The One Step That Makes Cheap Steak So Much Better

Cheap steaks usually come at a cost: They can be pretty tough. If you've purchased a lean cut of meat like top round, you probably already know it's not as simple as just searing it off, as the muscular slices can take a lot of chewing once it's cooked. But that doesn't mean it's not worth eating, as long as you go through the trouble of tenderizing it. 

That simply takes some manual labor. If you've got a meat tenderizer, you can use that to flatten and soften the steak by breaking apart the muscle fibers with a few choice whacks. This is not a bad way to let go of some extra stress before getting dinner started, though the banging can admittedly get a little loud. Some store-bought steaks already have that process done for you; they're labeled as cube (or cubed) steak. Those cuts have already undergone tenderizing by going through a process known as "Swissing," in which the meat has been pierced mechanically in order to soften it. If you prefer that texture but can't find it at the store, you can buy an OXO Good Grips Easy-Clean Bladed Meat Tenderizer to do it for you. 

If you're not in the mood to hammer away at a piece of meat, you can employ alternative non-mechanical methods to tenderize your steak a little. There's the London broil method, which involves marinating a lean cut of meat for a period of time before cooking it quickly (but never beyond medium, or it'll be too chewy). Some marinades include natural enzymes, like ones with fresh pineapple, papaya, or kiwi, which accelerate the tenderizing process. But you have to be careful since leaving steak in those types of marinades for too long can cause the meat to break down too much, resulting in a mushy bite.

Then there's dry brining, where you season your steak well in advance of cooking it. This not only draws the salt into the meat, seasoning it from the interior, but this process can also help tenderize it. So, although saving a few bucks on your steak is always welcome, just know that you might need to draw from this bag of tricks to get the best mileage out of your price-conscious purchase. But trust us, it's worth the extra effort as you can make a cheap cut taste like a more expensive one this way.