A great piece of steak can get pricey! But did you know you can make less expensive meats taste just as good as the expensive ones?  We spoke with Linsey Tweed from Hobe Meats who shared three ways to take a cheaper steak and satisfy your high-end taste.

 

1. Marinate

The first step to great-tasting steak is to marinate! “A marinade helps to break down the grain of the meat, and the fibers of the meat,” explains Lindsey. "I would always go with something that is acidic, because it helps break down that meat more than a normal marinade would." Try a simple and flavorful marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, and a pinch of Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper.

 

How long should you marinate for? "Overnight,” insists Lindsey. "I would try to get as much air out of the bag as I could. That way when you lay it flat in your refrigerator, […] you can go back and forth flipping it over, so you can get it more evenly marinated overnight." Then just bring the meat to room temperature when you're ready to cook.

 

2. Use a Cast Iron Pan

 

Next, use a cast iron pan! "It distributes the heat evenly, and it creates a great sear on your meat,” says Lindsey. “And it locks in the moisture and flavor of the meat right away." Oil and pre-heat your pan on high, until the oil starts to separate, then sear each side of the steak. "You just want to sear it for just a minute or two on each side,” adds the butcher. Turn the heat down to medium high, and finish the steak with three to four minutes on each side until medium rare. Allow it to rest up to fifteen minutes to let the meat fibers relax further.

 

3. It's All in the Cut

Finally, it's all in the cut. "If you don't cut it the correct way, you're going to be chewing on it like shoe leather,” warns Lindsey. Yikes! “You want to cut against the grain, not with the grain, and in thinner slices…With the grain, the muscle is strong. Against the grain, the muscle is weak, and we want it weak; we want it tender." Lindsey recommends cutting at a 45-degree angle to cut against the grain.

 

4. Making the Perfect Butter

To top it off, try our super simple garlic herb butter recipe.

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mixed herbs of choice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

 

Directions

 

Fold parsley, mixed herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper evenly into softened, room temperature butter. Place butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a log, twisting the ends and knotting them off tightly. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour to firm. Remove log from plastic and cut into medallions, and place on top of steak when ready to serve.

 

Less expensive cuts are nice on the pocket book, and now you know how to make them nice on the pallet!

 

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