An expensive steak that melts in your mouth is one of life's great pleasures.
But, did you know there are cuts of beef that are just as delectable as the premium cuts
but will still leave you with enough money in your bank account to buy toilet paper?
Watch until the end to learn which cheap cuts are keepers!
"Don't insult a man's steak without tasting it, you'll get us killed!"
If you're a fan of the beautifully marbled texture of ribeye, then the blade chuck
steak is the perfect affordable alternative to shop for. Found in the chuck primal close
to the blade muscle, blade chuck steak is packed with flavor. It's run through with
veins of fat that make this some of the most succulent meat you'll find on a cheap steak.
Although shoulder cuts like this are commonly cooked slowly,
you'll best experience the blade chuck steak on the grill. As the meat sears and the fat melts,
it will tenderize the meat and intensify the taste. You won't match the tenderness of a
tenderloin here, but you'll be surprised by just how succulent this steak can be.
Most blade chuck steaks will weigh anything from 8 ounces to 14 ounces, and although you may not find
them at every butcher's counter, they're becoming increasingly common. They remain relatively cheap,
you should be able to pick one up for between $9 and $16 per pound.
Shoulder steak is cut from the chuck area of the cow.
You can cook it any way you like but Beef. It's What's for Dinner recommends that you
should marinate it first if you want to grill it. Any shoulder cut comes from hardworking muscles
that can be tough but exceptionally tasty when cooked properly. With some careful preparation
or slow cooking, the shoulder steak has a lot to recommend it. It has a light marbling
of fat but none of the thick sections you can sometimes find in a blade chuck steak.
This cut is often overlooked because of the beef shoulder's reputation for tough meat or large
slow-cooked roast joints. However, this has driven the price down to around $9 per pound. Although
you're not getting fillet here and the meat has a coarser texture than most expensive cuts,
it's still tender enough to enjoy out of the pan or off the grill.
Tri-tip steak has a triangular shape and comes from the bottom of the sirloin.
It's lean, has some light marbling, and is perfect if you like your steak on the grill
rare to medium. Best cooked on high heat, the meat has a coarse texture
but is still beautifully tender and provides lots of mouth-watering beef flavor.
You may need to adjust your cooking style slightly or even marinate it for a couple of hours,
but the tri-tip steak is well worth the time on the grill. Once you've got the
hang of preparing it to your liking, this is a steak you'll be enjoying time and time again.
In appearance and taste, the tri-tip steak lies halfway between the lean sirloin and
the fat marbled ribeye. At about $8 per pound, it's significantly cheaper
than both cuts of meat. If you're a fan of either of those popular cuts,
you owe it to yourself and your wallet to buy a tri-tip steak today.
Cut from the chuck area of the cow, directly underneath the shoulder blade,
the Denver steak is surprisingly tender. It comes from the serratus ventralis muscle,
which is relatively unused, giving it a smoother texture and making it perfect for grilling.
Denver steaks are beautifully marbled, affordable, and are becoming immensely popular. They're often
grilled on high heat and sliced against the grain. You can eat them immediately,
add them to steak sandwiches, or serve them with salads.
Although it's unclear why this steak was given the name Denver,
it was first cut during a quest for new steaks by butchers and food scientists.
They were tasked with finding a steak with premium characteristics from the cheaper parts of the cow.
Once you've tried your first Denver steak, you'll realize just how successful they
were in showcasing this cut of beef. Even though this steak has grown in popularity,
it still remains affordable and can be found in some areas at about $13 per pound.
Also known as a boneless chuck, the ranch steak is cut from the center portion of the shoulder.
It's sliced across the grain to produce a very lean steak with no fat around the edges. Despite
the lack of fat, it still provides a deep beefy flavor that's too good to miss out on.
According to Just Cook, it's at its best when cooked medium-rare
and ladled with melted butter. If you cook it for too long or aim to do it well-done,
it may develop a tough, chewy texture that won't do the meat justice and could
leave your jaw sore by the end of the meal. However, if you prefer your meat well-done,
you could marinate it for a couple of hours or use a tenderizer before cooking.
Most ranch steaks are cut to an inch thick and weigh a maximum of 10 ounces.
This is one of the cheapest cuts of beef, and the prices can be as low as $5 per pound.
"You like steak?"
"I do."
Then you're gonna love the top blade steak! As it's one of the most tender steaks available
and is still incredibly affordable. It's cut when butchers slice across the top blade muscle
in the cow's shoulder. This relatively new cut delivers rich flavor and a smooth texture. The
price of top blade steak can be as low as $5 per pound, but in some areas, it costs closer to $11.
The only downside to the top blade steak is the seam of sinew that runs down its center.
It's this that keeps the price down and has prevented it from becoming popular in the past.
However, the top blade can still provide excellent value and tastes great.
If you place it in a pan and braise it with good beef stock, you'll retain the fantastic
taste while the meat and connective tissue soften up. If you prefer to take less time cooking,
you can also cut the sinew out and pan fry or grill the meat on high heat.
"So much steak…lungs filling…sinuses packed with meat!"
Cut from the area of the cow where the leg and rump meet, the top round steak is
cheap but best avoided. The round primal cut is excellent for slow-cooked roasts, but for steak,
it doesn't deliver the intense flavor provided by some of the fattier chuck steak cuts.
According to data collected by Statista, the price of the top round steak reached $7.34 per pound in
2021. Many people see the top round steak as a good budget option because it's so cheap,
but to get a texture that makes this steak worth your attention, it must be slow-cooked or broiled.
If you want to save money, many other steaks are the same price but offer double the taste.
Cut from the area above the cow's hind legs, the bottom round steak provides good flavor but is
too tough for frying or grilling. As with most cuts from this area of the cow, they're okay
if you want a tightly textured lean roast, but as a steak, they're far too chewy to really enjoy.
The bottom round steak has an even tighter grain than the top round steak. Despite being on the
lean side, there is some noticeable marbling in this cut, bringing some extra depth to the
flavor. If you buy a bottom round steak, you'll need to marinate it for several hours, slow cook
or broil it, and then cut it very thinly. Even then, some people still find it excessively
stringy. But why go to all that trouble when so many other cheap steaks are so much better?
According to FoodFireFriends,
a pound of bottom-round steak can cost anything from $5 to $10.
Chuck center steaks are cut from the upper shoulder of the cow.
There are several cheap cuts to be found in the chuck that will surprise you with their flavor
and tender texture; unfortunately, this is not one of them. The chuck center steak delivers
the taste but is too tough unless you've got the patience to marinade or broil it.
As well as the unpleasant texture, chuck center steaks are run through with chunks
of fat and gristle. They're hard to remove and appear regularly throughout the steak,
ruining any enjoyment of the rest of the meat.
If you ever make the mistake of buying a chuck center steak, your only option
is to try a wet cooking method like braising. Pan-frying or grilling should be avoided and
are likely to render your steak inedible no matter how skilled you are in the kitchen.
Cut from the same area as the chuck center steak, this is sometimes referred to
as the poor man's ribeye. The chuck eye steak features plenty of fat
and has a marbled texture throughout the meat. Disappointingly it's temperamental to cook
and, if heated too fast, it quickly becomes unpleasantly chewy.
If you're hoping that a chuck eye steak will deliver the beautiful buttery soft,
melt-in-the-mouth texture of a good ribeye, you'll be disappointed. It has a similar flavor,
but the meat is too coarse to be anywhere near as good. If you like
to slow cook or braise your steaks, this may be a good option for you,
but it's not going to work for those who want rarer steaks cooked quickly on a hot grill.
You can pick up a chuck eye steak for about $11 a pound at Walmart.
If tenderized, cooked well, and sliced thinly, a chuck eye steak can be tasty.
However, there are several cheap steaks that are much tastier and simpler to prepare.
Skirt steak is a classic cheap cut; it's been around for ages and is often the go-to
piece of meat for anyone on a budget. However, most butchers can now provide
you with a range of other cheap cuts, many of which are superior to this one.
Skirt steaks come from the plate area of the cow, which is on its underside just behind the front
legs. This is a flat juicy steak that's alright if you plan on slicing it thinly but is too
tough for most meals. It has a coarse texture that tends to get stringy when cooked for too long.
There's a lot of flavor to be had in this steak, but the amount of connective tissue running
through it is enough to put some people off. While some chefs still rate the skirt steak as a tasty
budget meal, it's best kept for stews, fajitas, or other dishes where you need to slice it thinly.
Currently, you can find an Angus skirt steak for about $10 per pound at Target.
Another classic cheap cut, flank steak, is found on the underside of the cow,
just in front of the back legs. According to The Pricer, a pound of flank steak will likely cost
you between $9 and $14. Even at such a reasonable price, this is a cut for emergencies only;
if you have no access to any other beef whatsoever, then maybe buy some. But
when tri-tip steaks or flat iron steaks are available, it makes no sense to opt for flank.
If you buy it, flank steak will rank as one of the toughest cuts you've ever had.
It's incredibly temperamental, and slight alterations in cooking time
or temperature can make it dry and chewy. As well as featuring lots of
coarse fibers throughout the meat, this is one of the leanest cuts available,
and there's very little fat present to boost the flavor. With so many better and cheaper steak cuts
out there, you'll get more bang for your buck if you skip the flank steak and go for another cut.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.