Affordable Steak Cuts for Summer Grilling

We all love grilling, but tight budgets are making a good steak seem a lot more difficult for many of us. If you are worried about whether or not that great steak is in reach this year, the answer is definitely a yes, as long as you know your steaks. All kinds of cuts of beef are available that will grill up well without being too hard on your budget. While they will take a little more care in cooking than your favorite tenderloin, they can be really worthwhile. So, if you love steak, do not give up hope on an affordable one.

There are bargains in your meat case, and good steak can be had for five to seven dollars a pound. Hanger and flatiron steaks, tri tip, skirt, flap and flank steaks, and chuck, top sirloin and other types of meat are all inexpensive and delicious, provided you know what to do with them.

There are a few reasons you will pay less for these steaks. It takes some effort to turn them into a really taste meal, but it can be done relatively easily by most people. If you know what you are doing, even an inexpensive steak can taste fantastic.

These steaks are a lot tougher because they come from the muscles that are used on a day-to-day basis. That makes them a lot less tender, but also a lot more flavorful. These steaks are low in gristle and high in flavor. Choose an intense marinade, salt the steak with care, and cook with a close eye on the timing to create a bargain cut that does not taste like it was cheap.

You will also want to take a look at marinades. These liquid mixtures are able to tenderize and add a lot of flavor when you use them right, but they may do the opposite if used in correctly. Most marinades just soak in a little, and really acidic ones actually tighten the meat up, making it tougher, not less tough. That does not mean you need to skip the marinade, of course. Choosing the best steak marinade and using it correctly are important parts of the cooking process.

Even if the effect you get is only skin-deep, your marinade is going to produce an attractive looking, richly colored steak that has a crisp, great tasting crust. Cook budget steaks on a really hot grill for best effect, and make sure they are not cold in the middle when you start cooking. That allows for a more even cooking method.

You’ll want two zones of heat – one that’s hotter and allows for searing the meat, and the other that’s lower in heat and will cook evenly with no burnt outside. A gas grill makes this a matter of adjusting knobs, while charcoal requires you to bank about two thirds of the coals and scatter the rest.

Keep your grill clean to keep flavors pure, and be patient. These cuts of meat need to cook undisturbed for two to three minutes to be their best. Choose an instant read meat thermometer so you will know that your meat is done. Then, after the meat is cooked, let it rest, so it will hold onto its juices.

Oh, the flavor of grilled steak! Nothing is quite like it! You may be wondering how to cook a steak on a gas grill to get that juicy, grilled flavor. There are some definite tricks to master so your steak turns out just right. Visit us at EasySteakMarinades.net to learn how to make juicy grilled steak.