Grilling Steak on a Budget
With hot weather arriving, I'm reminded of many summers
when my family was on such a tight budget that burgers were
all we could afford to grill. During those years when we wanted
to grill something better than burgers I would thumb through the
advertisements to see who had round or chuck steak on sale.
You can find it for $1.50 a pound or less during a good sale. No,
it's not T-bone, but when you do a little tricky marinating and
seasoning it's a great meal. The following recipes will work
with any type of steak, but I still can't resist a good sale!
Grilled Marinated Chuck SteakIngredients:1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced very thinly 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary 1 garlic clove -- minced 2 1/2 pounds chuck steak, cut 1/2" thick Combine all ingredients except steak. Marinate the steak for at least 3 hours, turning several times. Grill steak over wood, hot coals or a gas grill on low heat. Grill for about 30 minutes or until done as desired. Boil the marinade for a couple minutes after removing the raw meat, and use to baste the steak during cooking. NOTES: You can substitute fresh herbs by mincing and using double what is called for. Marinated Round SteakIngredients:1/4 cup wine vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons catsup or tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon onion salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds round steak, cut into sections Mix all but steak together. Place round steak and marinade in a plastic bag or glass container and let sit in refrigerator for about 3 hours. Turn container several times. Broil 5-8 minutes on each side to desired doneness. Grilled Teriyaki SteakIngredients:2 pounds boneless round steak, 1/2" thick 1 teaspoon ground pepper 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons instant meat tenderizer 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder Sprinkle round steak with pepper; pierce at 1 inch intervals with a meat fork. Place in a large shallow container. Combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over steak. Cover dish and marinate for 8 to 10 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Grill over hot coals 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until done as desired. Makes 6 servings. Oriental Style Meat MarinadeIngredients:1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup wine vinegar 1/2 cup pineapple juice 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 cup soy sauce Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cool. Use to marinate meat for minimum of 4 hours or overnight for cheap cuts of steak that may need more tenderizing. Italian Style MarinadeIngredients:1/3 cup olive oil 1-1/2 cups red wine 1 tsp. basil 1 tsp. thyme 1 Tbsp.. black pepper 1 small onion, sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic, minced Combine and use to marinate steak for 4 hours to overnight. |
