Skip Expensive Ribeye: The Budget-Friendly Steak Cut That's Just As Flavorful

In the steak world, sometimes more expensive is better. For example, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more tender, buttery cut than a Japanese A5 Wagyu, which comes with a steep price tag due to the care that is put into raising the cattle. If you see Wagyu on the menu (or in your local Costco), and you're comfortable footing the bill, by all means, splurge a little. However, for those of us who enjoy a nice ribeye but don't find the price to be so pleasant, there is another option: Chuck steak is the budget-friendly cut that's surprisingly just as flavorful.

Chuck steak comes, appropriately enough, from the chuck portion of the cow, which is located along its shoulder, neck, and arm (as opposed to the ribeye, which is cut from its ribs). That part of the animal sees a lot of motion while also playing a key role in supporting its body, and as a result, there is a lot of collagen built up in addition to fat. That combination makes for a meaty flavor that mimics ribeye, especially when a more marbled piece of chuck steak is chosen, or it's properly cooked to overcome its natural toughness.

Even better, chuck steak is quite an economical beef option. It can sell for as little as $8 per pound, compared to the pricier cut of ribeye, which tends to cost nearly twice as much.

If you're looking to replace pricey ribeye with this cheaper cut, then you'll want to take a few pointers into account before you go replicating the process. First, because chuck steak is indeed tougher than ribeye, it might benefit from a dry brine to help tenderize the meat before grilling or pan-searing — just as it does with pork chops. This is a simple process, but it does take time, so plan accordingly. You're basically just going to generously sprinkle salt onto both sides of the steak and let it sit in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, ideally the latter (you can dry brine it for less time, but you should not salt it any fewer than 45 minutes before you plan to cook it). However, despite what many sources state, you needn't remove the chuck steak from the fridge about 20 minutes before cook time to let it come to room temp with the idea that it'll sear more evenly. You'll raise the temperature a few degrees at most, and the final result will be nearly identical to one chilled in the fridge.

When it comes to cooking this cut of beef, you can use a skillet or the grill just like with ribeye, but you absolutely do not want to cook it to well-done, which can undo all your dry brining effort; instead, a good medium will keep things tender. And just like Anthony Bourdain advised, it's important to let the steak rest after taking it off the heat, so its juices can redistribute.