RED BANK: FIRST CUT IS THE BEEFIEST

You’re not likely to find this first cut, bone-in chuck steak shrink-wrapped in your grocer’s meat case. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

As grilling season heats up, PieHole is checking in with area butchers to see what special cuts they like to set aside for themselves to bring home and put on their grills.

This week’s pick is a chuck steak, but you want to make sure to specify “first cut, bone-in,” says Stew Goldstein of Monmouth Meats in Red Bank.

“At $4.99 a pound, first cut bone-in chuck steak is great for the grill,” says Goldstein.

Goldstein suggests kosher salt and some black pepper and garlic power.

“Grill that over high heat, sear it on both sides and let me tell you, it’s going to be delicious,” says Goldstein. “It’s going to have some texture to it and great flavor.”

To understand why this is such an exceptional bargain, it helps to know your primal cuts. The chuck and rib are right next to one another.  You can draw a line between the two: on one side, you’re paying upwards of $15 a pound for s bone-in rib-eye steak; and right next door sits this affordable little number called the first cut, bone-in chuck steak.

Because it’s only the “first cut” of this chuck that delivers this bargain steak, butchers will not have many of these steaks on hand. Call first or order them ahead of time for your weekend grilling.

See the other affordable grilling cuts articles in this series.