If You're Shopping For Steak At Aldi, Skip The Top Round

The funny thing about beef is, if you slice it into a steak shape, many cuts can look somewhat similar, especially if there's no distinctive T-shape or rib bone left in as a clue. Not all "steaks" cook up the same, though, as Mashed discovered when doing a taste test of all of the steaks offered by Aldi. Each one was prepared the exact same way: pan-seared in olive oil and seasoned with salt. Needless to say, some of the cuts were well-suited to this type of preparation, while others were not. Poor top round fell into the latter category, with our reviewer ranking it as the worst steak sold by Aldi.

The reviewer found that Aldi's top round, when cooked in a pan with no liquid, came out on the tough side, and they also didn't find it to be as flavorful as the other steaks they sampled. Notably, top round is an extremely lean and muscular cut of meat that comes from the cow's hindquarters. This body part, after all, gets quite a workout as the animal moo-ves around. 

Aldi's top round isn't the tenderest of beef cuts, which means you're bound to be disappointed if you're expecting the kind of steak you might find at Ruth's Chris or even Outback. If you don't mind cooking it a different way, though, this bargain buy can be quite tasty. While braising or roasting in a slow oven can tenderize the meat and bring out its flavor, both methods do take more time than a simple pan sear. Top round, however, is a top pick for Philly cheesesteaks and Italian beef sandwiches. Although it won't be as juicy and flavorful as a ribeye, it will probably cost quite a bit less, and you really don't need a prime piece of meat if you're just going to be smothering it in peppers, onions, or cheese.

Top round is also a perfect cut of beef for making Swiss steak since with this preparation, it's tenderized by pounding and becomes even tastier when simmered in tomato sauce. (Check out our Instant Pot Swiss steak recipe — it calls for bottom round, which is another tough cut, but top round would also work quite well.) The moral of this meaty tale is, just as there's a shoe for every foot, so, too, is there a recipe for every cut of beef in Aldi's meat department. This is true even for the ones that won't work so well as the centerpiece of a steak dinner.