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Dinner Tonight: Six-Spice Hanger Steak
[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]
I can't believe I've never made hanger steak before. While it's often referred to as a "cheaper cut," I usually can't find it for under $10 a pound. Also, a lot of recipes recommend a long marinade—something I can't indulge in often. Luckily, I found this recipe from Gourmet, which introduces a highly flavored dry rub and a very simple sauce. It can be made in 20 minutes or so. Not bad.
The hardest part of the recipe is evenly cooking the steak under the broiler. I had a little issue with the steak—it started to burn on top, while the inside measured a cool 115°F. What I did was just move the pan further away from the flame, then cooked it for a few minutes just to get the internal temperature up. That worked. Honestly, the outdoor grill may be a better place to try this out.
Even with all the little inconveniences, I devoured this dish. Thanks must go to the sauce, too, which boosts the meatiness, and isn't too sweet.
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 4 to 6 |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1 (2-inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 pounds hanger steak
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Procedures
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1
Finely grind the spices, 2 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a grinder. Dry the hanger steak with a paper towel, and then sprinkle the spices evenly over the meat.
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2
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3
Meanwhile, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, ginger, shallot, garlic, and the rest of the brown sugar to a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook only until the mixture is warm. Then stir in the cilantro.
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4
Slice the steak into 1/2 inch slices. Serve with the sauce on top.
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