The Aldi Steak Cut You Should Never Leave On The Shelf

Aldi is a treasure trove of yummy must-have snacks, from cheese strings and crackers to peanut butter-filled pretzels and sea salt caramels. However, while you're perusing those snack shelves, don't forget to head to the freezer section to stock up for dinner because there's an Aldi steak cut that needs to be added to your cart: the Choice Black Angus top round steak.

This cut of steak comes vacuum-packed and costs $7.82 per pound, making it cheaper than the strip steak, which costs almost $14, and the ribeye steak will set you back just under $15 per pound. While it's true that the more expensive steaks have plenty of flavor (they come from lightly worked muscle and therefore contain more fatty marbling), round steak is still an incredibly versatile option if you learn how to cook it right. Hailing from the inside of the rear leg, this affordable cut is leaner, has dense muscle fibers, and usually less marbling, which means there's a risk of it becoming tough if pan-fried for too long. 

That said, Black Angus beef, which comes from a Scottish breed of cattle, is known for having more marbling than other breeds, making it great for marinating, roasting, and braising. These cooking techniques also allow any tough fibers to break down and become tender. For instance, you can slow-cook top round steak in a flavorful broth and veggies for up to 7 hours until it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, or roast it slowly at a low temperature before slicing it thinly to make roast beef sandwiches.

One of the easiest ways to tenderize top round steak is to pound it with a mallet to physically break down the tough connective tissue. Then you can steep it in an acid-based marinade that features vinegar, citrus, or even fruit juice to tenderize it further before grilling it very quickly to prevent it from becoming dry. On a Reddit thread discussing ideas on what to make with top round steak, some commenters recommend turning the thinly pounded meat into chicken-fried steak by coating it in breading before frying until golden and crispy. 

However, others advised slicing the steak up thinly and using it to make French dip sandwiches, Philly cheesesteak, stir-fries, or even the filling for fajitas. The upshot? Top round steak might not be the flashiest cut of beef on the block, but it has innumerable uses that make it a sensible option to stash in the fridge.

Meanwhile, the Aldi steak that's more trouble to cook than it's worth, according to our reviewer, is the Black Angus Choice Petit Sirloin. This cut came last in our ranking of 6 Aldi steaks because the flavor was nonexistent and it had a stringy texture due to the lack of intramuscular fat.