Chuck vs Ribeye: Can you feast on excellent steak for less money?
Sure, we know ribeye is delicious, but we also know it is pricy. Today we will find out if we can make a chuck steak that is just as good while paying a lot less!
Things to know:
What is a chuck steak?
Chuck steak comes from the shoulder of the cow, offering a flavorful and budget-friendly cut that can be tough if not cooked properly, but becomes tender and delicious with methods like braising, stewing, or using techniques like sous vide or reverse searing. It’s known for its rich, beefy flavor, often compared to ribeye, and can be sold as a “7-bone steak” or as chuck eye steak, which is particularly prized as a “poor man’s ribeye.”
Why is chuck steak so cheap?
Chuck steak is inexpensive primarily because it comes from the shoulder (chuck) area, a heavily worked muscle group containing more connective tissue and toughness compared to premium cuts. While flavorful and well-marbled, this toughness, along with its high availability (the largest primal cut), makes it a budget-friendly option.
What is a brasero grill?
A brasero grill is a specialized, often metal, firebox attachment used in Argentine-style parrilla grills to burn wood or charcoal down into glowing embers, which are then raked underneath the main cooking grate. It provides a dedicated, constant source of hot coals for, allowing for consistent, low-smoke, and low-flare-up cooking.
Are Sunterra grills any good?
Sunterra Outdoor grills, particularly their Argentine and Santa Maria styles, receive positive reviews for heavy-duty construction, authentic wood-fired cooking, and robust heat control. They are often praised for their firebrick lining and smooth-operating, heavy-duty flywheels. The price ranges from roughly $2,800 to nearly $5,000+, depending on size and features.
Where are Sunterra grills manufactured?
Sunterra Outdoor grills are manufactured in northern Mexico. The company, which specializes in Argentine and Santa Maria-style grills, maintains its headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
Ingredients:
For the steaks
1 Tomahawk Ribeye
1 2” thick chuck steak
1. Preheat your grill for indirect cooking. For our Argentine Brasero grill, that means setting the grill height to where you can keep your hand over the surface to about 10-12 seconds.
2. Brush the steak with olive oil and season liberally with course sea salt. Let the steak rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
3. Grill the steak with indirect heat until the internal temp is about 115F, then sear the steak on high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Slice the steaks against the grain into thin strips, serve immediately and ENJOY!
For the Red Chimichurri:
1/4 cup chimichurri seasoning (we used Spiceology’s Chimichurri mix)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T diced chipotles in adobo sauce
1 T smoked paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
1. Mix together the chimichurri seasoning and red wine vinegar and let set for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well.
For the Spammed provoleta:
2 1/8” thick round of provolone cheese (have your deli technician slice the cheese on the “8” setting)
Spam
garlic powder (we used Spiceology’s Vampire Killer)
1. Preheat a 6” cast iron skillet on your grill.
2. Place a cheese disc in the skillet, layer in the Spam slices, add the other disc, season with the chimichurri and garlic powder.
3. Place on your grill in a zone where you can hold your hand above the grate for 6-8 seconds.
4. Once a good golden brown crust has formed on the bottom (takes about 15ish minutes), flip the cheese, season the other side same as the first, let cook for another 10-15 minutes, then remove, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, cut in wedges and serve. ENJOY!
For the cheese stuffed bell peppers
2 “4 butted” red bell peppers
1 1/4” thick round of provolone cheese (have your deli technician slice the cheese on the “15” setting)
garlic powder (we used Spiceology’s Vampire Killer)
1. With the pepper stem side down on your cutting board, cut into 2 equal sized “boats”.
2. Remove the stem, seeds and membranes.
3. Cut your cheese disc into quarters, then dice them and add them to the pepper boat.
4. Sprinkle on some chimichurri seasoning and garlic powder.
5. Place on your grill in a zone where you can hold your hand above the grate for 6-8 seconds and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
6. Remove from the grill, allow to cool for a bout 5 minutes, then serve and ENJOY!
For the Mashed Potatoes:
4 Russet potatoes
3 sticks of butter
2 T Spiceology’s Greek Freak Mediterranean Spice Blend (Salt-Free)
a couple of healthy pinches of salt and pepper
1. Cut the taters in half lengthwise, place a pinch of salt and pepper on each cut side, then sandwich ain a quarter stick of butter cut into 3 equal squares.
2. Wrap the tater in foil and place next to the coals in the bottom of the grill, or a zone where the temp is 350-450F.
3. After an hour, remove the taters and scoop out into a bowl that contains 2 sticks of butter at room temperature. Add your seasoning and a couple healthy pinches of salt and pepper, then mash it all together. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Sunterra Argentine Brasero Grill
DISCLOSURE: When we link to products and services, those links may be customized affiliate links. If you click on any of those affiliate links and make a purchase within a certain time frame, We’ll earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers.
Here’s an example: If we link to our favorite vegetable peeler, and you click on that link and complete a purchase within the next 24 hours, we may receive a commission somewhere between 1 to 10 percent of your total order.
We are careful to link to products and retailers that we use ourselves and recommend. These affiliate programs use cookies to track visits for the purposes of assigning commission on these sales. Money earned keeps Galley of the Sun running and allows us to do what we love.
Thank you for your support.
SELECT AFFILIATE PROGRAM DETAILS: We are currently members of affiliate programs with Amazon and Dalstrong. We are eligible to earn from qualifying purchases.