My impulse-buy of the week was a 3 3/4 pound top round steak – often erroneously called a London Broil which is a cooking method, not a cut of meat. Your food etymology lesson for the day is complete.

I like top rounds because they lend themselves to a score of cooking methods. I will cube them for stew or brochettes, pound them for chicken fried steak, or pan-sear and roast as I did, tonight.

That big ol’ piece of meat was cut into 5 different pieces, vacuum-sealed, and 4 of them were frozen. Five meals for under $3.50 each. Mr. Frugal strikes, again!

I seasoned the beef with some salt and pepper, and then seared it well on top of the stove and then placed it in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes. It came out perfectly medium rare. Potatoes were mashed with the skins – because I really like the skins of potatoes – and it’s where a lot of the nutrients live. Fresh peas with a bit of butter, and mushroom pan gravy.

A 30-minute meal.