These are the butcher's cuts. These are the cuts that chefs love to use because not only are they inexpensive, but they've got character. Here is a brief overview of my five favorite inexpensive steaks: the hanger, the tri-tip, the short-rib, the skirt, and the flap meat. More

Short rib's fatty flavor profile makes it especially tasty with cheese. Saltbox's short rib grilled cheese sandwich ($11) is a solid argument in favor of the union of these two ingredients. The griddled sandwich on thinly sliced whole-grain bread is stuffed with creamy manchego cheese and juicy short rib finished in a New Orleans-style sauce piquant made with olive oil, tomatoes, and peppers. More

Plenty of meats are advertised as beer-marinated; in the Drunken Sandwich at Austin food cart DiverCity (get it?), we could actually taste the beer with the short rib. More

When it comes to sandwiches, Dennis Leary (chef-owner of Canteen and The Sentinel in San Francisco) can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Which is why when I learned he was opening a second take-away window, I knew things were going to be creative and tasty. There are only two sandwiches per day at The Golden West, tucked away in a Financial District alley off Sutter Street. One of these, the short rib sandwich ($8.75), basically a grown-up version of the Sloppy Joe, has become near-legend since its inception. More

The short rib pot roast sandwich from Lemonade contains only four elements: bread, meat, macaroni and cheese. Yes, a mac and cheese sandwich! The sourdough roll is toasted, the short rib is tender, and the mac and cheese adds a creamy layer (and some nostalgia points). Try the sandwich ($11 with a salad) with one of their namesake drinks. More