutely worth sampling at least once in your beef-loving career. A special occasion like an anniversary or big promotion calls for an ultimate steak experience.
For the true beef connoisseur, the choice is clear. While your wallet may suffer, your taste buds will enjoy the ride. Because when you crave the absolute best quality steak possible, nothing else will satisfy like these ultra-high-end beef cuts.
Conclusion: Is It Worth the Price to Splurge on the Most Expensive Beef Cuts?
If you don’t want to splurge on 100 dollar steaks, that’s totally understandable. There are many cuts of meat that are cheaper than expensive steaks that still taste and texture great. There are, however, some very expensive steaks in the world that you will need to be ready to pay for. When you buy from Chicago Steak Company, you can be sure that you’re getting the best steaks you can find. Check out our American Wagyu steaks. They are aged just right and vacuum-sealed to keep them fresh while they ship. You can also order one of our gourmet steak assortment boxes and have different high-quality cuts of beef sent right to your door.
A5 Japanese Kobe Beef
Japanese Kobe steak is one expensive meat. Many people think it’s the most expensive steak in the world, though prices can change based on where you are, the restaurant, etc. Kobe beef from Japan is often said to have the best marbling of any steak you can buy.
Japanese Kobe beef goes through a strict grading process, and every year only 3,000 cows make the cut to be called real Kobe beef. In a restaurant, you can be sure that if they have this cut of meat, it will cost a lot for a single serving. It is the most expensive meat per pound.
However, not all Kobe beef is equal. Japanese butchers use a system for marking the best Kobe steaks that is similar to the USDA’s system for marking beef. And the A5 grade is the cream of the crop.
Each cut of Kobe beef gets graded according to its marbling, color, fat color, and texture. With a grade of A5, you’re getting the very best Kobe beef Japan has to offer. Because of this, an A5 Kobe steak will cost you almost twice as much as a lower grade Kobe steak.
A5 Japanese Kobe Beef Price Per Pound: $400 and up
That’s not to say that non-A5 Kobe beef is cheap in any way. Even though it doesn’t have an A5 grade, Japanese Kobe beef is still the second most expensive steak cut in the world. You should still be ready to pay a lot of money for this prime cut.
C1 is the lowest grade Kobe beef can have. Even with that grade, you’re looking at a $250 per pound price tag. That’s because, no matter the grade, Kobe beef is considered the best your money can buy. As the grade goes up, the price will go up. Most A-grade Kobe beef costs $300 or more per pound.
Japanese Kobe Beef Price Per Pound: $250 and up
People love this amazing steak because it has perfect marbling. It comes from Japanese-raised cattle that are bred and raised to make prize-winning beef.
Wagyu cattle raised in Japan have special diets that consist of grass, straw, and other natural grains. Japanese cattle farmers also make sure that their animals have the right amount of muscle and fat to improve flavor and marbling. People love and want Wagyu so much that it has its own grading system, with A5 being the best grade you can get.
As an interesting side note, Costco offered a discount to its members a few years ago, marking down an A5 Japanese Wagyu Ribeye from $1499 to $1199 for 11 pounds of the steak.
Japanese Wagyu Price Per Pound: $150 to $200
American Wagyu beef is a lot like Japanese Wagyu beef, but it comes from American cattle that are raised and fed in ways that are similar to Japanese ways. It’s safe to say that the steaks will have a lot of the same qualities and flavors. The only difference is that American Wagyu goes through the USDA Prime grading system instead of the Japanese grading system.
In general, an American Wagyu steak won’t cost much less than a Japanese one, but you might save some cash. To learn more about the American Wagyu steak, you can click here to read our Steak University article.
American Wagyu Beef Price Per Pound: $100 to $150
Filet mignon comes from the tenderloin, which is arguably the most tender cut you can find. It is possible for filet mignon to cost even more per pound than tenderloin because the average animal can only hold about 500 grams, or a pound, of it.
Filet mignon may be expensive beef, but most steak gurus can’t get enough of its ridiculously amazing texture. And, with so many ways to dress it up with a sauce or seasoning, it can’t go wrong. Check out Steak University’s filet mignon articles and recipes for some flavor inspiration.
Filet Mignon Price Per Pound: $30 to $100
Beef tenderloin is where you’ll find filet mignon. But filet mignon costs more per pound than beef tenderloin because it’s only a piece of the whole tenderloin. However, that doesn’t make the beef tenderloin a cheap piece of meat. This delicious cut costs about $30 a pound, but fans say it’s well worth the money because it has a strong flavor and a very tender texture.
If you want to save money on beef tenderloin, ask the butcher to give you one that hasn’t been trimmed. Some of the work could save you about $5 per pound. You’ll still have to cut off the fat and slice it yourself.
Beef Tenderloin Price Per Pound: $20-$30
A porterhouse steak costs a bit more than a New York strip, and some of the best steakhouses in the country serve them all the time. The reason this steak is up there in price is that it’s actually two steaks in one. On one side of the bone is a New York strip, and on the other is a tenderloin filet. You are getting a strip steak with your porterhouse order, so it makes sense that you will pay a little more for this cut than for a New York strip.
Porterhouse Price Per Pound: $20 to $25
One of the most expensive steaks you can find in most grocery stores, butcher shops, and steakhouses is the New York strip steak. Even though it’s easier to get than some others, it can still be very expensive, especially compared to cheaper cuts that are available.
This cut isn’t as tender as the filet or even the ribeye. The gem of the New York strip is in its flavor. When you think of a beefy steak, you probably imagine what this cut tastes like. It’s full of delicious, beefy flavor that cooks to perfection in a pan or on the grill.
New York Strip Price Per Pound: $15 to $20
Many people agree that ribeye is one of the best cuts of steak served in steakhouses. They love it because it has strong flavors and great marbling. It also works well with a lot of different steak meals and goes well with your favorite steak side dishes. The high price probably has something to do with how popular it is, but there are many things about it that other steaks just can’t match.
And if you choose bone-in ribeye, expect to pay more than a boneless version. That’s partly because you’ll also pay for the weight of the bone rather than just the meat. But when it comes to ribeye, part of the appeal of the cut is that the rib bone is still there. Because cooking ribeye with the bone can make it taste and feel even better, bone-in ribeyes usually cost $2 to $5 more per pound than boneless ribeyes.
Ribeye Price Per Pound: $15 to $20
A t-bone steak is basically the same thing as a porterhouse steak, only smaller. For porterhouse steaks, the filet must be at least 1 ¼ inches thick. For t-bone steaks, the filet only needs to be ¼ of an inch thick. There is a big difference between the two cuts of meat, which is the main reason why a t-bone steak costs up to $15 less per pound than a porterhouse. Still, priced as much as $20 per pound, t-bones are far from cheap.
T-Bone Price Per Pound: $10 to $20
The Complete Guide to Cooking the Perfect Steak
FAQ
What is the highest quality cut of beef?
Which is better, T-bone or New York steak?
Is ribeye more expensive than sirloin?
What is the most expensive beef cut on a cow?
Beef cuts from the short loin region contain some of the most expensive cuts on the cow. Cut from the rear end of the loin, this cut of beef features two steaks, connected by a T-shaped bone: the larger strip steak, which packs a flavorful punch, and the smaller, incredibly tender filet mignon.
What is the second most expensive steak cut in the world?
Japanese Kobe beef without a grading of A5 made our list as the second most expensive steak cut in the world because you should still expect to shell out a lot of money for this prime cut. C1 is the lowest grade Kobe beef can have. Even with that grade, you’re looking at a $250 per pound price tag.
What is the most expensive meat in a restaurant?
Both cuts are revered and will almost always be the most expensive cuts available at any restaurant. The tenderloin is the bigger cut of meat, but filet mignon takes the crown for price and taste as it is the most tender part of the tenderloin, famous for its sweetness and buttery texture.
What is the most expensive steak in the world?
Below, I’ve listed some of the most expensive steaks available. A5+ Kobe Beef Price Per Pound: $300-$600+ The Kobe A5+ Wagyu steak is the most expensive in the world, costing up to $600 per pound, sometimes even more.