We recently moved to a nice apartment building with great rooftop grills. I have started to learn about grilling, and it was a mistake, as now I really like prime ribeye steak off the grill (I think, we buy Whole Foods, grade 3 meat)
The problem is that such steaks are relatively expensive, at $13-19/pound.
Is there any trick to finding good quality meat at lower prices apart from waiting for discounts? Can cheaper steak be prepared to similar quality/taste as better cuts on the grill, if I like form-factor of rib eye?
Best Answer
There are a few things that you can do:
Buy in bulk. There's typically a major discount for buying a 'family pack' (usually 5+ lbs) at once. I like shopping at Wegman's, because they sell steaks that are on sheets where each one's individually wrapped, so I can leave some sealed for later in the week or even freeze them.
Shop at more than one store. They all have their sales each week, and you have potentially more deals if you hit one on the weekend but a different one (not in the same chain) on your way home from work mid-week.
Look for 'must sell' packages. When the package gets within a day or two of the 'sell by' date, most stores will mark them. It's often half price, but I've seen it anywhere from 30-70% off. Some stores will slap them with bright yellow or orange price tags and put them back in the section they came from, while others will have a place in the meat department that's only the must-sell packages.
Cut your own steaks. For some cuts of meat, you can get roasts, and they're often at a cheaper cost than steaks. You'll just have to cut them to an appropriate size yourself. (don't do this if you don't have any large knives). For ribeye, look for a 'boneless rib roast' or 'standing rib roast' if you want it on the bone. For some cuts, you can get a half primal in a cryovac bag, but it's a more limited selection unless you go to a warehouse style store (Costco, BJs, etc.)
Buy different cuts of meat. Rib eye tends to be one of the more expensive steak cuts. There are a few websites out there that have recommendations for more economical steaks:
One thing to remember is that the less intramuscular fat, the more rare that you should cook it. For lean cuts that come from working muscles, you'll need to slice it thinly across the grain so it's not too tough.