The world of steak grilling is intimidating to say the least. There are forums web pages and books devoted to the craft of creating the perfect steak. Every enthusiast approaches the grill with their own preferences in steak and cooking technique which is all well and good. But there are a few staples of steak that you don’t want to overlook during your grilling adventures. After all the old favorites are favorites for a reason: They produce consistently delicious results and are widely available. One of these grilling staples is the chuck steak—and it’s easy to see why. The chuck steak is a staple cut that’s easy to grill and produces juicy flavorful results.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 ChefSteps | 2021-06-16 21:00:23 |  2,177,560 Views |
How to Cook a Cheap Chuck Steak That's Better Than a Ribeye
The chuck steak comes from the upper shoulder of the cow the chuck. This part of the cow tends to have a lot of connective tissue and the meat can sometimes be tough because the shoulder is worked a lot by the cow. Other cuts from this part include the chuck pot roast and under blade pot roast which are best when cooked for a longer period of time and at a lower temperature. However that doesn’t mean that all chuck cuts should be relegated to your slow cooker or Dutch oven. And the chuck steak is one such example. It’s easy to grill has a fantastic beefy flavor and a low price tag. That makes it an absolute star of the grill.
Now here is where some confusion may arise. Chuck steak can be a bit of a double entendre for many including the seasoned beef enthusiast. This is because chuck steak can refer to either the entire chuck portion of the cow or a specific smaller cut within the region. What you are grilling is the smaller cut that is sometimes called a center cut steak chuck. This cut comes from the center of the chuck roll which is located at the upper back and sits between the rib cage and the backbone. The chuck roll itself is often cut into smaller pieces with some being tougher and best for slow cooking while other pieces are more tender and ready to grill. The chuck steak or center chuck steak is more suited to grilling and has a beefy flavor that can rival the much more expensive ribeye.
However you can’t cook a chuck steak like you would a ribeye and expect the same results. The chuck steak simply has more connective tissue than the ribeye and is therefore naturally less tender so you’ll want to cook your cut with care. To break down some of the connective tissue in the cut consider marinating your steak overnight in vinegar and various spices to both add flavor and soften the tough texture of the steak.
