awww, now I want steak!

Another thing you can do to cheap steak is to use coarse sea/kosher salt and coat it really well, then let it sit an hour per inch of thickness. After that, rinse it off and pat it dry. You can also use kiwi, pineapple, or papaya to tenderize it instead, it is quicker but some people don't want the flavor marinading the steak.

Don't forget limes. They make a good marinade too, and they tenderize well. They're acidic enough to slightly preserve raw meat...and yummy.

You can also sous vide it for about 4 hours. That breaks down tough steaks. A brisket flat cooked at 141° for 72 hours is as tender as a ribeye with tons of flavor.

Seconded.

I just buy cheap rump steak or whatever bulk from Costco, lightly season, and pack individually in heat seal bags and freeze. Chuck in overnight or first thing in morning before going to work.

Tastes fantastic, just as good as the expensive cuts. I do them at 54°C for med-rare.

Thing is, wife likes well done, so I cook them all the same and just leave hers on the skillet for longer. It fully cooks, but it stays tender and melty, so much better than just doing a well done steak in a pan.

130° for steaks is perfect (roughly the same as 54°C).

Anything that's going to be in there over 6 hours I push to at least 140°. Try the brisket flat if you get a chance, It's amazing. The point does not work at that temp though. Separate it and do something else with it.

I really dislike marinades. I want the steak. Pure. Simple.

I like Ribeye, but there ends up being so much thick fat cut to the side, that I feel I got ripped off, and my 12 oz steak is basically an 8 oz worth of edible meat, while the New York Strip gives more meat for the buck, and if done properly is normally good enough.

Yep, no marinades here too when cooking a good cut of beef. My fav is a nice grilled Porterhouse. About the only thing I marinate is beef strips i've cut up from a roast to dry for beef jerky.