Supermarket quiz

As long as I was at the supermarket today, I decided to ask if they ever carried hanger steak. "Never heard of it," was the butcher's reply. Fair enough, but the gal behind the meat counter asked me if it was meat. Bah-daa-dum. >cymbals<

In fairness to your butcher, Larry, it's not a very popular cut and it also goes by a number of names: hanging tender, butcher's steak, butcher's tender, onglet, bistro steak, etc. I like the Italian and Spanish names: lombatello and solomillo de pulmon, respectively.

Most of the time I believe it's chopped up to make hamburger. I have a good friend who's a butcher at a pretty good shop nearby who claims it's a cut for the buthcer "to take home". I'm not entirely sure where it comes from -- he says it's a part of the diaphragm between the last rib and the tenderloin, near the kidney.

Grainy, and some people say it has to be marinated. I'm not so sure anymore.

Sam (the butcher) has been setting some aside for me over the past several months, and I've been learning how to cut and cook it. At first, it seemed impossibly tough, but then I learned to cut out the membrane in the middle, leaving a bit of meat on each side of the membrane

That way, Janet and I each get about four ounces of really tender meat, and Clive is delighted with his portion. Very intensely flavored, and no need to marinate.

How do you prepare yours?

Regards, Bob

Bob, hangar steak...or whatever you want to call it...is making something of a name for itself around here, as I'm seing it featured on more menus now.

I think it makes a pretty good dish when you make it up in the Italian trattoria style of tagliata: marinated and grilled, sliced against the grain, served over a bed of arugualy, and topped with either a mushroom sauce or a balsamic vinaigrette sauce. Simple, easy to make, and tasty.

Hangar steak features in a lot of Mexican dishes too. There's a local 'gourment taco' shop here in Sonoma that makes a very good carne asada plate with hangar steak.

Hoke, is the steak served with the membrane removed when it's served sliced tagliata style?

Incidetally, is it "hanger" or "hangar" steak? I've seen it both ways. Google "hanger steak" hits are about three times the number of "hangar steak" hits.

I don't understand the "hangar" derivation, frankly.

Hoke, is the steak served with the membrane removed when it's served sliced tagliata style?

Incidetally, is it "hanger" or "hangar" steak? I've seen it both ways. Google "hanger steak" hits are about three times the number of "hangar steak" hits.

I don't understand the "hangar" derivation, frankly.

Bob:

No membrane.

Don't know the difference between hanger and hangar, but I've seen it both ways as well. Could be just sloppy spelling variation. Knowing you, though, I expect you soon give us chapter and verse from your research.

The correct spelling is hanger because it hangs from the diaphragm. Like I said in my original post ("Fair enough..."), I understand that not all butchers may be familiar with that cut. But my point was the question, "Is it meat?" I exhorted the butcher to look up the cut on the internet.

Actually, I have yet to try one, but I'm looking forward to trying one. My understanding is that it should be marinated, grilled quickly, and sliced across the grain. How 'bout you?

I've seen it done that way, Larry, but without the membrane, I don't see the need to marinate. I grill it rare, much like a lamb sirloin. It comes out beautifully tender.

Your "hanger" reasoning makes sense to me.