The Most Expensive Steak In The World

Quick, name the world's most exclusive, expensive type of beef — bet you brisket to burgers you said Kobe beef. However, you'd be (surprisingly) wrong. As it turns out, some of the swankiest cows come from France, not Japan. In fact, the priciest bit of beef you could possibly sink your teeth into costs an incredible $3,200. It comes from a breed of cattle called the Blonde d'Aquitaine, and the cow that gave its life for this delicacy was raised in a stress-free, luxurious environment on a small family farm outside the town of Saint Mihiel in northeastern France. 

Stress-free? Considering the purpose for which this cow is being raised, doesn't it seem a bit hypocritical to care about the quality of its relatively short life? Bovine de-stressing, however, is actually done for some not-so-altruistic reasons — when a cow gets stressed out, its levels of glycogen and lactic acid spike, which caused the meat to be less tender and flavorful. At the Polmard farm, home to these cossetted cattle, even the end-of-life experience is made as comforting as possible — only four cows per week are sent to meet (or meat) their maker.

The finest cut from this noblest of bovines is a cote de boeuf (rib steak) which has been aging since the Y2K bug turned out to be not a thing. This particular steak can only be purchased at the Polmard boucherie in Paris, and is so exclusive that only a few restaurant chefs around the world even have the option to purchase this bovine perfection. 

Should your private chef be on vacation, the best place to enjoy vintage Polmard beef is at the Michelin-starred Caprice restaurant located in Hong Kong's Four Seasons Hotel. For $700 per person, you can enjoy your cote de boeuf (and you darn well better enjoy it) as part of a special chef's table menu. This ultra-luxe meal also includes such delicacies as rumpsteak sliced thin and garnished with autumn truffles, beef tartare with Laphroaig whiskey, and Oscietra caviar, but the star of the show is Polmard's Rare Millesime Cote de Boeuf, Vintage 2000. This massive cut of beef has almost no marbling or fat, nor does it need it, as the flavor, with its gentle acidity, along with texture so tender you can almost cut it with a fork alone, are a truly unforgettable experience — or so the restaurant's full bookings would indicate. 

Not that too many of us are likely to find out any time soon, but hey, if you're going to dream of a steak dinner, might as well dream big, and this sublime steak is definitely the stuff of which sweet, sweet dreams are made.