Here’s Why Your Butcher Wishes You’d Stop Ordering Hanger Steak
There are certain steak cuts that carnivores have come to love. Theyre prized for their tenderness, like the filet mignon, and amazing flavor, like the porterhouse. But we shouldnt order them every time just because theyre delicious.
And theres one cut of meat in particular that the butcher wishes youd stop ordering.
We talked to Sutter Meats butcher Terry Ragasa in Northampton, Mass. and he told us loud and clear: the hanger steak.
Why Is Flank Steak So Expensive
Cost. Flank steak is generally one of the least expensive cuts to purchase. Again, this is probably because its so thin that people tend to overlook it as a quality steak. Compared to skirt steak, flanks are usually a bit more expensive because theyre usually the go-to cut for restaurants to use for fajitas.
Best Butchers Cuts You Need To Try
May 3, 2019
If you ask someone about their favorite steak you will probably get answers like ribeye, filet mignon, NY strip, or porterhouse. Those are all excellent cuts and are readily available at any steakhouse or in your grocery store meat case. But are you ready to explore some cuts beyond those standard cuts?
Lets cut the suspense right now and I will list the cuts. Later in this post I will explain more about these cuts and give you some links where you can buy them:
- Hanger Steak
- Sirloin Flap
- Teres Major
Butchers cuts are secret cuts of beef that butchers used to save for themselves because they are uniquely delicious with some awesome textures. Everyone knows about ribeyes and t-bones but these other cuts but have you ever seen a hanger steak at your local grocery store?
Back when butchers would break down whole animals they would cut out these butchers cuts and cook them for themselves. Most of them require quite a bit of skill to properly butcher and compared to other cuts they are relatively small. For example, you can probably get 25-30 lbs or ribeyes from one steer but only 2 pounds of teres major. A couple strip loins will weigh in at 25 pounds but each animal only has about 2.2 lbs of hanger steak.
As a result most butchers dont bother with these cuts. But when you can get your hands on them you will find some exceptional steaks with flavors and textures you wont find elsewhere. Are you ready to dig in?
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Is Hanger Steak Expensive
It also tends to be the most expensive cut per pound. A fillet is definitely the last thing Id ever order in a steakhouse.In a good cut of hanger steak, theres just the right of marbling and great flavor. Even when cooked to well-done, hanger steak stays tender and juicy just what a great steak should be.
Usda Prime Hanger Steak
$24.00
Chef Tip – Slice against the grain when serving, which is lengthwise and on a bias for this steak.
All Second City Prime Steak & Seafood Company products come individually vacuum sealed and frozen – guaranteed in your freezer for 6-12 months.
Cut: Attached to Last Rib and Spine near Kidneys
Preferred Cooking Method:Second City Prime’s preferred cooking method for the flavorful Prime Hanger Steak is… grilling! The optimal grilling temperature is 450 degrees fahrenheit.
Preferred Cooking Time: The Prime Hanger Steak is great to cook on a 450 degree grill for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees fahrenheit.
Wine Pairing:
- Cut: Hanger Steak
- Grade: USDA Prime
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Why Is Skirt Steak So Expensive
Contributing to the rise in prices is heavy export of the skirt steak to Japan. Because the diaphragm is classified as offal, not muscle meat, it was exported in larger quantities than other cuts of beef to Japan, which, until last month, imposed stringent import quotas on cuts of beef other than offal.
Shopping For Hanger Steak
Hanger steak is sold either whole, looking somewhat like a “V”, or trimmed of the center gristle, in which case they resemble a tenderloin. If you get a whole piece, make sure to cut away and discard the center main gristle that connects the two tenderloin-ish pieces.
If hanger steak isn’t available where you are, you might want to try this recipe with a flank or skirt steak.
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Hanger Steak At Costco
Hi!A few weeks ago I noticed multi-packs of hanger steaks in the Marina Del Rey Costco fresh meat case. I couldn’t buy them that day but planned to nextime I went in. BIG MISTAKE! Well, I went to Costco last week and there were no hanger steaks. Not only that, the “butchers” never heard of it, had no idea what it was and said they never had it, looking at me like I must be crazy. Today I called “Dave” the manager of the store and he gave me the same line. He also said I was mistaken, they never had it, there is no listing in the computer for it so they could never have generated a tag for it and that I must have been shopping at the Hawthorne store. Dave then spoke to the senior “butcher” who said he had never heard of it either.Now, I know that I am not insane. I definitely saw hanger steaks there. Anybody have any ideas? Might someone have a Costco SKU # saved from hanger steaks? Thanks for the help!-Ed. I.
Why Is My Steak Chewy
Overcooking can make your meat dry but undercooked meat can be quite chewy. Dont be afraid of an instant-read meat thermometer and pull your meat when its ready. For naturally tender cuts like beef tenderloin, that can be as rare as 125ºF, whereas tougher cuts like brisket should be cooked to 195ºF.
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Recipes For Hanger Steak
Similar in texture to the skirt steak and the flank steak, the more tender hanger steak makes a great choice for a variety of dishes from a wide range of cuisines. Feel free to use hanger steak in place of skirt or flank. You can also simply rub some oil on the meat and season it liberally with salt and pepper before cooking it, then serve it thinly sliced with chimichurri, pesto, or a balsamic drizzle.
The Problem With The Hanger Steak
The hanger steak comes from the muscle that helps support the diaphragm between a cows rib and loin. It gets its name because it just hangs there. In other words, the hanger steak does no work, which means it is incredibly tender. Theres only one per animal and thats the problem.
When the animal is split in half, before its processed, each muscle has a counterpoint on the other side. So you have two filets, two top rounds, two chuck eyes, but theres only a single hanger steak, Ragasa told HuffPost.
And its pretty small.
Out of an 800-pound animal there isa pound and a half of hanger steak, Ragasa explained. Its delicious because it doesnt do any work, it literally hangs next to the kidneys, but if 10 people order a hanger steak at a restaurant, that represents 10 animals slaughtered for those dinners.
And that is not a very sustainable way to eat.
Instead, Ragasa recommends, try different cuts of meat that good butchers have available. Ragasa explains that expanding your meat cut horizons will help the farmer and the butcher get the most out of the carcass.
This is good not only for the livelihood of the butcher and the farmer who have to account for the raising and purchasing of a whole cow. Its also a more sustainable practice because it minimizes waste of the animal. And thats good for the environment because we all know what what a toll raising animals can take on our planet.
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Simple Seared Hanger With Lemon Butter From My Recipes
This recipe really makes the most of a simply cooked Hanger steak, but with a twist, Brussels sprouts!
Once your steak is cooked to perfection, you use the hot skillet for cooking off potatoes and Brussels sprouts for a side, with lemon and herb butter to give it some zing.
While Brussels are a Marmite vegetable, we think youll love this recipe! Get it here: Simple hanger steak with lemon butter recipe.
Tips On Buying Steak Online For The Best Barbeques
The perfect grilled Tbone begins with great steak. Youcould head down to your local grocery store and ponder over the rows ofsteaks but a better bet would be to order your beef online.
You cant beat the choice of a prime cut of beef that is 100 percentguaranteed. Online stores offer you more high quality choices andassure you that your steak arrives fresh at your door. They oftenprovide great recipes that bring out the best of the beef. You can start by searching the internet using such keywords asprime grade beef, choice grade beef, orpremium hand cut steaks. Take a look at what cutsof meat each company is offering and the guarantee that goes along withyour purchase.
Compare prices but make sure you are comparingcomparable grades and cuts of meat. That bargain priced steak yousaw at the supermarket is probably cheap for a good reason its not as fresh or as good of quality beef and was probably frozen atsome point.
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Is Beef Beef Expensive
It also tends to be the most expensive cut per. Pound. A steak is definitely the last thing I would order at a steakhouse. In a good gallows steak cut, you have the right to marble and to taste good. Even when it is cooked and deep-fried, the steak remains tender and juicy what a good steak it should be.
Sirloin Flap Or Bavette
This wonderful cut comes from the bottom of the sirloin near where the flank steak comes from. It has a fairly open texture similar to skirt steak or hanger steak as you can see from the picture below.
You will see this cut called sirloin flap or bavette. If you are from New England you might also see it called sirloin tip. Up there it is usually cut into cubes, skewered, and roasted over an open coal fire. Sirloin flap is much more versatile than just that though. Whip up a carne asada marinade and you will have some of the best tacos you will ever eat. A Korean bulgogi marinade would do very well on a cut like this and it would also make some great shawarma.
I would cook this cut hot and fast directly over some hot coals but if you are a bit more daring lose the grate and place the meat directly on some blazing lump charcoal for a caveman style steak.
Sirloin flap or bavette is usually a 2.5-3 lb piece of meat so there would be plenty to feed a family, especially if you are making some tacos or serving with rice or something along those lines.
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Other Names For The Hanger Steak
It is an easily butchered cut of beef and highly recommended by butchers and chefs alike as one of the best steaks to grill, but as each animal only produces two steaks each, it is in short supply and as such comes at a slight premium.
Coming to popularity in the USA in the 90s after pop culture restaurants took to offering it as a more affordable tender steak compared to the popular Ribeye and strip steaks.
Across the globe it has a few names:
- Butchers steak, so-called because butchers would often keep it for themselves because they loved the rich flavor of it, and it was one of their best-kept secrets.
- Skirt steak is the name sometimes given to it in the United Kingdom. Somewhat confusing as there exists a separate skirt steak that is cut from the same area of the animal.
- Onglet is the name given to the steak in France where they use it for the infamous steak frites .
Hanger now seems to be the commonly accepted name for it should wish to go searching for it, but just in case, the industry ID number is 140.
Where To Buy Hanger Steak
Unless you have an awesome butcher close by your best bet for a hanger steak is ordering online.
Porter Road carries the hanger steak for $32 which may seem expensive but remember, there is only about 1-2 pounds of this meat per animal. Their hangers run in the 1-1.5 lb range and orders over $100 ship for free. Order your hanger steak from Porter Road.
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Where Does Hanger Steak Come From On The Cow
There is a clue in the name of the Hanger steak. It is a select cut prized for its full flavor that hangs from the diaphragm of the steer.
This section of the animal is referred to as the plate primal.
The Hanger is the crura, or legs, of the diaphragm itself, which is attached to the last rib and front of several lumbar vertebrae.
It is a roughly V-shaped muscle pairing that has an inedible membrane down the middle.
Note:For a complete look at all popular beef cuts and where they come from, check out our beef cuts guide.
How To Prepare Hanger Steak For Grilling Or Smoking
The Hanger steak is an excellent cut of meat that takes to all kinds of cooking methods well, and because of its strong flavor, it stands up well against a good marinade or smoke.
If cooking as a simple plain steak, you need nothing more than a liberal seasoning with salt and pepper.
If trimmed from a butcher it will need no extra cutting. It can be cooked as it is, as a large piece of meat thrown into a marinade and left overnight before grilling or smoking to perfection.
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What Is Hanger Steak Uses How To Cook It And More
In this article, we look at the hanger steak, covering what it is, where it comes from, why that name, alternative names, how to source it, how to cook it, and more. By the end, youll be a hanger expert, and Im sure you will want to sample some!
The Hanger steak has long been a favorite in Europe due to its flavor and tenderness.
Not many people elsewhere are aware of this cut or have ever cooked it merely because until now, it has been the butchers secret cut.
The Hanger steak is relatively new in the US. Still, it has recently gained popularity in steak restaurants across the country due to its intense flavor and versatile use in many beef dishes.
Most people discover it in a restaurant, but when they come to recreate their newfound favorite dish at home, they cant find it at their local supermarket or butcher.
The Hanger heartbreak is real, but thankfully its rising popularity means this wont be a problem for too much longer.
So, in this guide, we will make sure you walk away with the knowledge on all things Hanger.
Youll discover what it is, where its from, what it tastes like, and most importantly, how to get your hands on one and what to do with it.
So, sit back, relax, and hang with us!
Contents
How To Cook Hanger Steak On A Grill Or Smoker
The Hanger is best cooked high and dry on a searing hot grill or perhaps with the afterburner method of cooking steak and because its a relatively thin piece of meat, referring to our guide on how long to grill steak, it only needs 3 to 4 minutes each side.
Its recommended not to go over medium-rare, as owing to its long, striated muscle fibers it becomes tough and chewy.
If the meat isnt patted dry before cooking, the extra moisture will prevent a good char and sear before its cooked, and then you run the risk of overcooking in search of that sear.
If you want to smoke your Hanger its best done as a reverse sear setup.
Prepare the smoker as normal, place the meat in with or without marinade, and cook until around 10 degrees away from the perfect temperature as per your preference.
At this point, have the grill ready and sear the steaks on each side for a minute or so to get that extra charred flavor.
You will find many guides to cooking your Hanger on a grill or skillet, so for contrast heres our guide to smoking it:
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Where Can I Buy Hanger Steak
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and weve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on , , or our , or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
