A Very Simple Recipe

Here it is:

(1) Get some hanger steak, e.g. from Mister Brisket or your local butcher. 

(2) Sprinkle steak liberally with kosher salt and fresh pepper as soon as you get it home.

(3) Grill or pan sear the steak for about about 2–3 minutes each side, then transfer it to a 350 degree oven until medium rare (about 4 minutes)–or don’t, as it’s really good rare. Hanger steak is thick–sort of like a mini tenderloin–which is why it needs the additional cooking. You could also butterfly it when you cook it to make it thinner.

(4) Cut against the grain into slices and serve.

The point here of course is not the preparation but the ingredient. Hanger steak is more flavorful than T-bone, more tender than filet mignon but half the price of either. After I made this, Sarah asked, “Was there a rub? A marinade?” The flavor complexity suggested that something must have been added, but it was just salt and pepper. These are served at both Fire and Lola, and, like a lot of great food, the secret is the ingredient rather than the preparation.

The other name for hanger steak is “butcher’s steak” as butchers have been known to save it for themselves.