Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you are well aware of how crazy pricing for staples has been over the past couple years. COVID-19 has wrecked supply chains and driven prices, and particularly beef prices, to the moon. Rising inflation and the cost of living has most of us strapped for cash. But alas, you don't need to give up beef just because you are on a budget.
This is why we are launching a series of blog posts to highlight some of our most budget friendly items. These are meat cuts for our budget-conscious buyers and who cannot afford to dine on a $35 ribeye every night but who would like to eat better quality proteins than what you find at your favorite grocery store.
Believe it or not, Meat N' Bone has a line of beef products that are excellent for day to day meals and just as competitive price-wise (if not better) than most supermarkets.
Here are our top picks of affordable beef cuts that are not only amazing eats but also offer an excellent price/value proposition.
Tenderloin Kebabs
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Premium Tenderloin $11.99 / lb
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Packed in 1 lb pouches
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30 day wet aged
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Mixed Grades (labeled as USDA Choice)
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Ideal for grilling, Sautee, stew, pasta, etc...
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Servings per package: 2-4 (down to $3/ serving)
Our Tenderloin Kebabs ($11.99 / lb) are cut from the same tenderloins that we use to cut our amazing center cut steakhouse grade Filet Mignons. If you know your tenderloins, you know that out of 1 tenderloin you may get 4-5 center cut filets which is why a Filet Mignon or Chateaubriand can cost upwards of $40/lb.
But guess what? Our kebabs are exactly the same beef and we sell them for around $10/lb cut into squares. Moreover, while we advertise it as USDA Choice it may be USDA Prime or even Wagyu BMS8-9. We simply do not discriminate when cutting the kebabs; we mix them and the USDA forces us to always grade at the lowest level.
You can use kebabs for grilling, for pasta, for sauté and even for beef tartare. There are so many dishes that you can make with this product.
Kebabs come packed in 1 lb bags, depending on the dish one bag can provide as much as 4 4oz servings. That is $3 per meal.
The Entrecote (Ribeye)
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Premium Ribeye $10.99 per steak
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Aprox. 9-10 oz per steak
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30 day wet aged
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Mixed Grades (labeled as USDA Choice)
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Ideal for Grilling
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Servings per package: 1-2 (down to $5.50/ serving)
The ribeye is the most popular steak in America. That is probably because it has the most flavor. Moreover, the quality of a Ribeye is highly correlated to the marbling of the cow. In fact, the "grade" of the whole cow is determined by inspecting the marbling on the ribeye.
This steak is cut from a large primal, "The Ribeye Muscle." Cowboy steaks and tomahawk steaks come from this muscle as well as your traditional bone-in ribeye.
When cutting down the whole muscle you usually get 7 perfect cowboys (bone-in steaks) or 7-11 beautiful boneless ribeyes. But in-between each cut lays a "smaller" ribeye which doesn't quite get to that steakhouse size. It may be a little bit uneven and it is not as thick as our reguar ribeye. That is what we call 'Entrecote.'
This may very well be the best steak sold at Meat N' Bone from a price/value perspective. Just like the Tenderloin Kebabs above, these are graded "USDA G1 Certified Choice" but they can be any grade, even as high as Wagyu. But even our USDA Choice Ribeye is G1 certified and wet aged for 30 days.
This is a better ribeye than you will find in 90% of grocery stores and even most steakhouses. For the price, it has no competitor.
The Eye Round BMS7+ Wagyu
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$59.99 per roast
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Aprox. 5 lbs
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30 day wet aged
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High Grade Colorado Wagu BMS7+
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Ideal for Smoking, Braising, Stew, Marinating, Roast Beef.
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Servings per package: 10-12 (down to $5 / serving)
The eye round is the most tender of the cuts from the beef hind quarter. It is a very lean cut of steak and is great for roasts. If you buy USDA Choice or even prime eye round this can be a tough cut. However, the wagyu eye round is significantly better and not that expensive.
Cook it low and slow and it will be a spectacular eat. It makes for an amazing roast beef. Steaks cut from the roast are great for marinating.
I once had a customer call me from Alabama asking me what I would recommend to feed a family of 14 on a budget. I told him this eye Round. Properly cooking was going to be better than taking them out to eat to most places.
Picanha
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Starts at $39.99 for aprox 2.5 lbs
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30 day wet aged
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All grades available
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Ideal for Grilling, Roasting, Smoking
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Servings per package: 4+ (down to $6.50 / serving)
Picanha is one of the best grilling cuts out there, it is very popular in South America and has been growing in popularity in the states where it goes by the name Coulotte or Sirloin Cap. It is a tender and juicy roast that eats very well.
Picanha's defining characteristic is an exterior fat cap that (ideally) measures ¾ of an inch. Inside it has very little fat and can present nice marbling.
One of the reasons for the popularity of Picanha is that it is as good as any middle cut such as the ribeye or the New York strip at a fraction of the price. It also happens to be a VERY fun cook. We even have a video on cooking it!
Ground Beef
- $7.99 / lb
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Packed in 1 lb pouches
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30 day wet aged
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Mixed Grades (labeled as USDA Choice)
- Available 90/10 or 80/20
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Ideal for Burgers, Bolognese, Meatballs, Tacos, Ziti, Chili, Meatloaf, etc
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Servings per package: 2-3 ($3 / serving)
Ground beef is the most popular type of beef sold in the US. You should also know that if there is any type of beef where you should spend a couple extra bucks to make sure you are getting quality stuff, it is ground beef (we even wrote a blog post about it)
The majority of ground beef today comes pre-ground from gigantic meat processors where the likelihood of contamination is far greater and accounts for the recall over large geographic areas of beef products from time to time. We recommend purchasing from specialty butchers who grind the meat themselves from sides of beef they butcher, like us.
Moreover, we mostly butcher premium cuts such as ribeye, NY strip and sirloin so you know that your are getting the most premium ground beef out there.
Last but not least, at $7.99 / lb, our ground beef is very attractively priced.
We also make amazing burgers with our ground beef, which are sold for the about the same price.
Tri-Tip
- $30 for Aprox 2 Lbs
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Roast
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30 day wet aged
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Available in USDA Prime and Wagyu BMS7+
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Ideal for grilling and smoking.
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Servings per package: 5 ($6 / serving)
Our tri-tips are sourced from Nebraska and wet aged for 30+ days. They can be extremely marbled and come clean. This is a very lean cut.
The tri-tip is also known as "The Newport" or "Santa Maria" steak. It's a very popular cut in California and South America. As well as being a lean cut, it has a beefy, slightly nutty taste.
This steak is built for grilling. However, it is also amazing to smoke or put in the oven.
Tri-tip has gained popularity recently in the US, but it still not that known which means that it is under-appreciated, and in consequence, sold at a price less than it could. Take advantage of the low demand!
Flank
- $49 for Aprox 2 Lbs
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30 day wet aged
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Wagyu BMS7+
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Ideal for grilling or braising.
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Servings per package: 5 ($6 / serving)
Flank is typically a cut that you need to braise, however our Wagyu Flank is an excellent price/value, very good on the grill or to do whatever you want to do with it!
At $50 for 2 lbs it isn't the cheapest. But you can make a meal for 5-6 with it.
Hanger Steak
- $12 for 11 oz
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30 day wet aged
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USDA G1 Certified Choice
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Ideal for grilling
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Servings per package: 2-3 ($6 / serving)
The hanger steak is considered a butcher's best kept secret. It comes from the muscle that helps support the diaphragm between a cow’s rib and loin. It's just sort of "hanging there" and it does absolutely nothing. As a result, it's one of the most tender steaks.
The hanger steak is very exclusive; it's even rarer than the tenderloin and frankly, much more interesting.
There is only one hanger steak per animal. So a 1,200 pound steer that yields 800 of beef, only has one hanger steak of about 16-32 ounces.
Cook it any way you like, but do not overcook. You are looking for a nice medium. The hanger is a bit tricky astoo rare and it will be a bit slimy, but too cooked and it will lose its tenderness.
Beef Franks (Steak Hot Dogs)
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7 hot dogs for $13.99 (Aprox 1.75 lbs)
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Made with 100% Beef
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No Casing
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No Nitrites
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7 Servings ($2 / serving)
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High quality beef
You would never think hot dogs could be this good. These hot dogs are produced in the city of Chicago by a family-owned small business that has been producing hot dogs for almost 50 years.
Honorable Mentions For Budget-Friendly Meat Cuts:
Next week we will be adding a list of Fish and Pork Products to consider!
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