What Are Some Cheaper Cuts of Meat?

Wondering how you can use cheap cuts of meat to make delicious dishes? You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to enjoy delicious, flavorful protein.

Here’s a brief guide to some of the cheaper cuts of meat, as well as how you can use them to make great meals.

Beef short ribs

Beef short ribs are ideal for slow cooking. With tasty, flavorful meat and a healthy layer of fat, they’re delicious and fall right off the bone when they’re cooked long enough.

Flank steak

Looking for low-fat cuts of beef? Flank steak forms part of the wall of the animal’s belly. It’s a lean muscle that’s ideal for cooking in a variety of ways. They make a great filling for tacos or a healthy, flavorful protein for stews and casseroles.

Beef cheeks

While beef cheeks are less popular today than they were in the past, they’re one of the best cheap cuts of meat for slow cooking. They feature an ultra-beefy flavor, and cooking it in liquid brings it out fully.

Bavette

Another underappreciated cheap cut of meat is the bavette. It’s a type of flank or skirt steak that’s much meatier than the flank. You’ll notice a rich, beefy flavor with every bite. When cooked properly, it’s tender and tasty enough to enjoy on its own.

Chuck steak

Also known as 7-bone steak when sold with the bone in, chuck steaks are chewy, but they make a great roast. It’s best to buy chuck in a thick piece if you’re making a roast—and make sure to cook the meat long to get it as tender as possible.

Heel

Surprisingly tender, the heel is a little-known cut that only experienced butchers can provide. It’s a low-cost meat that’s great for grilling and frying.

Chuck eye

Chuck eye (or Delmonico steaks) were the signature dish of the famed Delmonico restaurant in New York. There are only two Delmonico steaks in the chuck, and they’re filled with intense beefy flavor. These steaks can either be grilled or fried, and they’re very affordable—cheaper than a rib eye.

Brisket

Brisket is becoming more and more popular in barbecue. Throughout many states in America, restaurants and backyard grill masters smoke brisket and slather it with marinades to enhance the flavor. You can think of brisket as an inexpensive pot roast. Slow cook it to bring out its full flavor.

Ground beef

Ground beef is incredibly versatile. You can use it to make meatloaf, meatballs, lasagna, hamburgers and so much more. This cut is the least expensive of all cuts of meat and is definitely the most versatile.

Tri-tip

The tri-tip cut of meat is particularly popular in California, but people around the country are also discovering it. You can roast, fry, grill or barbecue the steaks as long as you cut them across the grain. Your local butcher will know how to prepare it the right way depending on how you’ll plan to cook it.

Looking for cheap cuts of meat that are still full of flavor and protein? Contact Tony’s Delicatessen & Fresh Meats today, and browse our selection of fresh, flavorful meats.

Categorised in: Butcher

This post was written by Writer