Posted on 12/01/2022 7:15:27 AM PST by Red Badger
There are many economical beef cuts that can help you provide a healthy and balanced family meal without breaking the bank. These overlooked budget-friendly faves are sure to delight your table and your wallet.
TOP ROUND STEAK (AKA LONDON BROIL)
The London Broil is a thick and versatile cut. This beef cut is at its best when it's broiled or slow-cooked. Try this Beef and Pasta with Asian Peanut Sauce recipe that uses thin strips of Top Round Steak that are quickly cooked in teriyaki sauce before joining thin spaghetti noodles and cucumbers with a flavorful peanut butter sauce. Don’t have pasta on hand? Use ramen or rice instead and your choice of veggies
TOP ROUND ROAST
The Top Round Roast is a lean roast that should be slow-cooked to improve its tenderness, then sliced thinly across the grain. If you're looking for a great recipe for this affordable and lean cut, try this Garlic and Herb-Crusted Beef Roast. A quick rub with common seasonings give this dish a delicious flavor. Whip up a few side dishes while the roast is cooking.
SIRLOIN TIP STEAK
This boneless, lean cut is a superstar in the world of "low-cost cooking". The Sirloin Tip Roast makes great stir-fry strips, kabobs, stew meat or Cubed Steak. Looking for a fast and Easy Beef Stroganoff recipe? This classic recipe has been tested and perfected just for you! Don’t have mushrooms and gravy? Use any can of creamed soup instead. Plain Greek yogurt could be substituted for the sour cream, too.
EYE OF ROUND STEAK
A tremendous value cut that is lean and boneless. The Eye of Round Steak is ideal for marinating, then grilling or skillet cooking. This Kung Pao Beef recipe is quick and easy and uses prepared sauce and frozen veggies to make a delicious, fork-tender meal. Use any pre-prepared Asian sauce and veggies on hand.
BOTTOM ROUND STEAK
A good everyday cut, boneless and lean. Marinate and broil or grill and slice thin. Enjoy your favorite BBQ flavors with this BBQ Beef Skillet with Cornbread recipe!
BOTTOM ROUND ROAST
Great value and very lean, this cut is best for roasting or slow-cooking and slicing thin. The smell of a roast simmering in salsa will have your mouth watering for this flavorful meal. Bring on dinner with this Southwest Beef Pot Roast recipe.
ARM CHUCK ROAST
An economical and flavorful cut. Best when slow-cooked. Got a hankering for delicious shredded beef? Try one of these Four-Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef recipes that are sure to please everyone at the dinner table.
TOP BLADE STEAK
One of the most tender cuts to grill, roast or broil in the oven. These steaks take center stage in this delicious, yet super simple Italian-inspired Beef Steak Al Forno recipe with only 5 ingredients.
BRISKET HALF FLAT
The leaner half of the whole Brisket also known as the "first cut," this full-flavored meat can be sliced or shredded. Love beef and beer? Who doesn't? This recipe is a delicious combination of the two. Beef-Braised Brisket with Mustard Sauce is slow-cooked in beer and served with a tangy mustard sauce. Don't have Dijon-style mustard? Try spicy mustard instead.
STEW MEAT
A full-flavored staple. Great for slow-cooking, chili and stews. In this Beef and Barley Soup with Spinach recipe, fresh or frozen spinach adds a fresh boost to this beef soup that's just as classic as it is chock-full of flavor. If you're out of spinach, try using kale leaves instead.
CHUCK TENDER STEAK
A lean cut that resembles a Tenderloin Steak but is not as tender. Slow-cook or tenderize with a marinade before grilling. This Braised Beef with Tomato-Garlic White Beans recipe will have you enjoying the flavors of Tuscany right in the comfort of your own home. Don't have Italian-style tomatoes? Just add 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp dried thyme to the seasoning list. Use any beans you have on hand.
Sounds good however here in LA those cuts start out at $12.00 a pound still stuck on soup a Jiff damn it.
LA like in CA or LA like in Nawlins?..............
The funny thing is, the brisket was the cheapest part of the cow, due to its toughness and often extra fattiness. That is why they gave that part to the cowboys...it would go to waste otherwise.
Then the cowboys realized if you slow-cooked that sucker, over low/medium heat all day long, by the time they got back to the bunkhouse, that meat was as tender as their boss’ rib-eye steak!!
Each of these cuts, if cooked at the right temp and for a little longer (or as many have stated using a pressure cooker/InstaPot/etc) will be just as good as the strip steaks, standing rib roasts, etc.
I have been cooking my ribeyes in my Ninja Foodi air crisper.
Seems to work consistently well and fast.
Sirloin is great.
It’s my go-to, period. Not too expensive, but unequivocally better than all those other cheap cuts.
Our local grocery for some reason seems to have abandoned sirloin altogether the last year. I hate it.
they left off beef cheek, a cut that has a massive amount of connective tissue and that has an amazing texture and flavor unlike any other beef cut ...
the key is to braise it until the connective tissue liquefies into a gel ... i dice it into stew-sized pieces and braise it in a good red wine with a ton of chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrot ... that large amount of gelled collagen has the rich mouthfeel of fat ... we call it Cheeky Stew, and when we serve it to friends they go gaga over the flavor and texture ...
Beef cheek is about three bucks a pound ... our local Sam’s Wholesale Club carries it ...
Beef snob chiming in. I know how to cook steaks. If visitors want their meat burnt to a crisp, I will do that.
Los Angeles aka LA
I thought so, but here, being so close, LA means Louisiana!.............
“ Another muscle cut that deserves recognition for its flavor and relatively low cost is the Flat Iron.”
I second that. I use fajita seasoning as a rub and grill low and slow with indirect heat, then sear when medium rare. Outstanding!!!
I sear mine. Throw it in a terracotta Dutch oven. Sprinkle with onion soup mix. Add 4 cloves of garlic and a couple of sprigs of rosemary on top. Cover and cook in a 235° oven for 6 hours. Let is rest and then make gravy. The juices are pretty intense...so dilute with red wine or beef stock.
I’m getting hungry, now!
bfl
Yum!
I take advantage of Acme’s Buy 1 Get 2 Free petite sirloins. I freeze them and when I want to cook one, I slice it super thin while still partially frozen. Then I “velvet” the meat by marinating in baking soda and a little water. It’s what Chinese restaurants do to soften cheaper cuts. It’s a great hack.
Sous vide cooking will make any of these cuts as tender as tenderloin.
Alternatively, if the meat is a large piece, you can set it on your outdoor grill's grates instead. Just wipe the grates down and sanitize them with the blow torch before use.
Easy peasy.
:)
bump
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