Salade D'Onglet - Hanger Steak Salad

     

    I rarely see Hanger Steak on menus in the United States.  It is a pity as it is one of the most flavorful and less expensive cuts of meat.  Called Onglet in French, it is quite a popular cut of meat and one that you will find on many bistro menus.  Back in the day, it was called Butcher's Steak and you could not find it anywhere as it was the cut the butchers kept for themselves.

     I have yet to find Hanger Steak in a grocery store in Pittsburgh. If you like your beef well-done, then Hanger Steak is NOT for you and you can stop reading now. While you should not undercook hanger steak, definitely do not overcook it. Cooked at 125-130 degrees, it is heavenly.  Run, do not walk to your nearest butcher and beg for a pound of it.  In Pittsburgh, I have great success at Strip District Meats.  When we are in the area, we always stop by and buy two or three pounds just to have it in the freezer for when the fix hits us.

     While in France, it is popular to serve this steak, sliced with a shallot or Bearnaise sauce and a mound of frites. In our household, we love Hanger Steak Salad.  Pulled directly from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, it is a special occasion salad. There are several steps but once completed, it is a dish that will astound your family.  You will take one bite, close your eyes and take a moment of silence to savor the flavors.  Seriously, it is that good.

     Now, a bit of advice.  The sauce calls for good quality chicken stock.  Get the best quality you can.  But the real secret is to also use demiglace.  If you have never cooked with this, you are in for a real treat.  Concentrated stock, it really intensifies the flavor of a dish.  If it is hard to find, order it from Amazon.  I have a subscription order, which means that I receive a container each quarter.  I use that much!!  The brand I use is More Than Gourmet DemiGlace.

Salade D'Onglet

From Les Halles Cookbook, Anthony Bourdain

Ingredients

For the Steak:

12 ounces hanger steak, sliced into 1/2 ounce slices

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 ounces finely chopped ginger

4T soy sauce

For the Sauce:

2T butter

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup good chicken stock

1/4 cup demiglace (If you choose not to use it, shame on you...but then increase the amount of chicken stock to 1/2 cup)

1T soy sauce

1/8 ounce grated ginger

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pepper and chopped parsley

For the Salad:

5 ounces spring salad mix

1 shallot, sliced

Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

In a large Ziploc, combine the marinade ingredients.  Add the hanger steak, seal and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Take out the meat one hour before cooking.  Pat dry.

Melt 1T butter over medium high heat.  Once foam subsides, add meat pieces.  Do not overcrowd the pan.  You can cook these in batches.  Brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes each.  Remove to plate and continue browning other pieces.  Check one to make sure that the slices are cooked to medium rare.

Once the meat has been cooked, add the white wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping the bottom for all of those great flavors with a wooden spoon.  Once the wine has nearly evaporated, add the chicken stock, demiglace and soy sauce.  Simmer for two minutes; add ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Whisk in 1T butter and add meat back to pan to warm.

In a large salad bowl, combine salad mix and shallot.  Lightly dress with vinaigrette.

To plate:  Mount a bit of salad in the middle of a dinner plate.  Add several slices of meat around the outside of the salad.  Drizzle sauce over meat.

Enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Combine 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and one crushed clove of garlic in a bowl.  Season with pepper.  Let mixture sit for 30 minutes.

Remove garlic and add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.  Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper.