[Photographs: Josh Bousel]
There's nothing so revolutionary about serving grilled steak with a sauce to complement all that meaty, charred flavor. What's less common is incorporating multiple sauces, each setting off the steak with its own distinct character. That's exactly what we've done with this recipe, using two sauces—a harissa butter and a cilantro pesto—to build a more robust and complex flavor profile.
We've opted for a hanger steak here, which, for those not familiar with the cut, comes from the plate section of the cow that "hangs" from the diaphragm. It shares several features with the nearby skirt steak: Each has a well-defined grain and a strongly beefy flavor, and is ideally cooked hot and fast to ensure a great sear and medium-rare interior.
Preparing the steaks requires nothing more than a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper before grilling them over the intense heat from an entire chimney of Kingsford Professional Briquets. When we tested this recipe, our fire got so hot that it actually fully seared the steaks before they reached the internal temperature we were aiming for (that's 125°F for medium-rare). So, to finish cooking without burning them, we moved the steaks to indirect heat, covered the grill, and let them roast until they hit their perfect doneness.
After giving them a five-minute rest, we sliced the steaks against the grain and served them with these two powerhouse sauces. First, we combined a few tablespoons of harissa, a Tunisian hot pepper paste, with an equal part of butter for a good balance of richness and fruity, earthy heat. To contrast the heavy character and dominant flavor of the harissa butter, we then brought in a little freshness with a cilantro pesto—think of it as the Mexican counterpart to an Italian pesto made with basil. To make it, we replaced the traditional pine nuts with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), the basil with cilantro, and the Parmesan with Cotija cheese, then added lime juice and a chopped serrano pepper. The pesto turns out bright and refreshing, which helps to offset the heat of the harissa butter and impart a seasonally light touch to the steaks. Combined, the two sauces seem somehow greater than their sum, providing the deeply charred steaks with a striking contrast in both color and flavor.
Grilled Hanger Steak With Harissa Butter and Cilantro Pesto
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Active Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Special Equipment:
Wire rack, baking sheet, food processor, charcoal grill, instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
For the Steak:
2 pounds hanger steak, trimmed of excess fat and silverskin, split into two long pieces along center
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Harissa Butter:
3 tablespoons harissa
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the Cilantro Pesto:
1/4 cup pepitas
2 packed cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and dried
3 medium garlic cloves
1 small serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Cotija cheese
1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 lime
Kosher salt
Procedure
1. To Prepare the Steak: Season steaks liberally all over with salt and pepper. Transfer steaks to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and place in refrigerator for 40 minutes or up to overnight.
2.For the Harissa Butter: Whisk together harissa and butter in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. For the Cilantro Pesto: Place pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer pepitas to the work bowl of a food processor and add cilantro, garlic, and serrano pepper. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped, about five 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. With food processor running, pour oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Keep food processor running until mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add Cotija cheese and lime juice and pulse to combine. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Place steaks on hot side of grill and cook, turning frequently, until steaks are well charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each steak registers 125°F for medium-rare or 130°F for medium, about 8 minutes total. If steaks are well seared before they reach the desired internal temperature, move steaks to cool side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until center of meat registers desired temperature. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice steaks against the grain and serve with harissa butter and cilantro pesto.