Food Cheap Cuts of Meat

Some of the best pieces of meat are or at some time have been considered relatively low-quality, and therefore don't cost a lot. Once upon a time, brisket was deemed too tough, and unworthy of attention. Flank steak has suffered a similar fate. But with a little love, some of the 'cheapest' cuts can be transmuted into something luscious and delectable.

What are some of your favourite tips and recipes for cheap cuts?

I'm thinking about getting my first beef shank next time I visit the meat market, and I'm shopping around for some good braise recipes.

 

I do a Chile and Beer Braised Brisket. If it sounds like something you might like I can find the recipe for you.

 

Anything cheap can be made delicious in the slow cooker! I make a great pot roast from whatever hunk of beef is cheapest at the time - rump roast, bottom round, and so on. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, whatever spices you want. Throw in a little molasses or kitchen bouquet mixed with some flour and pour over, add some beer if you want, let it go on low 8-10 hours, high 4-5. Eat happily.

Also, slow cooker pulled pork from cheap pork shoulder. Mmm.
--- merged: Nov 18, 2012 at 4:48 PM ---
Ahh, forgot to add this too. Very handy chart for how to cook your cuts of beef. Buy what's cheap, then check this for cooking recommendations.

 

Yep we ate flank steak and brisket growing up as kids.
Also flanken, if anyone knows what that is.
None of it is cheap any more.
Agree with the above comment about pork shoulder. Cooked slowly all the fat and some of the connective tissue will gelatinize and you have a delicious dish.

 

Flank steak is great: I don't know what people have against it. I usually get a couple of nice big flank steaks, slip them into a ziploc bag with a couple cloves of garlic, some cracked black peppercorns, a bay leaf, and around half a bottle of good dry red wine, let 'em marinate for 2-6 hours, then brush them with a little olive oil, and broil or grill them. Delicious.

Short ribs are also great, especially when braised. I've braised in red wine, in beer, in mead, in hard cider, in sweet cider, in various soy-and-citrus marinade/sauces...all have been great. But I've had them barbecued, also, and been just as pleased. They're even great in soups-- they just kind of dissolve into shreds, and get distributed through the soup, makes for great flavor and interesting texture.

I'd also like to put in a word for lamb shanks. They tend to be cheap, for lamb, and often just cheap, since a lot of folks don't know what to do with them. But they are great braised and slow-cooked. I usually take a couple nice lamb shanks, rub them with garlic, dust them with baharat (Middle Eastern seasoning), drizzle with olive oil, and then cook with the garlic, some onion, a few pieces of butternut squash, some dried apricots and figs, some raisins, and about 1/4 beef stock to 3/4 red wine. Serve with rice or couscous or p'titim ("Israeli couscous," though it is not couscous, and that's not what Israelis call it), some Middle Eastern salads.... Amazing flavor, terrific texture, a terrific and delicious meal.

 

The thing about living in Singapore is that all cuts of meat are expensive. Not only are the "off cuts" popular in Asian cooking, everything has to be shipped here. I don't think I could get a beef heart without having it flown in specially.

Speaking of which, you should really consider the truly cheaper cuts. The ones you guys are describing are still quite popular.

Look for cheeks, tongue, heart, tripe, lungs... Properly prepared, they can all be very tasty.

 

I think you would have to look quite hard to find those. Certainly not in a grocery. Doubtful that many butcher shops would have them, either.

I grew up on a dairy farm. We butchered our cattle as well as pigs. Pretty sure I've not had lungs nor tripe, maybe cheeks if they went into hamburger or sausage but I've had all the rest. Including brains and sweetbreads. It can all be good.

 

Our Fresh Market actually carries cheeks sometimes... as for the rest, not even the specialty butchers carry them.
We dig the flank steak after a 24 hour marinade... either a really acidic barbeque sauce or a chimichurri style preparation... both break down the tough parts overnight so well that we used to take them camping... and grill over those horrid circular campfire grates. But man, sooooo good. I'm hesitant about tripe after my pho-tripe experience. And I'm okay with not having sweetbreads. I don't even really like black pudding... that whole thing weirds me out a bit.

 

Cheeks and tongue can often be found in kosher markets (where kosher markets are to be found is another question...), since Jews often use them in our cooking. I myself have often used beef cheeks in cholent (a super-slow-cooked beef and bean stew traditionally served on Shabbat afternoons), and not only do I like tongue as deli meat in a sandwich, but it is absolutely awesome baked in a sweet-and-sour sauce with raisins. The only important trick with tongue is that you have to remove the outer membrane before cooking-- often your butcher will do this for you, if asked. Otherwise, one has to trim it off, sometimes after a few minutes' steaming. I also like to scrape down the top of the tongue before cooking, just to shave off most of the taste buds, because I have to admit their texture creeps me out a little.

I've had sweetbreads, and they weren't bad, but I would never go out of my way for them. They were okay, but not awesome. My grandmother used to make lung soup, and braised beef heart, and fried beef brain, but I never tried them. And, to be honest, I don't know that I feel a need to try them. I guess if someone made beef heart, I might try it, but I don't think I have any interest in lung or heart or tripe.

Oh, but another great cheap cut is oxtail. Oxtail soups and stews are awesome!!

 

Has anyone eaten testicles? Rocky mountain oysters?

 

Oxtail is great. I make a it into a ragu that I add to pasta. While it is cheaper than steak, it isn't that cheap here.

I am surprised that butchers wouldn't carry offal. The ones I went to in Toronto would have it if you asked.

I am with you noodle, on tripe. I've had it a few times but I've never really liked it. I know a number of people who absolutely love it though.

Sweetbreads are so good!