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When I asked Tony Craparotta, chief butcher and owner of Tony's on the Block at 430 Eglinton Ave. W. in Toronto, for a tri-tip steak, he looked surprised. "I thought only butchers knew about these great steaks," he said. Not any more.

I was first introduced to tri-tip steak by my son-in-law in San Francisco and I thought it was fantastic. For years, butchers have been taking home the flavourful lesser-known steaks while we consumers buy rib eyes, tenderloin and New Yorks. But these alternatives - tri-tips, hanger, bavette, blade, flatiron, sirloin cap - to the more traditional cuts are half the price, are tender and have lovely marbling.

My personal favourite is the hanger steak, but I also recommend the bavette (sometimes called onglet). It is the steak of choice for steak frites in France. Both hanger and bavette are a bit chewy, but beefy and utterly delicious.

A word on the steak names: Different regions often have different names for the same cut of meat. For example, what the French call bavette is known as vascio in Argentina. And hanger is sometimes spelled hangar.

Here are some tips when grilling alternative steaks:

Use high heat for a good sear and do not turn the steak for at least 2 to 3 minutes or until the steak moves easily.

Always carve against the grain.

The steaks must rest for at least 5 minutes and they must be cooked medium-rare or rare. If you cook it to medium or well done, the steak will be tough.

Use Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Finish with a sprinkling of Maldon or your favourite finishing salt.

I often use the following dry rub on all of these steaks for a flavour kick.

DRY RUB

What you need

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

What you do

Combine spices and sprinkle on steaks. Salt before cooking.

Makes ¼ cup rub - enough for 2 to 3 steaks.

I visited three Canadian butchers to get their expert advice on grilling these neglected cuts. Here is what I learned.

CUMBRAE MEATS

Stephen Alexander of Cumbrae's (481 Church St., Toronto, http://www.cumbraes.com) recommends the flatiron, sirloin cap, bavette and, his favourite, the hanger, which comes from inside the rib cage and has a complex earthy flavour.

"My favourite way to prepare it is to grill a large steak in one piece until rare or medium-rare, let it rest, then slice thinly across the grain to serve."

If you prefer to grill individual steaks, have the butcher cut them for you. In terms of seasonings, Alexander uses ingredients that enhance the flavour without overwhelming it.

STEPHEN'S MAGIC STEAK PASTE

You could add chopped herbs such as rosemary or thyme to this.

What you need

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1-1½ pound (750 grams) hanger steak

What you do

Preheat grill to high.

Combine garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire and salt and pepper to make a paste. Smother paste over steak just before grilling. Place steak on the grill and grill until medium-rare (or desired degree of doneness) about 3 to 5 minutes a side, depending on the thickness of the steak . Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a dab of horseradish and porcini butter (available at Cumbrae's, of course).

THE HEALTHY BUTCHER

At The Healthy Butcher (565 Queen St. W., Toronto, http://www.thehealthybutcher.com), you'll find lots more than typical supermarket cuts of meat. Owners Mario Fiorucci and Tara Longo don't believe in ordering in just specific cuts of meat that you would find at the supermarket.

"We only bring in the whole animal," Fiorucci says, "so we have everything from the loin to the shoulder cut to the round cut."

His favourite steak is the boneless blade steak, which comes from the shoulder and has the perfect combination of flavour, tenderness and price.

When it comes to grilling, his philosophy is to keep it simple. "If you're starting off with a good-quality cut of meat, just let the flavour of the meat shine."

what you need

4 blade steaks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

what you do

Preheat grill to high.

Season steak generously with salt and pepper just before grilling.

Place steaks on the grill and cook about 4 minutes a side or until medium-rare (or desired degree of doneness). Serves 4.

SECOND TO NONE MEATS

If you're looking for high-quality beef in Canada, there's no better place than Alberta. With two locations and a third opening in September, Second to None Meats in Calgary (main store, #3-2100 4th St. S.W., Calgary. http://www.second-to-none-meats.ca) specializes in all-natural, locally raised beef. Owner Bob Choquette guarantees a 28-day age on all his beef before it hits the meat counter.

Choquette's favourite alternative steak is the flatiron (also known as a top blade). It comes from the front quarter of the animal and is a very tender, inexpensive alternative to the rib eye or strip loin.

He infuses oil with garlic to paint on his steaks before grilling.

INFUSED GARLIC OIL

We think this oil works well on any steak.

what you need

½ cup olive oil

3 whole cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1-1½ pound (750 grams) flat iron steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper

what you do

Add crushed garlic to olive oil. Allow to infuse overnight then strain.

Preheat grill to high. Rub garlic oil into steaks and season with salt and pepper. Place steaks on the grill and grill for 5 minutes per side (for 1-inch steaks), turning once, for medium-rare (or desired degree of doneness). Serves 4.