Alternative names | butcher's steak, hanging tender, bistro steak |
---|---|
Type | Plate cut of beef |
A hanger steak (US), also known as butcher's steak, hanging tenderloin, skirt (UK), or onglet, is a cut of beef steak prized for its flavor and tenderness. This cut is taken from the plate, which is the upper belly of the animal. In the past it was among several cuts of beef sometimes known as "butcher's steak", because butchers would often keep it for themselves rather than offer it for sale. This is because the general populace believed this to be a crude cut of meat, although it is actually one of the most tender and flavoursome. [1]
Hanger steak resembles flank steak in texture and flavor. It is a vaguely V-shaped pair of muscles with a long, inedible membrane running down the middle.
It is also sometimes incorrectly referred to as flap steak or flap meat, which is a distinctly different cut from the bottom sirloin in the rear quarter of the animal.
Anatomically speaking, the hanger steak is the crura, or legs, of the diaphragm. The steak is said to "hang" from the diaphragm of the heifer or steer. [2] The diaphragm is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat: the hanger steak, traditionally considered more flavorful, and the outer skirt steak, composed of tougher muscle from the dome of the diaphragm. The hanger is attached to the last rib and to the front of several of the lumbar vertebrae. The right side is larger and stronger than the left.
Occasionally seen on American menus as a "bistro steak", hanger steak's U.S. meat-cutting classification is NAMP 140. Due to its limited quantity, it is rarely marketed to consumers, with most hanger steak cuts being diverted to restaurants. [3]
In Britain it is referred to as "skirt", which is distinct from the American skirt steak; the French term onglet is also used. [4] The hanger steak has historically been more popular in mainland Europe than in English-speaking countries. In French it is known as the onglet and is often prepared by cutting the lobes in two of three flaps along the centerline, in a manner similar to a butterfly cut. In Italian it is known as the lombatello, in Dutch the longhaas, in Mallorca Floquet, in Polish the świeca wołowa, and in Spanish the solomillo de pulmón [2] or entraña. [5]
A beefsteak, often called just steak, is a flat cut of beef with parallel faces, usually cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. In common restaurant service a single serving has a raw mass ranging from 120 to 600 grams. Beef steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuck or round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized.
A fajita, in Tex-Mex cuisine, is any stripped grilled meat, optionally served with stripped peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish. Popular alternatives to skirt steak include chicken and other cuts of beef, as well as vegetables instead of meat. In restaurants, the meat is usually cooked with onions and bell peppers. Popular condiments include shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, refried beans, and diced tomatoes. "Tacos de arrachera" is applied to the northern Mexican variant of the dish.
Beef aging or ageing is a process of preparing beef for consumption by aging it, in order to break down the connective tissue within the meat.
A beef tenderloin, known as an eye fillet in Australasia, nautalund in Iceland, filet in France, filet mignon in Brazil, and fillet in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is cut from the loin of beef.
Filet mignon is a cut of meat taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin, or psoas major of a cow. In French, it mostly refers to cuts of pork tenderloin.
The rib eye or ribeye is a boneless rib steak from the rib section.
Flat iron steak (US), butlers' steak (UK), feather steak (UK) or oyster blade steak is a cut of steak cut with the grain from the chuck, or shoulder of the animal.
Flank steak is a cut of beef steak taken from the abdominal muscles of the cow, located just behind the plate and in front of the rear quarter. It is a long, flat cut with a significant grain, and is known for its bold flavor and chewiness.
Skirt steak is the US name for a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is distinct from hanger steak (US), also called skirt (UK) or onglet, a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate.
London broil is a beef dish made by grilling marinated beef, then cutting it across the grain into thin strips. While the inclusion of "London" in the name may suggest British origins, "broil" is not a common term in UK English, and indeed the dish is American, not British.
Pork ribs are a cut of pork popular in Western and Asian cuisines. The ribcage of a domestic pig, meat and bones together, is cut into usable pieces, prepared by smoking, grilling, or baking – usually with a sauce, often barbecue – and then served.
Chuck steak is a cut of beef and is part of the sub-prime cut known as the chuck.
The tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, consisting of the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Untrimmed, the tri-tip weighs around 5 pounds. In the US, the tri-tip is taken from NAMP cut 185C.
During butchering, beef is first divided into primal cuts, pieces of meat initially separated from the carcass. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes more tender as distance from hoof and horn increases.
Beef plate is a forequarter cut from the abdomen of the cow, just below the rib cut. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat. In U.K. butchery, this cut is considered part of the brisket.
Flap steak, or flap meat is a beef steak cut from the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of the bottom sirloin. It is generally very thin, fibrous and chewy, but flavorful, and often confused with both skirt steak and hanger steak.
A primal cut or cut of meat is a piece of meat initially separated from the carcass of an animal during butchering. Examples of primals include the round, loin, rib, and chuck for beef or the ham, loin, Boston butt, and picnic for pork.
The beef clod or shoulder clod is one of the least expensive cuts of beef and is taken from the shoulder (chuck) region of the animal. Beef clod is a large muscle system, with some fat that covers the muscles. The clod's composition is mainly three muscles: the shoulder tender, the top blade and the clod heart and is one of two chuck subprimal cuts. It is often divided into its three separate muscle cuts for retail sale.
A steak is a thick cut of meat sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, or cooked in sauce, as in steak and kidney pie.
A fish steak, alternatively known as a fish cutlet, is a cut of food fish which is perpendicular to the spine and can either include the bones or as boneless meat. Fish steaks can be contrasted with fish fillets, which are cut parallel to either side of the spine and do not include any large bones. Fish steaks can be made with the skin on or without, and are generally made from fish larger than 4.5 kilograms (10 lb). Fish steaks from particularly large fish can be sectioned so they are boneless.