Hanger steak has a reputation as a butcher’s cut: full of flavor, quick to cook, and slightly awkward to prepare. This guide combines Food Network’s hanger steak explainer, Anne Burrell’s grilled hanger steak recipe, Alexandra Stafford’s charcoal-grilled version and the Beef Checkoff’s cut profile. Where they disagree, the differences are shown. Celsius figures are our conversions.
The Cut and Its Trade-Off
Food Network describes hanger as a flat, V-shaped cut from the plate (belly) that hangs just below the diaphragm. It says the muscle gets very little use, so it is naturally tender when properly cooked, and that good marbling adds to that. It also has a catch: a tough white membrane runs down the middle of a whole steak.
The Beef Checkoff frames the same cut a little differently. Its profile calls hanger “full of flavor with a coarse texture” and includes a butcher’s note: remove the connective tissue membrane to improve tenderness. So the trade-off is real. The meat itself is tender and beefy, but the texture is coarser than a strip or ribeye, and leaving the central membrane in undoes the tenderness.
Food Network adds that hanger tastes deep and beefy, similar to skirt and flank with slightly more marbling than those cuts, and is bold enough to stand up to strong spices, marinades and robust sauces such as chimichurri.
Trim the Membrane
Food Network says that if your butcher has not removed the membrane, cut down along either side of it before cooking. A whole hanger weighs roughly 1½ to 2 pounds (about 0.7 to 0.9 kg); once the membrane is taken out, you are left with two long, thin pieces of about ¾ to 1 pound each. Stafford’s recipe agrees, asking for the membrane to be removed and the two loins butterflied for fast, even cooking. Food Network also notes that there is only one hanger per animal, so it is more likely to turn up at a butcher shop or online than in a supermarket.
Marinate or Not
Food Network says marinating is not necessary but improves tenderness and juiciness, suggesting oil, salt and an acid, for several hours and up to 24 if possible. The two recipes are gentler:
- Burrell: a paste of chopped thyme, garlic, crushed red pepper and olive oil, with generous salt. Rest it overnight in the fridge, or up to 2 hours outside the fridge.
- Stafford: a garlic-thyme paste plus olive oil and Worcestershire sauce, refrigerated for at least an hour, then wiped off before seasoning with salt and pepper.
Heat and Timing
Food Network says hanger does best with short, intense heat and should be cooked to no more than medium rare, 130° to 135°F (54° to 57°C), because it is relatively thin. The recipes fill in the timing, and they do not match:
- Burrell: preheat the grill (no temperature is given), then grill 4 to 5 minutes per side and rest 5 to 10 minutes. Slice on the bias.
- Stafford: high heat over hot coals, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes a side until a thermometer reads 125°F (52°C) for medium rare or 135°F (57°C) for medium. Rest 10 minutes and slice against the grain. She leaves the lid off on charcoal but covers a gas grill.
The gap is probably explained by the prep (our reading, not either author’s claim). Burrell cooks a larger piece of steak (2 pounds), while Stafford butterflies the loins, so her pieces are thinner and finish faster. Use the thermometer, not the clock.
Slicing
Stafford stresses cutting against the grain and admits the direction is not always easy to spot; her page links a video for it. Burrell says to slice on the bias.
Food Safety Note
USDA FSIS advises cooking beef steaks to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and resting for at least three minutes. Every hanger target above sits lower, at 125° to 135°F, or has no temperature at all. The cook who wants to follow USDA’s line should take the steak to 145°F and rest it for three minutes or more, keeping in mind that Food Network warns against going past medium rare for texture.
Keep reading
- Flat Iron vs Hanger vs Skirt vs Flank: Which to Grill
- Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Ribeye: Hey Grill Hey’s Recipe
- Grilling Flat Iron Steak: Weber and ATK’s Methods
- How to Grill a Steak on Gas or Charcoal: Sources Compared