My Hunk-a-Meat Love ~ Hanger Steak

If you ever get the opportunity to try Hanger Steak, it is a must try.  Every cow has one Hanger steak, so it's kind of rare to find in the grocery store but if you buy your beef from a rancher, asking the butcher to cut and wrap the Hanger cut of meat is a must, at least for me.  You may also find some restaurants will have the Hanger Steak on the menu, don't be afraid to try it.

The Hanger Steak is said to "hang" from the diaphragm of the steer. 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. 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.....it's THAT tasty if cooked right.

So last night I had a hankering for Hanger and here's how I cooked mine.....

I marinated the Hanger in a Ziploc bag with with tasty Tavern on the Green Ginger Teriyaki Sauce for about an hour or two.  Of course you can marinate it overnight for even more flavor, but an hour did the trick for me......

I have NO patience when it comes to waiting for meat to be ready.

Then I added some extra virgin olive oil to a hot skillet and seared the hanger.  About 6 minutes on each side, this hanger steak was about two inches thick.

The key to cooking hanger steak, whether you grill it, broil it or pan sear it is, high heat and don't cook/grill it for too long or may become tough.

Important:  let the meat rest, uncovered for 10 minutes after cooking so when you slice it, you won't lose all that juice.

I like my meat on the medium rare side....so juicy.

I served mine with smashed potatoes and brussels sprouts with bacon.

This is also an EASY weeknight meal to throw together, especially if you're going to pan sear it......definitely satisfies my little carnivores.