Hanger Steak aka French Bistro Steak

The French bistro, so say the many people who write about them, lives or dies by its ability to produce delicious, quickly-cooked food for as cheaply as possible. Eating at a bistro in France can be such an intoxicating, overwhelming experience that some people (e.g. Thomas Keller, Keith McNally ) spend their whole lives recreating them. My favorite thing to get at a bistro is steak. This, I know, does not make me unique. The cut of beef the bistros in France use for steak – which fulfills the dictum of delicious, easy to prepare, and cheap – called "hanger" (in the U.S.) is now much more commonly available here. In some places they don't distinguish the hanger from the flank, although it is a slightly different cut, and should be less expensive than a flank (although not much.) If you see this cut at your butcher or the supermarket grab it and make it with this recipe from His Serene Highness Daniel Bouloud. Serve it with a glass of red wine, your favorite style of potato and an arugula salad. Heaven.

Hanger Steak with Shallots

To my way of thinking, the traditional way of serving hanger steak is the best. The steaks are quickly pan-roasted — they're best served medium-rare (although in France they're often served "bleu," so rare that they're almost blue and only just warm in the center) — and sauced with shallots that have been cooked to a compote's consistency with red wine and vinegar and then tossed with butter and herbs. Sometimes small bistros in France will serve the steaks with just a spoonful of butter and some sea salt or a pot of strong mustard but the sauce is delicious.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
six 7-ounce hanger steaks
salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 medium shallots, peeled, trimmed, thinly sliced, rinsed, and dried
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
Heat a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan or skillet over high heat, then add the oil. When the oil is hot, season the steaks with salt and pepper, slip them into the pan, and brown evenly, turning as needed, until they're done the way you like them — 6 minutes total will give you a medium-rare steak (remember, the steaks will continue cooking while they rest); cook the steaks a minute longer for medium and 2 to 3 minutes longer for well-done. Transfer the steaks to a heated serving dish and set them aside in a warm place while you make the shallots.

Place the pan you used to cook the steaks over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 mintues, until the shallots are softened but not colored. Add the vinegar and cook until it evaporates, then add the wine. Bring the wine to the boil and allow it to cook down until it is reduced by half. Pull the pan from the heat and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir in the chopped parsley.

To serve: Cut each steak on the bias into thin slices and, for each serving, fan the slices out on a warm dinner plate. Drizzle the warm shallot sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Some interesting bistro cookbooks to check out

Bistro Cooking at Home: G. Hammersley

Les Halles by Anthony Bourdain

Bouchon:  Michael Ruhlman ,  Thomas Keller

Bistro Cooking:  Patricia Wells

Bistro: Menus and Music by Sharron O'Connor

Paris Bistro Cooking:  Linda Dannenberg,  Guy Bouchet

Bistro: French country recipes for home cooks: Laura Washburn

Comments

[bangbros]

best served medium-rare (although in France they're often served "bleu,"

[Nelle Gretzinger]

I recently went to Les Halles and had the steak frites. While Anthony Bourdain's frites are what people tend to kvell about, I actually thought the steak trumped them. It was simply but perfectly prepared and oh so tasty.

[Suzanne]

that cut is called the "onglet" in French. it's one of the most delicious cuts. I grill it outdoors over wood chips and make a version of that sauce with white wine. if you grill it, just do it really quickly on both sides and then let it rest in a 170 degree oven for 20 minutes while you prepare the sauce.