Grilled Chuck Roast Vs Tri-Tip: Which Is The Better Budget Steak Alternative?

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If you find yourself in a steak rut — maybe you've grilled one too many flank steaks or you can't afford New York strip — it might be time to look to other cuts of steak. Two excellent contenders are tri-tip steak and chuck roast steak. Yes, we said chuck roast. You're probably accustomed to grabbing a chuck roast for your crock pot, or maybe for roasting in the oven for Sunday dinner, but chuck roast can be purchased as a cut of steak that is good enough for grilling when marinated and seared. Likewise, tri-tip is a very capable replacement for higher-end steaks. Which steak offers better bang for your buck? Surprisingly, the chuck roast will be easier on your wallet, and you can achieve a delicious steak as long as you adhere to a few preparation and cooking tips.

Both tri-tip and chuck steak maintain a rich, beefy flavor, although they come from different areas of the cow (tri-tip is the triangular area of the sirloin, where chuck is cut from the shoulder). Both steaks are also great for roasting, and tri-tip has become more restaurant-worthy as a marinated and grilled cut. But chuck steak rivals a good London broil or flank steak when marinated and cooked on high heat. You can find chuck roast at your butcher, and you may even see it pre-cut into steaks. If not, ask your butcher to cut it for you. You can also cut steaks from the roast yourself. 

Typically, chuck roast is less expensive than tri-tip and easier to find. In looking at prices between the two cuts, Costco was offering boneless beef chuck roast at $7.59 per pound, while the Kirkland signature tri-tip roast came in at $12.86 per pound. But what's the difference between chuck roast and chuck roast steak? It's simply the way the meat is sliced across the fibrous muscles. Like its counterparts that come from the shoulder (flat-iron, blade, and the aptly named shoulder steak), chuck roast steak is lean with slight marbling. 

To start prepping a chuck steak, you want to marinate it since it's a tougher cut. You can use your favorite store-bought marinade, like Allegro Original Marinade (this one has a bold flavor that doesn't require any longer than a few hours of marinating). You can also make your own tenderizing steak marinade. Depending on what flavor you're going for and how tender you want the steak, you can marinate for up to 24 hours. Grilling chuck roast steak is a two-step process. First, sear both sides of the chuck steak on high heat. Next, move the steak to a cooler part of the grill (or turn down the heat if using a grill pan) and allow the steak to reach an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit (use a ThermoPro digital meat thermometer). The result will be a medium interior that's retained all of its delicious juices.