It's Grilling Time!

Affordable Steaks That Make the Cut
By Tony Rosenfeld
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

This is the summer for affordable grilling, and that does not mean steak eaters are out of luck. They just need to bone up on cuts that can impress a crowd without straining the budget.

There are bargains to be had in the meat case, for $5 to $7 per pound. Affordable cuts of beef tend to fall into three groups: hanger and flatiron steaks, long prized by chefs; flank, flap, tri-tip and skirt steaks, which used to be even cheaper when they were less popular; and gems such as chuck eye, chuck shoulder and top sirloin steaks, which are, for the moment, the least expensive of the lot (less than $5 per pound).

One thing they all have in common is their tough texture. They come from well-exercised muscles of the animal, which tend to be the most flavorful. There are other cheap cuts to consider, but they suffer from a lack of beefy flavor or from lots of gristle and bones. Attentive prep work, intense marinades and closely watched grill time can do wonders for the bargain cuts we're focusing on here. Read More

With Memorial Day weekend approaching, millions will be firing up their grills. And with that comes a fantastic opportunity to explain to consumers how that meat got on their grill. I challenge everyone to not only remember the reason for Memorial Day, but to also educate friends and neighbors about livestock production.