What Factors Contribute Towards Making A Meat Cut Expensive?

While there are plenty of factors that can drive a specific cut up in price, it’s crucial to pinpoint certain aspects that contribute towards making meat expensive. Here’s a rough sketch:

• Rarity: Due to the supply or raising conditions of a specific type of meat, some cuts are rare, making them difficult to obtain. Normal market conditions push the price higher.
• Marbling: It has been observed that the degree of fat elements embedded within the muscle tissue plays a vital role in determining how tender or well-flavored the meat is. Cuts with high levels of marbling are more costly as they produce richer and tenderer meat.
• Aging Process: The seasoning of meat, enhanced through the means of its aging process (dry or wet), is clearly enjoyed by consumers. This process takes time and skill, thus making meat more expensive.
• Breed and Region: Specialty cuts, such as Wagyu beef, or from certain areas with a reputation for producing only the best quality meat, tend to cost more.
• Preparation and Processing: There are certain cuts that require extensive butchering and preparation, which also end up costing more.

America’s Priciest Game Meats Cuts

Whether you are a meat lover or not, here are the top American priciest meat cuts that promise a unique taste and experience:

1. Wagyu Beef

A classic meat cut hailing from Japan that is good on the pocket. Wagyu beef is known for its rich buttery texture. American Wagyu offers a different cut, which is a cross between domestic cattle and Japanese Wagyu. However, the quality remains intact. Wagyu cuts of beef are graded, and the highest grade, A5, is preferred due to its tenderness and rich taste.

Price: $100 – $300 per pound (depending on grade)

2. Kobe Beef

Kobe beef is a hybrid of Wagyu and hails from the Hyogo prefecture of Japan. The beef is known for its melt-in-the-mouth marbling, which results in an exquisite taste. True Kobe beef is extremely hard to find in the U.S. as it is expensive. American ranchers breeding Kobe-style beef cattle crosses contribute towards its availability.

Price: $200 – $400 per pound (for authentic Kobe beef)

3. Filet Mignon (Tenderloin)

Filet Mignon is one steak that is famous for its tenderness, and so it comes with a price to match. People enjoy it not for the rich fat it contains but its soft, strong steak character, which is lower in cut than most steaks. This cut is generally found in high-end restaurants and is best suited for special events or celebrations.

Price: $40 – $75 per pound (depending on grade and aging)

4. Tomahawk Steak

People often do a double-take when they see a Tomahawk steak; when it gets pulled out, people expect to see a cow being lifted due to how big the Tomahawk steak is. Essentially, it has been prepared from an untrimmed rib primal cut, and its bone is about 5 inches long, making it appear like a Tomahawk axe. Tomahawks provide a robust flavor and are presented dry-aged for the best taste out there.

Price: $60 – $150 per pound, varies based on tenderness levels and regions.

5. Ribeye Dry Aged

Widely savored for its superior tenderness and taste, Ribeye, when dry-aged, has a distinct beefy, slightly nutty, and tender texture that many enjoy. Ribeye is known for its heavy marbling. Dry aging changes the flavor and requires special temperature and time conditions, which is why it is costlier in nature.

Price: $50 – $100 per pound (dry-aged)

6. Porterhouse Steak

Larger in size and containing more portions of tenderloin, Porterhouse steak is a larger version of T-bone steak. This rib-cut delicacy features both filet mignon and bone-in strip steak in Grade A quality, enabling a combined extraordinary flavor. Porterhouse steak is also expensive due to its size as well as texture.