Best cuts of cheap steak for summer grilling

Used your BBQ yet this summer? Look for these four affordable cuts of beef at the grocery store. Plus, the three leanest cuts of beef below. I got these tips from ShopSmart mag, the savvy-shopping magazine published by Consumer Reports.

1. Flatiron, boneless blade, petite steak, top blade, patio steak. This cut may be labeled any one of the five above ways. Runs about $5/lb and has nice marbling, which gives the meat a tasty flavor.

2. Hangar steak, handing tender, bavette, butcher’s tender. This cut comes in long thin pieces. Try slicing it into medallions for a tenderloin lookalike. Costs about $7/lb.

3. Teres major, petite tender medallion, shoulder tender. This cut looks like a filet if you cut it into medallions and tastes somewhere between a tenderloin and a sirloin.

4. Skirt steak. Flavorful and juicy. Great for fajitas or served with fries. ShopSmart says, “For bigger savings, ask the butcher for first-cut strip steaks…the first two cuts off the muscular short loin contain a tough tendon that you can carve out after cooking. For your trouble, you’ll pay at least $3 a pound less.”

The leanest cuts of beef are “select grade” top sirloin petite roasts, top sirloin filets, and top sirloin kabobs. These cuts may or may not be labeled “extra lean” with an American Heart Association’s logo with a check mark (which retailers have to pay for). These beef cuts have less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving, plus 96 mg of cholesterol and 480 mg of sodium. Portion size is only 3 ounces, however, so make sure to fill up on veggies and salad!