They're showing up on more restaurant menus, in butcher shops and even in a few supermarkets, some of the best steaks many people have never heard of.

Flatiron, hanger and chuck tender steaks are growing in popularity as more affordable alternatives to the big three: tenderloin, strip and rib-eye. Cooked and sliced properly, they're as tender or nearly so and may cost less than half per pound as the others.

Ted Dombrowski, owner of Ted's Butcherblock in downtown Charleston, sells all three cuts in his shop and says awareness is increasing.

"I think more chefs are out there trying to differentiate their plates, and also it goes back to seeing more of them on cooking shows and in magazines."

Also, he says, "The industry has become very efficient at breaking things down" - meaning butchering to make more use of the cow.

Earth Fare meat department manager Steven Butler says the store has been carrying flatiron and hanger off and on for more than a year. "You see them on menus, but a lot of people aren't familiar with them yet."

Flatiron, from the top blade area of the chuck, or shoulder of the cow, is truly a new cut. The steak was identified after a 2002 study on undervalued beef cuts by the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida.

Surprisingly, the study found flatirons to be the second most tender cut of meat from the steer after the tenderloin. Many compare its taste to a strip or loin.

Flatirons take well to marinades, Dombrowski says.

As relatively thin steaks, they should be cooked quickly and not too much.

"You don't want to go above medium because it will get tougher."

Butler agrees. "It's a real quick, thin steak. In under 10 minutes, dinner's ready."

Dombrowski says the steaks, shaped somewhat like antique flatirons, should be sliced against the grain after cooking for maximum tenderness.

Another up-and-coming steak few people know about is the chuck tender or terres major, Dombrowski says. "Even though it comes from the chuck, it's an isolated muscle" that makes it tender, he says.

It's long and tapered like a whole tenderloin, but much smaller, weighing roughly a half-pound. "This is a lot like a flank steak. It's gorgeous to cook whole and slice, it's a great steak for fajitas or any way you would used a flank steak."

Dombrowski thinks consumers will start seeing more of it.

"It's kind of like an affordable filet," he says.

Hanger steak, prized for its deep, beefy taste, often is called a "butcher's cut," says Dombrowski. "It's not very pretty but is very flavorful, so the butcher would save it for himself."

Historically, hanger steaks have been a French bistro standard called "onglet."

This cut comes from a 1- to 2-pound thick muscle on the underside of the cow that supports the diaphragm. It's the only asymmetrical cut of the cow, meaning there's only one per animal.

Dombrowski recommends pan searing hanger steak and finishing it in the oven or cooked on the grill. "It takes very well to a marinade, but it's not necessary," he adds.

Steaks have a short line of sinew in the middle that should be cut out after cooking. If cut out before cooking, the meat will fall apart, he says.

After that, tenderness should be a given, especially if the meat is cut across the grain.

These cuts are becoming more widely available. In addition to Ted's Butcherblock and Earth Fare, one or more of the steaks were found at Whole Foods and Publix. Prices ranged from $4.99 to $9.99 a pound.

Prices in the higher range generally reflect all-natural beef from specialty producers, with no added growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics or animal byproducts in the feed. Dombrowski, for example, purchases beef from Painted Hills, an Oregon co-op of small family ranches.

Marinate, if desired

Here are two marinades from "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly (Houghton Mifflin, 1998). The authors recommend them for chuck steak, as well as top round, sirloin steak and flank steak.

The day before you are going to eat the steak, put it in a shallow dish and pierce it all over on both sides with a fork or skewer.

Pour the marinade over the steak, cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the meat occasionally. Remove steaks from marinade, shaking off any excess, then cook as desired.

Spicy Beer Marinade

Makes 2 1/3 to 3 cups

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 (12-ounce) bottle of lager beer

1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or A-1 steak sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Chipotle-Orange Marinade

Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon chopped, canned chipotle chile in adobo, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Teresa Taylor is the food editor. Reach her at food@postandcourier.com or 937-4886.