# whats a good cut of steak that not to expensive ?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 6, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517 "2013-10-06T18:03:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tar21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tar21)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/1 "2013-10-06T18:03:43Z")
I like ribeye steak becasue its cuts easy and chews easy are there any other cuts like that without the high price?
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/2 "2013-10-06T19:47:04Z")
NM.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/3 "2013-10-06T19:51:43Z")
The porterhouse./T-bone. The small side is the filet, the large side is the New York.
I still like a ribeye better.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/4 "2013-10-06T20:20:30Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> The porterhouse./T-bone. The small side is the filet, the large side is the New York.
It’s my understanding that what you have described above is specifically a T-bone, whereas in a porterhouse it’s the tenderloin which occupies the larger part of the cut.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/5 "2013-10-06T20:26:52Z")
[Top round](http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/06/cooking-grass-fed-beef-episode-1-top.html) can be found for a very reasonable price and if handled properly will give great results.
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### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/6 "2013-10-06T20:47:29Z")
There are no cuts that are simultaneously tender, cheap and easy to cook. If there were, people would buy it, raising the price to equivalent of the premium cuts.
General consensus is you have two options:
1. You can buy a cut whose grain runs lengthwise (flank, skirt, hanger), cook whole and then slice thinly across the grain before serving.
2. You can buy a sous vide machine and sous vide a tough cut like short rib for 72 hours at 133F.
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### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/7 "2013-10-06T22:07:01Z")
I like the California tri-tip steak, also called the Santa Maria. It’s [a piece of the sirloin tri-tip](http://bbq.about.com/od/steakglossary/g/tri_tip_steak.htm). I’ve never seen it in a grocery store, though, although I’ve sometimes seen a sirloin tri-tip roast.
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/8 "2013-10-06T23:50:42Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> It’s my understanding that what you have described above is specifically a T-bone, whereas in a porterhouse it’s the tenderloin which occupies the larger part of the cut.
No that is not correct. I had always thought that the T-bone and porterhouse were different cuts until a butcher set me straight.
They are the same cut. The filet is a long tender muscle that tapers to a point. So when the butcher cuts the meat on the band saw if the filet is smallish they call it a T-bone. When the filet gets full sized it is a porterhouse.
The large side is a New York.
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### Author:  [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/9 "2013-10-06T23:51:58Z")
flat iron.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/10 "2013-10-06T23:57:52Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> There are no cuts that are simultaneously tender, cheap and easy to cook. If there were, people would buy it, raising the price to equivalent of the premium cuts.
This is exactly it. The price of the different cuts is largely based on the tenderness of the meat.
Other less expensive cuts can be slow cooked, thin sliced, pounded or cubed, or marinated to make them more tender. It’s hard to beat a rib steak for straight out tenderness and flavor. You might save money buying bone in rib steaks, or a whole rib roast and slicing it up, although you might have a hard time slicing a whole roast on the bone. There are other good cuts that have been mentioned here.
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### Author:  [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/11 "2013-10-07T00:02:35Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> There are no cuts that are simultaneously tender, cheap and easy to cook. If there were, people would buy it, raising the price to equivalent of the premium cuts.
>
> General consensus is you have two options:
>
> 1. You can buy a cut whose grain runs lengthwise (flank, skirt, hanger), cook whole and then slice thinly across the grain before serving.
> 2. You can buy a sous vide machine and sous vide a tough cut like short rib for 72 hours at 133F.
I hate to hijack, but doesn’t this cooking method run completely run afoul of the traditional \<4-hour between 40-140\*f “danger zone” food safety rule?
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/12 "2013-10-07T00:33:06Z")
> [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](#):
>
> I hate to hijack, but doesn’t this cooking method run completely run afoul of the traditional \<4-hour between 40-140\*f “danger zone” food safety rule?
No.
Essentially, sous-vide pasteurizes food. You cook it for minimum times that are widely available on the web, and as long as you follow the directions, you’ll be safe. There’s been a lot of research into this lately as the popularity of sous-vide has grown, and you can easily [Google the details](https://www.google.com/search?q=sous+vide+safety&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) if you’re interested.
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/13 "2013-10-07T01:09:58Z")
I think I’m the only one who doesn’t like prime rib. Having lots of fat and marbling is OK but you’d want tasty lean meat also. I like T-bone, porterhouse, sirloin, striploin. The tenderloin portion is tasteless but the meat on the other side is the tastiest, IMHO.
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### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/14 "2013-10-07T01:15:23Z")
Going to slide this to Cafe Society.
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### Author:  [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/15 "2013-10-07T01:35:07Z")
As the muscle that forms the rib eye continues along into the shoulder, it becomes the chuck eye which, when cut into steaks, looks like this: [http://tinyurl.com/mp9hgxv](http://tinyurl.com/mp9hgxv)
It’s rare to find them sold as steaks as most butcher shops leave them in the chuck roast. The shop I worked in _did_ sell them and only charged a dollar or two more per pound than the whole roast, which was quite a deal because the things are absolutely fantastic. Chuck flavor and frequently more tender than rib eye.
Otherwise, if you’re looking for something that’s versatile and holds up to lots of different cooking methods, it’s hard to go wrong with tri-tip.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/16 "2013-10-07T02:42:34Z")
> [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](#):
>
> I hate to hijack, but doesn’t this cooking method run completely run afoul of the traditional \<4-hour between 40-140\*f “danger zone” food safety rule?
All you ever wanted to know, and then some.
> **[A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking](https://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html)**
>
> A detailed discussion of sous vide cooking.
That said, the method described below produces similar results, and is something that can be done almost anywhere without any more sophisticated equipment than a $15 leave-in probe digital oven thermometer.
> **[Low-Temp Oven Steak - Modernist Cuisine](https://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/low-temp-oven-steak/)**
>
> The reason we freeze the steaks in this recipe before cooking them is to make sure we don’t overcook them. It will work even if the steaks are frozen as solid as a brick, though it might take a little longer in the oven. That’s why this recipe works...
And finally, in general, the flatiron steak is one that’s inexpensive, tender and beefy if you don’t cook the beejezus out of it.
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### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/17 "2013-10-07T04:34:36Z")
What do you consider cheap? I can get ribeye on sale from SAMs club or Costco for 7.99/lb., usual price is 8.99-9.99. A tray of four is like $30, but they are so thick half of one makes a large meal already. $30/4/2=less than $4 a steak.
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### Author:  [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/18 "2013-10-07T05:39:59Z")
Hanger steak is great, if you can find it. Restaurants snap it up and pass it off as more expensive cuts (It resembles NY Strip). It’s inside the skin that hangs down from a cow/bull’s chest, so it’s priced in the same ballpark as skirt steak, but it’s a lot more tender and tasty.
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### Author:  [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/19 "2013-10-07T13:50:41Z")
> [@Krokodil](#):
>
> Hanger steak is great, if you can find it. Restaurants snap it up and pass it off as more expensive cuts (It resembles NY Strip). It’s inside the skin that hangs down from a cow/bull’s chest, so it’s priced in the same ballpark as skirt steak, but it’s a lot more tender and tasty.
I came here to say flat iron, but hanger is also pretty awesome.
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### Author:  [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-cut-of-steak-that-not-to-expensive/670517/20 "2013-10-07T15:30:59Z")
> [@Krokodil](#):
>
> Hanger steak is great, if you can find it. Restaurants snap it up and pass it off as more expensive cuts (It resembles NY Strip). It’s inside the skin that hangs down from a cow/bull’s chest, so it’s priced in the same ballpark as skirt steak, but it’s a lot more tender and tasty.
What do you mean when you say they pass it off as more expensive cuts? I see it on the menu all the time at various places. Are you saying some restaurants purposely call it something else or just that they mark it up to similar prices as more expensive cuts?
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