For the carnivorous among us, it's hard to go wrong with a well-prepared, melt-in-your-mouth steak. After all, a good piece of red meat — cooked exactly to one's liking — is like a shot of pure comfort straight to the tummy. And while experimenting with different cuts and cooking methods is never a bad thing, there are definitely unwritten rules about which red meat cuts are worth your hard-earned cash and which you should avoid, even if they're easier on your wallet than something a little pricier. With this in mind, let's dive fork-first into a list of 14 cheap steaks you should and shouldn't buy.
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00:00An expensive steak that melts in your mouth is one of life's great pleasures.
00:05But did you know there are cuts of beef that are just as delectable as the premium cuts,
00:10but will still leave you with enough money in your bank account to buy toilet paper?
00:14Watch until the end to learn which cheap cuts are keepers.
00:18Don't insult a man's steak without tasting it, you'll get us killed.
00:22If you're a fan of the beautifully marbled texture of ribeye,
00:25then the blade chuck steak is the perfect affordable alternative to shop for.
00:30Found in the chuck primal close to the blade muscle, blade chuck steak is packed with flavor.
00:35It's run through with veins of fat that make this some of the most succulent meat you'll find on a
00:41cheap steak. Although shoulder cuts like this are commonly cooked slowly, you'll best experience the
00:46blade chuck steak on the grill. As the meat sears and the fat melts, it will tenderize the meat and
00:52intensify the taste. You won't match the tenderness of a tenderloin here, but you'll be
00:57surprised by just how succulent this steak can be. Most blade chuck steaks will weigh anything from
01:038 ounces to 14 ounces, and although you may not find them at every butcher's counter,
01:08they're becoming increasingly common. They remain relatively cheap. You should be able
01:12to pick one up for between $9 and $16 per pound. Shoulder steak is cut from the chuck area of the
01:20cow. You can cook it any way you like, but beef — it's what's for dinner — recommends that you
01:25should marinate it first if you want to grill it. Any shoulder cut comes from hardworking muscles
01:30that can be tough but exceptionally tasty when cooked properly. With some careful preparation
01:36or slow cooking, the shoulder steak has a lot to recommend it. It has a light marbling of fat,
01:42but none of the thick sections you can sometimes find in a blade chuck steak.
01:46This cut is often overlooked because of the beef shoulder's reputation for tough meat or large,
01:52slow-cooked roast joints. However, this has driven the price down to around $9 per pound.
01:57Although you're not getting filet here, and the meat has a coarser texture than most expensive
02:02cuts, it's still tender enough to enjoy out of the pan or off the grill.
02:07Tri-tip steak has a triangular shape and comes from the bottom of the sirloin. It's lean,
02:12has some light marbling, and is perfect if you like your steak on the grill rare to medium.
02:17Best cooked on high heat, the meat has a coarse texture but is still beautifully tender and
02:22provides lots of mouth-watering beef flavor. You may need to adjust your cooking style slightly
02:28or even marinate it for a couple of hours, but the tri-tip steak is well worth the time on the grill.
02:34Once you've got the hang of preparing it to your liking, this is a steak you'll be enjoying time
02:38and time again. In appearance and taste, the tri-tip steak lies halfway between the lean sirloin
02:44and the fat marbled rib eye. At about $8 per pound, it's significantly cheaper than both cuts
02:50of meat. If you're a fan of either of those popular cuts, you owe it to yourself and your
02:56wallet to buy a tri-tip steak today. Cut from the chuck area of the cow directly
03:02underneath the shoulder blade, the Denver steak is surprisingly tender. It comes from the serratus
03:07ventralis muscle, which is relatively unused, giving it a smoother texture and making it
03:12perfect for grilling. Denver steaks are beautifully marbled, affordable, and are becoming immensely
03:18popular. They're often grilled on high heat and sliced against the grain. You can eat them
03:24immediately, add them to steak sandwiches, or serve them with salads. Although it's unclear why
03:30this steak was given the name Denver, it was first cut during a quest for new steaks by butchers and
03:35food scientists. They were tasked with finding a steak with premium characteristics from the
03:40cheaper parts of the cow. Once you've tried your first Denver steak, you'll realize just how
03:44successful they were in showcasing this cut of beef. Even though this steak has grown in popularity,
03:50it still remains affordable and can be found in some areas at about $13 per pound.
03:56Also known as a boneless chuck, the ranch steak is cut from the center portion of the shoulder.
04:01It's sliced across the grain to produce a very lean steak with no fat around the edges.
04:07Despite the lack of fat, it still provides a deep, beefy flavor that's too good to miss out on.
04:13According to Just Cook, it's at its best when cooked medium-rare and ladled with melted butter.
04:19If you cook it for too long or aim to do it well done, it may develop a tough,
04:23chewy texture that won't do the meat justice and could leave your jaw sore by the end of the meal.
04:29However, if you prefer your meat well done, you could marinate it for a couple of hours
04:33or use a tenderizer before cooking. Most ranch steaks are cut to an inch thick and
04:38weigh a maximum of 10 ounces. This is one of the cheapest cuts of beef,
04:42and the prices can be as low as $5 per pound.
04:47"-You like steak? I do."
04:50Then you're gonna love the top blade steak, as it's one of the most tender steaks available
04:55and is still incredibly affordable. It's cut when butchers slice across the top blade muscle in the
05:01cow's shoulder. This relatively new cut delivers rich flavor and a smooth texture. The price of
05:07top blade steak can be as low as $5 per pound, but in some areas, it costs closer to $11.
05:14The only downside to the top blade steak is the seam of sinew that runs down its center.
05:19It's this that keeps the price down and has prevented it from becoming popular in the past.
05:24However, the top blade can still provide excellent value and tastes great.
05:29If you place it in a pan and braise it with good beef stock, you'll retain the fantastic taste,
05:34while the meat and connective tissue soften up. If you prefer to take less time cooking,
05:39you can also cut the sinew out and pan fry or grill the meat on high heat.
05:44"-So much steak. Lungs filling, sinuses packed with meat."
05:50Cut from the area of the cow where the leg and rump meet, the top round steak is cheap,
05:56but best avoided. The round primal cut is excellent for slow-cooked roasts,
06:01but for steak, it doesn't deliver the intense flavor provided by some of the fattier chuck
06:06steak cuts. According to data collected by Statista, the price of the top round steak
06:11reached $7.34 per pound in 2021. Many people see the top round steak as a good budget option
06:18because it's so cheap, but to get a texture that makes this steak worth your attention,
06:22it must be slow-cooked or broiled. If you want to save money,
06:26many other steaks are the same price but offer double the taste.
06:31Cut from the area above the cow's hind legs, the bottom round steak provides good flavor,
06:36but is too tough for frying or grilling. As with most cuts from this area of the cow,
06:41they're okay if you want a tightly textured lean roast, but as a steak, they're far too
06:46chewy to really enjoy. The bottom round steak has an even tighter grain than the top round steak.
06:52Despite being on the lean side, there is some noticeable marbling in this cut,
06:56bringing some extra depth to the flavor. If you buy a bottom round steak, you'll need
07:00to marinate it for several hours, slow-cook or broil it, and then cut it very thinly.
07:06Even then, some people still find it excessively stringy, but why go to all that trouble when so
07:12many other cheap steaks are so much better? According to Food Fire Friends,
07:16a pound of bottom round steak can cost anything from $5 to $10.
07:21Chuck Center steaks are cut from the upper shoulder of the cow. There are several cheap
07:26cuts to be found in the chuck that will surprise you with their flavor and tender texture.
07:31Unfortunately, this is not one of them. The Chuck Center steak delivers the taste,
07:35but is too tough, unless you've got the patience to marinade or broil it.
07:40As well as the unpleasant texture, Chuck Center steaks are run through with chunks of fat and
07:45gristle. They're hard to remove and appear regularly throughout the steak,
07:49ruining any enjoyment of the rest of the meat. If you ever make the mistake of buying a Chuck
07:54Center steak, your only option is to try a wet-cooking method like braising. Pan-frying
07:59or grilling should be avoided and are likely to render your steak inedible,
08:03no matter how skilled you are in the kitchen.
08:06Cut from the same area as the Chuck Center steak, this is sometimes referred to as the
08:11poor man's ribeye. The chuck eye steak features plenty of fat and has a marbled texture throughout
08:16the meat. Disappointingly, it's temperamental to cook, and if heated too fast, it quickly
08:21becomes unpleasantly chewy. If you're hoping that a chuck eye steak will deliver the beautiful,
08:27buttery-soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture of a good ribeye, you'll be disappointed.
08:32It has a similar flavor, but the meat is too coarse to be anywhere near as good.
08:36If you like to slow cook or braise your steaks, this may be a good option for you,
08:40but it's not going to work for those who want rarer steaks cooked quickly on a hot grill.
08:45You can pick up a chuck eye steak for about $11 a pound at Walmart. If tenderized,
08:50cooked well, and sliced thinly, a chuck eye steak can be tasty.
08:54However, there are several cheap steaks that are much tastier and simpler to prepare.
09:00Skirt steak is a classic cheap cut. It's been around for ages and is often the go-to piece
09:05of meat for anyone on a budget. However, most butchers can now provide you with a
09:10range of other cheap cuts, many of which are superior to this one.
09:14Skirt steaks come from the plate area of the cow, which is on its underside just behind the
09:19front legs. This is a flat, juicy steak that's all right if you plan on slicing it thinly,
09:24but is too tough for most meals. It has a coarse texture that tends to get stringy
09:28when cooked for too long. There's a lot of flavor to be had in this steak,
09:32but the amount of connective tissue running through it is enough to put some people off.
09:36While some chefs still rate the skirt steak as a tasty budget meal, it's best kept for stews,
09:42fajitas, or other dishes where you need to slice it thinly.
09:45Currently, you can find an Angus skirt steak for about $10 per pound at Target.
09:50Another classic cheap cut, flank steak, is found on the underside of the cow,
09:55just in front of the back legs. According to the pricer,
09:58a pound of flank steak will likely cost you between $9 and $14.
10:03Even at such a reasonable price, this is a cut for emergencies only.
10:07If you have no access to any other beef whatsoever, then maybe buy some. But when
10:13tri-tip steaks or flat iron steaks are available, it makes no sense to opt for flank. If you buy it,
10:20flank steak will rank as one of the toughest cuts you've ever had. It's incredibly temperamental,
10:25and slight alterations in cooking time or temperature can make it dry and chewy.
10:30As well as featuring lots of coarse fibers throughout the meat, this is one of the
10:34leanest cuts available, and there's very little fat present to boost the flavor.
10:38With so many better and cheaper steak cuts out there,
10:41you'll get more bang for your buck if you skip the flank steak and go for another cut.