Stacey

I am pleased to introduce Stacey of StaceySnacksOnline.com as new guest chef and contributing writer.

Her cooking repertoire includes a wide range of dishes that I’m sure you will find as interesting and tempting as I do!

This post about grilled hanger steaks (one of my favorite cuts of beef) topped with freshly made Chimichurri sauce was just what I was looking for. I can verify that it is DEE-LISH-US!

Welcome Stacey! Just wanna say that I ahem, “we” look forward to learning more of your cooking!

Happy Grilling!

Grilled Hanger Steak, sliced and topped with freshly made Chimichurri sauce. Photo staceysnacksonline.com

If you are not yet personally acquainted with hanger steak, get to know one – soon! The hanger steak is catching on with backyard cooks who enjoy the great flavor and ease of preparation. Once known as the “butcher’s filet” because the  neighborhood butcher saved it for himself – it’s always been a very popular cut of beef  throughout most of western Europe where the French call it “onglet.’ In N. America it’s beginning to appear on the menu of local family steak house restaurants.

CB note: I’ve enjoyed grilled onglet with a plate of “pomme frites” and Dijon mustard in little cafes of Paris and the wine region of Burgundy, as well as restaurants in California, Oregon and Washington wine country.

The name “hanger” is derived from the world of the butcher because it’s the piece of meat that “hangs” from the diaphragm of the steer, not to be confused with skirt steak. Ask for it at your local meat dept. (most major national grocery chains have access to them)  because it’s usually quite a bargain! The hanger steak is very tender and needs little or no attention; my only tip is that it should be served medium rare so it doesn’t get tough.

For this meal I grilled the hanger steaks and made a delicious chimichurri sauce for a super easy weeknight dinner. Chimichurri originated in Argentina and essentially is an uncooked sauce made with fresh herbs. The consistency is much like pesto, but chimichurri has no basil – in fact I am not afraid to make it a bit differently each time!

Grilled Hanger Steak w/Chimichurri:

2 Hangers steaks – about 8 – 10 oz. each

For the Chimichurri sauce
Ingredients

• handful of fresh parsley
• handful of fresh oregano leaves
• handful of fresh cilantro
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• enough olive oil to make a dressing, about 1/8-1/4 cup

Directions
You can omit the cilantro if you don’t like it, but I love it. Either pulse all the ingredients in a food processor, or hand chop the herbs and garlic to make a fine paste, then add the oil and vinegar. (I usually hand chop everything because I am too lazy to wash out my food processor every time!).

Season the hanger steaks with kosher salt and pepper and keep at room temperature for about an hour before grilling.

Grill the hanger steaks hot and fast with very little seasoning and just a spritz of high-temp oil - after searing, remove and finish away from direct heat until the desired internal temperature is achieved. I recommend M-Rare.

Set your grill to medium-high and grill steaks 4 minutes on each side for Medium Rare (USDA 145F degrees internal temperature.) It is important to let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain. This will distribute the juices so the meat doesn’t dry out.

Slice the steaks across the grain and serve on a platter with the chimichurri sauce drizzled on top!

Hanger steaks grilled to Med Rare topped with fresh chimichurri sauce.

For more tasty grilled steak recipes use the Search Recipe function at the top of this page!