Those blocks of frozen generic beef that have been accumulating frost in your freezer for the last two years? Not going to cut it for this barbecue.
Fleur restaurant in Las Vegas, owned by celebrity chef Hubert Keller, has something it calls the "fleurBurger 5000." Though it sounds like it traveled through time to be eaten, 5,000 is the number of dollars you'll be handing over to enjoy this stack of goodness. It's also a good template to follow for a tasty, albeit pricey, burger.
"Most people just want to see it's actually on the menu," says Yvonne Silva, front of house at Fleur. More than a dozen of the 5000s have been sold, she says, though many more patrons jump at the bargain version of $75, omitting the 1995 Chateau Petrus wine that accompanies the original.
If you'd like to reconstruct the fleurBurger 5000 in your backyard barbecue palace, you will need to start with tracking down some Wagyu beef, which can run about $65 to $70 per pound for a good cut. Next up, truffles (average about $75), foie gras (about $70) and some brioche buns (about $10).
A distant contender in terms of price, but delicious nonetheless, is the Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern in New York, which sells for $26. Good luck attempting this one at home, as the patty is a blend of skirt steak, brisket, chuck, short rib and rib-eye, all dry-aged for 45 days and from renowned butcher Pat LaFrieda, seared medium-rare with caramelized onions on brioche from Balthazar Bakery.