Hanger Steak Frites

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The quintessential French Bistro of Steak Frites! No dish represents classic French Bistro dining more thank this world-famous dish. We are particularly taken by this version of the classic dish as it uses one of our all-time favorite cuts of meat – Hanger Steak. We would love for you all to try this delicious Hanger Steak Frites recipe, as we know you’ll love it as much as we do!

Steak Frites is a simple dish, but challenging to master

A great Steak Frites has everything you love in a hearty meal: A perfectly cooked piece of good quality beef. Mountains of perfectly cooked, golden French Fries. A simple mustard or sauce. Finally, most important of all. A lovely glass of Red Wine! Perhaps Burgundy, or perhaps a nice glass of Bordeaux!

The perfect Steak Frites relies on every element of the dish being cooked to perfection. Not only that, but the best quality produce you can find. Simple dishes such as this rely on great ingredients to really shine. In our travels across the globe one of the first objectives when we move to a new destination is scoping out a great butcher. Finding good quality produce makes or breaks the cooking experience. We urge you all to do the same!

Hanger Steak – the Butchers Cut that may just be the best cut of Beef around

Hanger Steak has had somewhat of a huge resurgence in popularity over the last few years, and with good reason! It is a remarkably cheap cut of beef compared to its high-profile cousins – the Ribeye, Porterhouse, and of course, the Filet

It was originally called The Butchers Cut, because it was not seen as a desirable cut of meat in the good old days. The Butchers couldn’t sell it, so they kept it for themselves. The butchers knew all along though that it was the best cut. One of the most flavorful pieces of meat that comes from the belly of the cow (along with other great cuts such as Skirt Steak and Flank Steak)

Unfortunately for the butchers, we’ve caught on. They are not only now readily available at most butchers and decent quality supermarkets around the world, but also in fine dining restaurants. If you’ve never tried it before then we’d love for this dish to be your first experience with Hanger Steak. Nothing beats Hanger Steak Frites as the first foray into this lovely cut!

If you’re familiar with Hanger Steak, then we assure you that the marinade that we create with this dish is simply outstanding, and pairs so well with Fries and a lovely glass of Red Wine!

Ok we’re cutting corners here a little bit, but so what?!

You can absolutely make your own Fries, but for anyone who’s ever done them before you know the pain this is. This Hanger Steak Frites recipe is for people who want a great meal, but don’t want to spend a lot of time, or hassle to make it a reality. So yes, we’re using frozen shoestring Fries for this recipe! Honestly, they taste darn good, and are so quick and easy to make which allows you to prioritize cooking of that lovely steak!

The secret to getting a beautiful crust on the Hanger Steak while not overcooking it

Hanger Steak is a cut of meat that absolutely must be cooked medium rare. If it’s too rare, or over cooked the meat becomes like eating the sole of a shoe. Very tough! One challenge we’ve always found with cooking a thinner cut of meat like Hanger perfectly medium rare is also getting a lovely, dark, crust on the outside

The key to achieving that beautiful crust is adding a little bit of Honey into the marinade. The high sugar content of the Honey will burn quickly, which creates the beautiful dark crust that tastes so delicious

Another trick we use which may be seen as controversial, but it works every time. Instead of cooking the Steak at room temperature, cook it immediately after you bring it out of the refrigerator. The inside will take longer to get to medium rare because it is at a lower temperature, letting the outside form a beautiful crust

As always, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature as you are cooking to guarantee a perfect cook every time!

Hanger Steak Frites Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. Hanger Steak, butterflied and trimmed
• 1 lb. Frozen Fries
• 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp. Wholegrain Mustard
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Honey
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Create the marinade by combining the Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Honey, Olive Oil, Salt, and Soy Sauce into a small bowl. Transfer the marinade to a Ziplock bag then add your Hanger Steak
2. Massage the marinade into the Steak so it is well covered, then marinade for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
3. When you are ready to cook, pre-heat the Oven and scatter the frozen Fries out on a baking tray. Cook to the recommended temperature of the Fries. We’ve found around 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes, turning them once, does the trick
4. While the Fries are cooking, place your frying pan or Cast Iron Skillet on the stove over a high heat. Add the Vegetable Oil until it is smoking hot
5. Remove the Steak from the fridge and immediately place it on the Cast Iron Skillet. Cooking a steak like this cold will ensure you won’t overcook it before you get a lovely dark crust
6. Cook the Steak for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook on its side. Most Hanger Steak cuts are in a triangle shape, so there are 3 sides to cook. Cooking each side for 2-3 minutes should get a lovely crust
7. Check the temperature and continue to turn every minute or so until the Steaks internal temperature reads 115 degrees. Remove from heat and set aside to rest for 10 minutes
8. To serve, slice the Hanger Steak diagonally against the grain, to ensure it will be easier to eat. Place on a serving plate along with a generous amount of Fries, and finish with a tbsp. of Wholegrain Mustard. Sprinkle over some flaky finishing Salt and enjoy with a lovely glass of Red Wine!
   
   

There you have it! Our amazing Hanger Steak Frites, straight out of a French Brasserie and onto your plate! Now if the Fries weren’t enough we’ve got an ample amount of lovely Side Dishes to chose from. Honestly though, the best pet is probably to have a fresh Salad to pair with this dish, a few suggestions are:

• Apple and Arugula Salad with Goats Cheese
• Creamy Kale Salad
  
  

Happy Cooking!