Marinated Hanger Steak - Red Wine & Strong Coffee

Marinade from Fine Cooking fortunately saved to my Pinterest Board  the photo of just the steak did not look very tempting - but look closely to see the gorgeous darkness of the marinade.  

Printable Recipe 

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour on the counter or up to 4 days in the fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes for medium rare
Rest time: 5 minutes to relax the meat

Serves 3-4 depending on the size of your hanger steak and your appetite

Ingredients:

2 lb/1kg (1-inch-thick) hanger steak (not so easy to find, so make friends with a butcher - mine is Chris de Waal of Getaway Farm) If you can't find or don't want to bother with hanger steak, try flank or skirt steak instead.

Marinade:1 cup brewed espresso or very strong black coffee, at room temperature 
1 cup full-flavored red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or Zinfandel 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
4 medium cloves garlic, grated on a rasp grater 
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 
1-1/2 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar 
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
Coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

Marinade:  Just whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a sturdy zip lock baggie.

Hanger Steak:
Butchering - A lesson from my friend Chef Dennis Johnston of fidResto

It's critical to remove the membrane that coats the hanger steak (just loosen with a sharp knife tip and peel back with your fingers), allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat.
It's also necessary to remove the thick sinew that runs down the length of the hanger steak (below: that's what it looks like when removed)
And now you have two beautiful fillets to marinate and the sinew to discard.
Marinating:
1. Put the hanger steaks into the ziplock baggie.  I usually place it on a rimmed cookie sheet to avoid finding marinade 'soup' all over the fridge.

2. Marinate for up to 4 days in the fridge or one hour on the counter before grilling. The steak should be at room temperature before cooking, so if you're refrigerating the steak, bring them out about 30 minutes or so before grilling.
Grilling:
1. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Cut the long fillets in half across, for easier cooking.

2. Oil grill rack/pan and add the fillets and grill for 3 minutes before flipping. The steaks should come free without sticking to the grill or needing any help from a spatula. In the photo above, you can see the caramelizing effect.

3. Grill for another 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and turn every minute or so until done to your liking. We usually like it medium rare and so add another minute or two on each side.

Resting:
Chef Dennis Johnston’s tip: flip the side closest to the grill grates or pan onto a plate so that the meat sits hot side up. This ensures that the heat will rise into the air rather than go through the meat and continue to cook it. Place the plate in the fridge for 4-5 minutes. The center will retain the heat but the meat will be more tender than if you serve it hot off the grill
Serving:
Slice thinly across the grain, which for the hanger steak, means lengthwise and the very reason I cut the fillets in half to grill.

Marinated Hanger Steak with Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese & Salad

Marinated Hanger Steak with Dragon’s Breath Blue Cheese & Romaine Hearts
Adapted from Low-Salt DASH Dinners & Chef Craig Flinn's awesome vinaigrette

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: from 2 hours on the counter to 48 hours in the fridge (bring back to room temp before grilling
Cooking time: 10-20 minutes (hanger steak is thicker than flank steak, so will take longer to cook)
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
Hanger steak (butchering how to) recipe works great with flank, skirt, tenderloin … and any grilling beef you choose.
Marinade:
½ cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
2 tsp dried basil
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salad
Romaine hearts, torn into bite sized chunks
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 English cucumber, chunked
Dragon’s Breath Blue Cheese (from NS That Dutchman’s Cheese) Stilton Blue (this time I used Borgonzola)
Chef Craig Flinn's Awesome Vinaigrette

Directions:
1. Prepare the hanger steak a la Dennis Johnston of fid resto in Halifax

2. In a large ziplock baggie, combine all the marinade ingredients and blend well. Add the prepared hanger steak (or whatever other cut you choose), coat well with the marinade and massage. You can let the meat marinate on the counter for a couple of hours before grilling or refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If refrigerating, bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.

3. To grill: bbq/ grill pan/ electric grill/ broiler… whatever you have – heat to high and grill for 3-4 minutes, turn the meat, lower the temp a bit and continue to grill for 4 minutes for medium rare. That's how long for flank steak, but hanger steak being thicker will require more time. Turn the heat down to medium so it will not char, and turn every 4 minutes until done to your liking.

4. Remove from the grill and place on a plate, flipping the hot side (closest to the grill) on top and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Then slice on the diagonal, across the grain to serve.

5. While the steaks are grilling, place the torn romaine hearts and chunks of red peppers & cucumbers into a large serving bowl. Toss with vinaigrette.

6. Once the steaks are sliced, place them on top of the salad and crumble the cheese over top.

Marinated Hanger Steak with Borgonzola Cheese & Romaine Hearts

Marinated Hanger Steak with Borgonzola & Romaine Hearts
Adapted from Low-Salt DASH Dinners & Craig Flinn's awesome Vinaigrette

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: from 2 hours on the counter to 48 hours in the fridge (bring back to room temp before grilling
Cooking time: 10-20 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
Hanger steak (butchering how to) recipe works great with flank, skirt, tenderloin … and any grilling beef you choose.
Marinade:
½ cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
2 tsp dried basil
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salad
Romaine hearts, torn into bite sized chunks
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cucumber, cut into chunks
Craig Flinn's vinaigrette
Dragon’s Breath Blue Cheese (from NS That Dutchman’s Cheese) or Borgonzola

Directions:
1. Prepare the hanger steak a la Dennis Johnston of fid resto in Halifax

2. In a large ziplock baggie, combine all the marinade ingredients and blend well. Add the prepared hanger steak (or whatever other cut you choose), coat well with the marinade and massage. You can let the meat marinate on the counter for a couple of hours before grilling or refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If refrigerating, bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.

3. To grill: bbq/ grill pan/ electric grill/ broiler… whatever you have – heat to high and grill for 3-4 minutes, turn the meat, lower the temp a bit and continue to grill for 4 minutes for medium rare. Hanger steak is thicker than flank steak, so you might have to lower the heat to medium and turn every 4 minutes until it's done to your liking.

4. Remove from the grill and place on a plate, flipping the hot side (closest to the grill) on top and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Then slice on the diagonal, across the grain to serve.

5. While the steaks are grilling, place the torn romaine hearts, and chunks of red peppers & cucumber into a large serving bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette.

6. Once the steaks are sliced, place them on top of the salad and crumble the cheese over top.

Lime Curry Marinated Hanger Steak

Lime Curry Marinated Hanger Steak
Adapted from my Epicurious Recipe Box

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour on the counter or up to 4 days in the fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Rest time: 5 minutes to relax the meat

Serves 3-4 depending on the size of your hanger steak and your appetite

Ingredients:
For steak:
Juice of a large fresh lime juice
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tbsp curry powder – this time I used Madras Sambar Masala – Mangal brand
2 lb/1kg (1-inch-thick) hanger steak (not so easy to find, so make friends with a butcher - mine is Chris de Waal of Getaway Farm)

Melon Cucumber Chutney:
2 cups chopped firm-ripe honeydew melon
1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped (about ¾ cup)
½ cup chopped red onion
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 to 2 tsp minced fresh jalapeño including seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cumin

Directions:

Chutney: In the end, I forgot to make the chutney. It's here for the next time I make the hanger steak - or flank - or skirt.
Stir together honeydew, cucumber, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with spices and let chutney stand while grilling steak.

Hanger Steak:
Butchering -

It's critical to remove the membrane that coats the hanger steak (just loosen with a sharp knife tip and peel back with your fingers), allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat.
It's also necessary to remove the thick sinew that runs down the length of the hanger steak (below: that's what it looks like when removed)
And now you have two beautiful fillets to marinate and the sinew to discard.
Marinating:
1. Stir together lime juice, oil, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a non reactive bowl .

2. Coat steak with curry mixture, massaging the paste in well and place in a zip lock baggie.

3. Marinate for up to 4 days in the fridge or one hour on the counter before grilling. The steak should be at room temperature before cooking, so if you're refrigerating the steak, bring them out about 30 minutes or so before grilling.

Grilling:
1. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Cut the long fillets in half across, for easier cooking.

2. Oil grill rack/pan and add the fillets and grill for 3 minutes before flipping. The steaks should come free without sticking to the grill or needing any help from a spatula. In the photo above, you can see the caramelizing effect.

3. Grill for another 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and turn every minute or so until done to your liking. We usually like it medium rare and so add another minute or two on each side.

Resting:
Chef Dennis Johnston’s tip: flip the side closest to the grill grates or pan onto a plate so that the meat sits hot side up. This ensures that the heat will rise into the air rather than go through the meat and continue to cook it. Place the plate in the fridge for 4-5 minutes. The center will retain the heat but the meat will be more tender than if you serve it hot off the grill
Serving:
Slice thinly across the grain, which for the hanger steak, means lengthwise and the very reason I cut the fillets in half to grill.

The original Epicurious recipe says to serve steak with the melon cucumber chutney, which only needs to be put together while the steak is cooking. Even so, this time I couldn't quite get it together - too many phone calls while I was cooking, so I just served it with grilled asparagus.