BBC carries a report on the McDonald sandwich--not made by the fastfood joint, but by chef Scott McDonald--now selling for a limited time (until the Monday after Easter) at the London department store Selfridges. The sandwich carries a 85-pound-sterling price tag, equaling approx. USD$149. What makes it so impressively expensive is the ingredients:
The ingredients of the sandwich are: Wagyu beef, fresh lobe foie gras, black truffle mayonnaise, brie de meaux, rocket, red pepper and mustard confit and English plum tomatoes.all served on a 24-hour fermented sour dough bread.
Of course, when then say Wagyu beef, they probably actually mean Kobe, or Tajima, beef, the most expensive and most flavorful beef in the world. From the linked article, in Japan, top quality Kobe beef sells at over $200 per lb. Of course, since true Kobe beef doesn't export from Japan, it is most likely that the sandwich used "Kobe-style" beef that is a cross breed between Wagyu cattle and American Angus that is fed a diet similar to that given to the cattle on Japanese farms. That said, the beef still retails at over $100 per lb.
The beef's quality comes from its high marble content, i.e. the amount of fat present compared to the muscles. To fatten the cattle, the animals are fed sake and beer during the final feeding cycle and get daily massages. The high fat content means that the beef has a strong taste, which might not be for everyone. The strong taste also means that the ideal way to prepare it for a dish is with minimal amounts of cooking and seasoning: i.e. sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, etc.
I wonder what Miracle Max would have to say to that.