The Store-Brand Steak Sauce You Should Avoid Buying At All Costs

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Steak sauce can be a polarizing condiment. Detractors claim it drowns out the natural flavors of the meat, while fans say it enhances it. To be fair, a subpar steak sauce may end up overpowering many of the steak and the steak rub's flavors, which is exactly the folly committed by Walmart's Great Value Steak Sauce. 

After Chowhound rounded up and ranked 10 store-bought steak sauces, we found that Walmart's private-label steak sauce had sharp, tangy notes that flooded the palate, subduing many of the other important flavors. This comes from vinegar, a common ingredient in most brown sauces we drizzle onto steak. While a little bit of acidity can help cut through the meat's fatty mouthfeel, vinegar's potent taste can easily become overwhelming. What is perhaps most interesting is that the ingredients in Great Value Steak Sauce are almost identical to the ones in A.1. Original Sauce, which came out at the top of our ranking. Combine the latter with some restaurant tricks for making delicious steaks, and you can enjoy a gourmet meal at home.

Good steak sauce can't redeem a subpar steak, nor worsen a great one. It simply complements the steak and its seasonings' existing flavors. This requires it to be a versatile condiment, which is why most steak sauces also work well on roasted veggies, baked potatoes, burgers, french fries, and more. However, incorporating one with more aggressive-tasting notes, like the Great Value Steak Sauce, is a little more complicated.

The upside of Walmart's Great Value Steak Sauce is its price. It is significantly cheaper compared not just to A.1. but also most other steak sauces. At under $3 for a 10-ounce bottle, it makes for an affordable condiment, provided you're not topping your steaks with it. It is best avoided on foods that have subtle flavors and do not particularly benefit from the strong vinegar notes. However, dishes where those sharp, slightly pungent acetic acid flavors shine can benefit from a splash of the sauce. Or, pair it with ingredients that have strong flavors that won't end up easily overshadowed.

A splash of Great Value Steak Sauce could help bolster the taste and aroma of hearty soups, stews, and chili. While not ideal with all vegetables, it pairs well with mushrooms, so toss those caps with a little bit of steak sauce before roasting them. Finally, if you enjoy BBQ or sea salt and vinegar chips, this pungent steak sauce has a smooth texture and works as a dipping sauce for regular chips or french fries. Try adding some to mayonnaise to give it your own twist. In a pinch, you can also use it as a wallet-friendly, albeit inferior substitute for Worcestershire sauce.

A good cut of steak underpins a great eating experience, which makes it all the more important to not ruin it with a subpar steak sauce. The good news is there are lots of easy steak sauces you can make yourself, including a classic steak sauce that uses just four ingredients that you probably already have at home.