286297 Sun Feb 13 21:22:28 -0800 2000 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1534600 What part of the cow does hanger steak come from and what are its qualities? Sun Feb 13 21:22:28 -0800 2000 0 Robert Fagin 1 1534601 Jeez, guys; this is well-discussed in the archives. See the link below. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/286193#1534131 Sun Feb 13 23:42:01 -0800 2000 1534600 0 AHR 1 1535118 I found this on a site called 'Cook's Thesaurus'. Hope it helps... hanger steak = hanging tender = butcher's steak = butcher's tenderloin = onglet Notes: This is the part of the diaphragm that hangs between the last rib and the loin. It's often ground in hamburger (or butchers just take it home), but some people claim that its grainy texture and intense flavor make it a first-rate steak (if marinated first). It's better known in France than in the United States, so you'll probably have to ask your butcher to set one aside for you. Substitutes: skirt steak OR flank steak Link: http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatBeefB&F.html Wed May 30 00:06:41 -0700 2001 1534600 0 JW 1 1535119 Here is another explanation #9: Hanger Steak This cut of beef proves an assertion of mine that chefs are always on the lookout for ingredients that absolutely none of their customers recognize. The idea is half to introduce new foods to the dining public, which I applaud. But I think there's also the element of throwing customers a little off balance, so the perceived superiority of the chef is maintained. Well, hanger steak is one of those. It's on a few menus. Get ready to see it on a lot more. Hanger steak (often misspelled "hangar" steak--it has nothing to do with airplanes) is so little known in this country that not a single one of my hundreds of references so much as mentions it--not even such authorities as Larrousse Gastronomique. Well, actually, that's not true. Any chart that shows the French way of breaking down a beef carcass shows the cut--but not under that name. French butchers allegedly call it the onglet--although at least one of my books (La Varenne Pratique, which is quite authoritative) gives that name also to the flank steak. Which, in any case, is nearby, and somewhat similar. What I've heard from every chef and other source is that this is a free-floating (attached to no bones, just hanging there--hence the name) piece of meat that's part of the musculature of the diaphragm of the cow. There's only one in each animal, and the butchers are alleged to hold it aside for themselves. Some stories say this was because it was too tough to be saleable; others say it was too delicious for mere customers. I've had it a few times here and there, and here's what I think of it. The texture is coarsely stringy, like flank or brisket. It is very, very tough, and unless you have really sharp teeth you will have to cut it into smaller pieces than you usually cut steak into. Otherwise, you will be working your gums more than you have since you chewed the last leftover Bazooka from Halloween. So why bother? Well, there is something to this cut. It has a unique flavor. I don't know how exactly to describe it other than a juicy meatiness, but it's more pronounced than that of most meats. If you have a taste for dry-aged beef, you'll like this, because there's a touch of over-the-hill flavor even when it's very fresh. The cut is grilled whole, preferably over a very hot fire, and cooked rare or medium rare at most. (It's laser-proof at higher temperatures.) It seems to me that marinating it in something acidic is almost essential. Be sure to cut across the grain when you dig in. And that peice of gristle running down the center--a hallmark of the cut--is hopeless. Just work around it. Link: http://www.nomenu.com/archives/Vol8/029.htm Wed May 30 00:16:36 -0700 2001 1534600 0 JW 2 1535120 In New York, it's on menus all over town. I've never had an unpleasantly tough hanger steak, and I've prepared it at home a number times with no difficulty. While it's somewhat tougher than many cuts, it's very, very flavorful, which is why chefs love it. And yes, onglet is hanger steak. Wed May 30 19:30:27 -0700 2001 1535119 0 Leslie Brenner 3 1535158 How does hanger compare to skirt? Wed Sep 10 18:02:46 -0700 2003 1535120 0 Jackie 1 1535169 Where might one be able to purchase a hanger steak (in the Philly area)? I asked all local gourmet meat markets and butchers, alas invain. The only place I found that sells it online is http://www.lobels.com . Any suggestions? Sun Jan 25 13:49:23 -0800 2004 1534600 0 Percy 2 1535170 Hi Percy, the Pennslyvania board is best for questions regarding finding ingredients or chow in Philly; it'll be most visible to the chowhounds in that area and it's more likely that you'll get a useful, Philly-specific response. We recommend that you post your query there. This will also help keep the information on the boards organized in specific categories, and will enable future hounds to look up the same information more easily. Thus, we'd like to keep the general topics board focused on issues of general deliciousness that is not confined to a specific geographical area. Many thanks and good luck in finding some great hanger steak! Sun Jan 25 16:47:06 -0800 2004 1535169 2 The Chowhound Team