Outdoor Grilling on a Budget
Getting our outdoor grill cleaned, polished, and ready for summer got me thinking about how much fun it would be to celebrate. After all, the last day of school, first day of summer comes but once a year, so why not do things up right with an amazing menu and a few good friends to kick off the season—even if that means grilling on a budget.
What happened next I can only attribute to a momentary lapse of good judgment.
I visited the website of Lobel’s of New York, “The best source for the finest and freshest USDA prime dry-aged steaks, roasts, specialty meats, and gourmet products that money can buy.”
Getting the grill ready seemed like an event worthy of a few high-quality American Wagyu steaks delivered overnight on a bed of dry ice. I checked the price. Gulp! Five (minimum order) 20-oz Porterhouse steaks: $799.95—plus overnight shipping! (Not a typo).
Just the thought of forking out that kind of money on the best beef money can buy jerked me back to reality with enough force to cause whiplash.
Surely, even in these times when beef prices have shot up in ways enough to choke even Nathan Lobel himself, there has to be frugal ground somewhere between Lobel’s and what’s left of the buy-one-get-one-free hotdogs sitting in the freezer.
Backyard Grilling on a Budget
Professional butcher, John Smith, and author of Confessions of a Butcher: Eat Steak on a Hamburger Budget and Save $$$ says that the cheap cuts of beef are often the most flavorful. And also the toughest. But don’t let that discourage you from buying those meat-counter bargains. If you know the tricks you can buy the flavorful cheap cuts of meat without ending up with meat that is bland and tough.
Select first
Don’t get set on what you’ll be grilling before you get to the store. That particular cut may not be on sale. Instead, go with an open mind. Zero-in on the cuts of meat that nearing their “use or freeze by” date and thereby marked down for quick sale. (I loaded up at Costco last week on huge markdowns for that very reason. And if it’s a bargain? Buy extra for the freezer.
Marinade
A marinade is a secret to making a tough cut of meat as succulent and tender as a prime cut. Just make sure your marinade of choice contains acids like vinegar, lemon, and wine. Acid breaks down the meat to make it tender. Enzymatic action from beer, cider, and soy sauce also help.
Scroll down to find a printable for my favorite All-Purpose Beef Marinade, excellent for any cut of beef, even kabobs. This is so flavorful and loaded with tenderizing acids that you’re going to understand why I call this a miracle in a jar.
- MORE: It’s All About the Sauce
Temperature
The only way to guarantee that your meat will be moist, tender, and cooked to a safe temperature is with a food thermometer. Forget the “poke test” where you’re supposed to be able to discern a piece of meat’s level of doneness by poking at it with your finger. You need a decent thermometer that can get deep into whatever you’re grilling.
Not sure what is the exact right temperature for the items you’re grilling. Check out the extensive grilling and temperature charts.
The easiest and most reliable way to serve perfectly grilled fare is with a probe alarm. You simply insert the probe and then sit back and wait for it to reach the temperature you have designated.
And just in time for grilling season, our favorite ThermoWorks is having a SALE on all cooking alarm thermometers!
ThermoWorks Dot is EC pick for the Best Inexpensive quality probe alarm thermometer out there. It’s a few dollars more than the cheapest thing you could find, but this is the probe thermometer you will use and rely on for years—decades—to come. It is super accurate, reliable, and durable, too.
A second option is this ThermoWorks Instant Read ThermoPop easy-to-use, and reliable digital read thermometer. It returns an accurate and reliable temperature in only 3 seconds. Hold the ThermoPop in either hand or read it when it’s upside down—any angle that’s convenient. To check the temperature, simply insert then wait for 3 seconds for an accurate, digital display. Comes in a choice of 9 cool colors.
All-Purpose Beef Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups vegetable oil
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup white wine OR balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp ground dry mustard
- 2 ¼ tspn salt
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar or other container that has a lid. Shake well until fully mixed.
- To Use: Pour over meat and cover. Allow marinating for 8 hours or overnight, turning often.
Notes
Nutrition
Revised & Updated 5-8-22
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I like my meat well done and my husband likes his medium rare – this would be perfect to let us both have perfect meat
Wow! I’ve always wanted to grill, but I’ve been hesitant about cooking meat I couldn’t cut open and check. This would be perfect for me!
I have been wanting a good meat thermometer. When you recently alerted us that the Thermo Pop was on sale, I was completely, flat broke. I couldn’t have come up with $1, let alone the $30 for two. I still need one, but I’m on a fixed income and have bills to pay. Thanks for your awesome column and advice. Also, I like your new format, where you have a link to your website page to read the rest of your article. Good thinking!
I definitely need a meat thermometer! I never seem to get my meat cooked right.
Just the other day I was grilling some tri-tip at my friends house and only one of the three pieces came out “good enough!” Needless to say, all the meat was eaten (including the burnt offering), but I hope someday to make a “perfect” steak.
Thanks for the marinade recipe! We’ll definitely give it a try!
My only nightmare is this: I love those huge grills you see at Lowe’s or Home Depot that look like a stove. But they are so expensive! After many years, my mom bought me the red globe-like grill around $40. She also included charcoal, matches and lighter fluid. That was ten years ago. I still haven’t grilled a thing.
Worst experience . . . chicken. Burned on the outside . . . raw on the inside. I was uneasy about cooking it low and slow not knowing what the inside temp would be and failed . . . epic failure. Ended up running out for take out – expensive mistake.
forgot to turn it on!
I never know when meat is fully cooked! Ugh. One time I thought the steaks I was cooking were done as the outside was charred a nice color. Shut the grill off and let the meat rest. When we cut into the steaks they were nearly raw! Start the grill again and tried cooking a little longer. By this time, the outside of the steaks were very dark and it was very dark outside. I tripped coming in the door and a steak went flying. The dogs had a nice treat! Needless to say, we split the remaining steak and my husband did not dare comment on it! lol
I need that thermometer! Tired of chicken looking done, probed to correct temp and when I cut into it I still see blood.
I am buying barbecue sauce out the WAZOO because my chicken comes out too dry! I’m so paranoid about undercooking chicken that I tend to grill it too long. My kids still eat it, but it’s more like having a little chicken with that barbecue sauce. I have had the ThermoPop on my wish list the past 2 Christmases, but my husband isn’t taking the hint. Thank you for all your advice. I pass it along literally to anyone and everyone, always giving you credit. It usually goes something like this: “My friend, Mary, recommends…” I end the conversation by telling how they can become your “friend” and get great tips and information on a plethora of topics.