
World's most expensive meat —
Through a process called "hibernation," invented by France's Polmard family, meat can be stored safely for any length of time. Cold air is blown at speeds of 120 kilometers per hour over the beef in a -43 C environment. The 2000 vintage cote de boeuf (rib steak) can cost as much as $3,200.

The butcher —
Only one butcher in the world, Frenchman Alexandre Polmard, offers this unique and expensive meat.He's the sixth generation to work in the eponymous family business, which was founded in 1846.

Blonde Aquitaine —
Not just any old cow will do. Polmard and his family raise Blonde Aquitaine cattle outside the small town of Saint Mihiel in the Meuse region of Lorraine, northeastern France.

Family business —
Alexandre's grandfather Robert (pictured) and father developed the hibernation process in the 1990s.

Caprice —
Two-Michelin-star restaurant Caprice in Hong Kong's Four Seasons Hotel recently hosted a seven-course lunch featuring Polmard's beef. The star? This 15-year-old cut of beef, sliced and served by Caprice head chef Fabrice Vulin.

Chef's table —
The lunch, which cost $700 per person -- not including wine -- was served at Caprice's chef's table, which looks onto the kitchen and sits within the restaurant's famed wine room and adjacent cheese cellar.