Grilling Steak on a Budget

By Brenda Hyde

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 Steak

Ingredients:

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 Steak

Ingredients:

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 Steak

Ingredients:

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 Marinade

Ingredients:

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 Marinade

Ingredients:

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.

About The Author

Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her
husband and three kids. She is also editor of StandBesideHer.com and has a family friendly blog, On the Front Porch.

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