Not THAT was a good steak

Dangit! The title was supposed to be "Now", not "Not".

I'm posting this as more of a heads-up than a brag.
Because we buy our beef 1/2 of a cow at a time we know the butcher and farmer pretty well. Well, the butcher let us in on a little secret (he said it was a secret, and neither my wife or I heard of it before). Most butchers reserve a steak for themselves when they butcher a cow. It's called the hanger steak. There's only one and it's not real big, not much over a pound. This was the best steak I ever had. More tender than a prime rib, more flavorful than the loin.
Wikipedia says it's a tough cut and needs to be marinated and all. Either that's wrong or I have NO idea what I'm talking about. My wife put salt and pepper, and some garlic and grilled it. Amazing. Much better than the NY strip she cooked alongside it.
So, go to a butcher and ask for the hanger steak, maybe he'll sell it to you.

WIKI link said: A hanger steak is a cut of beef steak prized for its flavor. Derived from the diaphragm of a steer or heifer, it typically weighs about 1.0 to 1.5 lb (450 to 675 g). In the past, it was sometimes known as "butcher's steak" because butchers would often keep it for themselves rather than offer it for sale.[1] Hanger steak resembles flank steak in texture and flavor. It is a vaguely V-shaped pair of muscles with a long, inedible membrane down the middle. The hanger steak is not particularly tender and is best marinated and cooked quickly over high heat (grilled or broiled) and served rare or medium rare, to avoid toughness. Anatomically, the hanger steak is said to "hang" from the diaphragm of the steer.[2] The diaphragm is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat: the "hanger steak" traditionally considered more flavorful, and the outer skirt steak composed of tougher muscle within the diaphragm. The hanger is attached to the last rib and the spine near the kidneys. Occasionally seen on menus as a "bistro steak", hanger steak is also very traditional in Mexican cuisine, particularly in the north, where it is known as arrachera, and is generally marinated, grilled and served with a squeeze of lime juice, guacamole, salsa and tortillas to roll tacos. In South Texas, this cut of beef is known as fajitas arracheras. The hanger steak has historically been more popular in Europe. In Britain, it is referred to as "skirt". In French, it is known as the onglet, in Italian the lombatello, and in Spanish the solomillo de pulmón.[2] Elsewhere in the United States, it is slowly starting to become popular; formerly it was not separated as an individual cut.

I have heard of skirt steak before, but I haven't tried it. Was it marbled with fat? That would explain tenderness without having to marinade it first. Also, cooking low and slow helps the fat to render before the meat cooks to oblivion, so your technique is key.

Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!

It was fairly well marbled, but not to the point that I felt my arteries clogging. I've had skirt steak before, this was much better.
I'm sure I'm talking it up too much, now it'll suck when you try it. Somebody give it a try and tell me if I'm crazy.

Can I tell you you're crazy first and then try it?

I need to find a local butcher. We have a farmer's market but I have only seen veggies and herb plants (not that kind). I need to investigate our options here, but I don't have a chest freezer anymore, so I don't believe I will be able to get the kind of deals you can get when you are buying a half a cow at a time.

Mmmmmm...hungry now.

Its good. So is the flat iron steak.

DrBoost wrote: I'm posting this as more of a heads-up than a brag. Because we buy our beef 1/2 of a cow at a time we know the butcher and farmer pretty well. Well, the butcher let us in on a little secret (he said it was a secret, and neither my wife or I heard of it before). Most butchers reserve a steak for themselves when they butcher a cow. It's called the hanger steak. There's only one and it's not real big, not much over a pound. This was the best steak I ever had. More tender than a prime rib, more flavorful than the loin. Wikipedia says it's a tough cut and needs to be marinated and all. Either that's wrong or I have NO idea what I'm talking about. My wife put salt and pepper, and some garlic and grilled it. Amazing. Much better than the NY strip she cooked alongside it. So, go to a butcher and ask for the hanger steak, maybe he'll sell it to you.

I see you haven't mentioned ribeye yet... perhaps that's your problem!

mattmacklind wrote: Its good. So is the flat iron steak.

A product of the University of Florida!

Filet Mignon is my favorite cut (that I've tried so far), tightly bound in roasting twine and seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper on both sides, then allowed to rest at room temp for an hour before grilling just long enough to warm it up and brown the outside.

Hanger steak is nice and mineraly, too, since it's close to the organs. It's a fantastic cut.

Never had it, but will ask for it sometime.

In related news, SWMBO found a great cut of meat called a chuck eye steak. That's the best steak I've had at home so far.

Dammit, now I'm hungry

I've eaten it, but didn't think anything of it, just diaphram. It was fine, but nothing to rave about.

In my admittedly limited butchering experience, I've come to learn there's just as much myth as there is reality. Bone chips, marrow, hair, silver, etc. As well aging, stress, diet...

What secret? Hangar strip s that small pretty useless muscle next to the ribs, how can it not be tender? A Tapas restaraunt in Ct. called Barcelona has it on their menu. I'm not a big fan of raw beef, but I'd try that one Sushi'd.

Dan

http://www.eatmedaily.com/2010/06/top-of-the-food-chain-hanger-steak/

Its all lies! The best part of a cow is where the bologna comes from.

Osterkraut wrote: I see you haven't mentioned ribeye yet... perhaps that's your problem!

I didn't mention it, but in my opinion, this was the best steak I've ever had at home. Now, I've had better steaks (maybe) at a high-end restaurant, but give that same chef the hanger steak and I think it would blow my mind.

I'm a fan. Actually bought one a couple weeks ago. I asked for skirt or hanger steak at the butcher's counter, as I usually do since you'll rarely see either in the case, and when the guy shot back quickly, "We have both; which do you want?" I answered, "Hanger, duh."

His eyebrows shot up, but he went back and wrapped it for me without comment. Just as he was handing me my package, though, he pulled it back out of my reach and said, "How do you know about this cut?"

I didn't feel like explaining that my dad was something of a meat enthusiast and actually coached his kids on how to cruise a butcher's case, because let's face it, that's a bit weird, so I just answered, "dad was a butcher" and moved on.

And yes, it's tasty. I marinate it in a little red wine/olive oil/garlic, because it already has good flavor and seems to do best with something basic to just complement that taste.

Oh, and for years this was called "butcher's steak" because it's the cut of meat the butcher saved for himself and took home.

Margie

If you are not afraid of cholesterol... try calf hearts. Split, on the grill with a little drizzled butter.

I E36 M3 you not.

Heard of it, but I always associated it with a flank. Good to know! I need to go see the butcher!

The best steak I've ever had at home was a NY Strip. For some reason is just turned out perfect. I'll have to try the butcher's steak some day.

poopshovel wrote: Heard of it, but I always associated it with a flank. Good to know! I need to go see the butcher!

+1. I am looking up butchers in Huntsville now.

I'm fortunate enough to have a great guy down the street. He knows I like 'em like he likes 'em; grey and about to turn green. Sells me the "aged" stuff for pennies on the dollar, and you get a free potato with every steak!

This thread is wonderful and timely, as I'm eating steak for lunch right now

Hmm, I'll have to go check the freezer and see if we have any of these. We get our meat from my in-laws, and she used to work at a butcher's...

Keith Tanner wrote: Hmm, I'll have to go check the freezer and see if we have any of these. We get our meat from my in-laws, and she used to work at a butcher's...

In that case, you're probably checking the wrong freezer. Might be better to look in MIL's

Margie