A really low brow question--cheap beef

[AndyG]

How does one make the best of low quality beef? I got a piece of "chuck roast", cheap since I can't afford the good stuff at the moment.

Any creative suggestions for making the most of it? I might slice it thin, marinate in a mix of yogurt, lemon juice and onions, then make kebabs basting with saffron butter, since I have some saffron.

Anybody got a better suggestion besides throwing it out?

[AndyG]

By the way, I've spent most of my adult life paying for better stuff. I'm unemployed right now and saving money to move to a place that has more jobs.

[oldschool1982]

Grind it for burgers, chunk it for soup, stew or chili (I guess that could be considered stew of a sort). Soups and stews will give the highest yield since you add so many additional ingredients in the way of veggies. Chili just make the ration of beans to beef close to 4:1. I don't know about the eating it like steak thing since most chuck roasts end up as pot roast.

[AndyG]

Ty Oldschool. I figured I ought to cook it quite a while since I don't have a grinder.

[siduri]

You sound apologetic buying cheap cuts of meat. Don't be!
I'm not so familiar with the american cuts of meat any more, but i do recall chuck steak being considered a little tough but very tasty. (The tougher cuts are often tasty). Certainly you could braise it, potroast it, etc. But i seem to remember it being used for certain kinds of actual steak, just that it has to be marinated first or something. I'm sure others can give you good suggestions.

There's a kind of cheaper cut of meat that makes the greatest steak (for those who can;t afford the expensive cuts, and may be even tastier than them). I don't know the name in english, but it's sort of round, smallish, (the size of a hamburger, roughly) and is characterized by a line of gristle right through the middle. It looks unappealing to many people because of this, but it's incredibly good. The meat is tender, you can cook it rare, it;s very tasty, and one of my favorites. Needs no marinating or anything. Even the line of gristle (which you can just eat around if you don;t like it) is not really tough and i usually end up eating it too. Maybe someone can give me the name.

Then rather than have meat, if you;re trying to save, splurge on good vegetables which are always cheaper than cheap meat and use bean/grain combinations for protein.

[indianwells]

It would be perfect for a Daube.

Provencal Beef Stew (Daube)

[deltadoc]

Try this it is perfect for your "cheap beef"!!

Delta Doc's Garlic Beef

doc

[foodnfoto]

The best thing to do with cheap cuts of beef is to cook them in a long slow braise so that all that connective tissue will eventually melt into the meat and sauce. Try to do either a pot roast or beef stew.
Brown your meat nicely then add seasonings and some liquid (beef broth, wine, etc.) put it in a 300˚F oven for about 1 1/2-2 hours (depending on the amount of beef) and turn it occasionally.
There are some wonderful Spanish influenced beef stews that involve saffron, sherry, sherry vinegar, garlic and onion. I tasted one at El Faro in NY that was hearty and warming to the depths of your soul.

[foodnfoto]

In addition, there is a distinction to be drawn between cheaper cuts of beef, like chuck, and low quality beef.
The two are not necessarily the same.
The grades from best quality to less valued are:
Prime, Choice, and Select.
This web page has a nice description with photos:
What Are The Different Beef Grades!

The great thing about less expensive cuts is that, cooked properly, they can be remarkably flavorful. Cook improperly and you might as well be eating an old shoe.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by deltadoc

Try this it is perfect for your "cheap beef"!!

Delta Doc's Garlic Beef

doc

Stale beer? Sounds like a frat house recipe.

[AndyG]

Thanks all!

[sarahelsie]

How about Beef Bourguignonne? It is simple and delicious.

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by kuan

Stale beer? Sounds like a frat house recipe.

Ever eat at Mazlak's in NE Mnpls? Back when world famous Stan the wrestler made his garlic beef and served it only at lunch?

It was reputed that he collected all the leftover beer each night and into the stock pot it went.

Literally hundreds of people have tried this recipe that have eaten at Mazlak's when Stan ran the place (RIP) and told me that this recipe is the "bomb"...

doc