I’m looking for something that is 1) cheap, 2) well marbled… and I don’t care how tough it is, as I’ll SV it until next week, if that’s what it takes to make it super tender 
Love my Picanhas… but they have gone up in price lately, plus I have eaten so many in the last 6 months, just looking for a change…
Marbling is generally going to depend on the grade of the meat. Price will vary, depending on where you are and how you define cheap. My go to are brisket, shank steaks, and oxtail. Short ribs, flank steak, and hanger/skirt steak used to be, but have gone up in price significantly in the last few years. Tongue is great, but price can significantly vary depending on who is selling it and where.
The shank steaks look interesting. Might try those. I’ve SV’d a LOT of Brisket, but always whole roasts. I suppose I could cut them into steaks ? The thing is, I’d probably have to buy a whole brisket… which last Summer, I was getting for dirt cheap ! Like $1.50 a lb ! Seriously, half off of an already good price. But haven’t seen that lately.
Chris, if you have no dietary restrictions for pork, it is relatively inexpensive for even the premium cuts.
For a more flavourful meat, try large turkey thighs. They’re not cheap, priced like your beef steaks, SV beautifully, and offer you some enhanced menu variety.
The days of cheap protein are just about over, particularly during this summer. Prices usually drop when cooler weather arrives and puts an end to the BBQ season.
Yea, I was eating country style boneless pork ribs for a while… And they were pretty good. Just got kind of burnt out on them.
Not a huge turkey fan…
Don’t discount cheeks. It’s the hard working muscles that have the most flavour and, particularly in a ruminant animal, there are not many muscles that work harder than the cheek. Beef cheeks are a very undervalued cut. And with sous vide they don’t have to have the braised consistency that is the norm. Pork cheeks are also pretty darned good.
I’d think that any cut you’d normally use for pot roast/braising or stewing would work well in a long SV cook.
I’ve done a 1.5kg boneless blade (chuck) roast to great effect.
Usually a tied roast, so untie it, trim out the heavy fat in the middle, apply salt/pepper and/or seasonings of choice. Re-roll and tie then pop it in the Frankencooler for 24hrs at 60C (140F). Use the bag juices in the gravy. Came out properly pink and very tender/flavourful.
If you can find it beef shoulder clod may work for you. It is normally broken down into five pieces. When cooked conventionally it is often done whole with BBQ low and slow. WHole it is a big piece of meat. I never see them whole at the grocery but they are available at restaurant supply or butcher shops. I have not priced them recently but pre Covid it was less expensive cut.
Thank you guys. I will keep an eye open for these suggestions… or anything else cheap, and marbled
I am trying beef cheeks for the second time. They are great and tender as could be but forgot if I remove fat before souv vide . Plan to cook for 24 hours. Hoping to begin this afternoon. thanks for your help. Susie
Susie, best to trim the fat before cooking, particularly if you plan to use the delicious juices after SV cooking.
You might want to keep a detailed record of each SV cook that will enable you to precisely replicate all your culinary successes and make future adjustments to your almost successes.