5 Cuts Of Meat Cheaper Than Filet Mignon That Still Make A Fancy Dinner

As the saying goes, man cannot live on bread alone, so it's a good idea to mark special occasions with a delicious dinner. Usually these special occasions are winter holidays or birthdays, but you don't need a reason to break out the fine china and visit the premium butcher. (As Joan Didion once said, "Every day is all there is.") Unfortunately, even if you want to make a special dinner every day, chances are your budget will get in the way. With beef prices soaring and showing no signs of stopping, there may come a day when the humble meatloaf is the centerpiece of your Christmas dinner. But until then, you have some options.

We all love filet mignon and prime rib, but they don't have to be the only choice for a fancy dinner. There are plenty of relatively affordable cuts of meat that you can make the star of a truly fantastic meal; the kind that will linger amiably in the memories of your guests. Just make a couple of solid, dependable sides to go with them and see if you can find some good bottles of wine in your pantry. (Not the kind you cook with, of course.)

The chuck eye roast has a few different names, both of which attest to its quality and relative affordability. Some call it the butcher's cut, as it's one of the less-known yet utterly delicious cuts of beef that only butchers know about; others call it the poor man's ribeye, as its combination of flavor and tenderness is roughly analogous to a ribeye steak. In any case, when it's cooked properly it's a juicy, beefy marvel that's more than worthy of your Sunday dinner.

What can you do with a chuck eye roast? Well, if you want, you can braise it — it makes for a wonderful pot roast base, turning velvety and unctuous after some time cooking low and slow in liquid. You can also slice it into pieces and cook it on the grill, taking extra care to keep it from overcooking since it can get tough if left unattended. Prepare some hearty roasted potatoes to go with it and serve with a dollop of béarnaise sauce and you've got a terrific special occasion meal.

If you didn't hear about this cut of beef growing up, there's a good reason for that. Flat iron steak is the result of a 1998 initiative looking to make use of less-celebrated parts of the steer. It comes from the top blade of the chuck, which has tender meat but is spiked with a long line of tough tissue that, for a long time, kept butchers from going to the trouble of cutting it. Once it was determined that the juice was indeed worth the squeeze (so to speak), the flat iron steak was born; eventually becoming a budget-friendly yet delicious cut of beef.

Cooking a flat iron steak is easy; just treat it like you would any other steak, searing it in a pan or cooking it out on the grill (this last option is admittedly trickier in winter, but maybe your dad has a summer birthday). Once you've cooked a tender flat iron steak, you can serve it with mushrooms and onions to tuck into a hidden gem of butchery.

A filet mignon is really just a slice of beef tenderloin — a beautifully tender (if not exactly flavorful) cut of beef that comes from the cow's loin, hence the name. But while beef tenderloin will cost you a pretty penny, it's worth remembering that pigs have a tenderloin too. Pork is more affordable than beef, meaning you can get a version of the same cut for less money.

Sure, it's going to be more expensive than a pork chop. This is still a quality cut, after all, even if it's from a pig rather than a cow. Pork is delicious in its own right, but we'll admit it may not be as exciting as its beefy brother (or cousin, we suppose). If you find the right spice blend, roast it in the oven, smother it in some delicious apples and onions, and serve it with crispy roasted asparagus, you'll find that pork tenderloin provides its own kind of luxury with a silky smooth mouthfeel and pleasingly mild flavor.

A roast chicken? Why, you can get one of those from Costco already cooked for $5. Why would you go to the trouble of making your own and serving it to underwhelmed guests? Well, for one thing, those grocery store rotisserie chickens are less expensive than raw because they serve as loss leaders to get you to buy other items at the store. For another thing, you can make a roast chicken a luxurious experience with a little care and attention.

You can cook roast chicken every week for years on end and still find new ways to make it. You can go to the capillary-bursting effort of someone like Thomas Keller to make it as brown and delicious as possible or you can do what Marcella Hazan does and stuff a couple lemons in the cavity to get something just as tasty. With just a few extra steps (like making a pan sauce from the drippings or spatchcocking the bird to get even cooking), you can turn this classic dish into a truly memorable entree. Serve with potatoes and carrots or just about any other side that strikes your fancy.

You may want to clear this one with your guests before you serve it, as lamb has a reputation for being somewhat gamey. Lean lamb chops can avoid this trap if you marinate them, but a leg of lamb has more fat on it, which means a stronger flavor. And, of course, some people may not want to eat a cute, sweet little lamb. But for those who do, it can be every bit as tasty and satisfying as a beef roast. Lamb has historically been more expensive than beef (at least in the United States), but a leg of lamb is currently quite a bit more affordable compared to filet mignon.

You'll often see lamb being served in the spring, with bright, fresh herbs like rosemary as well as condiments like mint jelly. But really, any season can be enriched with a few slices of lamb. When cooked properly it's tender enough to melt in your mouth, and with the right seasoning (and perhaps a fresh side salad) it's sweet, herbaceous, and lovely. Just make sure you don't pick "The Sheep Detectives" for your post-dinner movie.