Skirt Steak and Hanger Steak

  1. Trimming and seasoning the meat (for the best flavor, do this in advance, about 4 hours for skinny skirt steak, up to a day ahead for stumpy hanger steak):
  2. Trim any fat or discoloration from the meat, then press lightly between dry towels to wick away surface moisture.
  3. Season evenly all over with salt (we use a scant 3/4 teaspoon sea salt per pound).
  4. Cover loosely and refrigerate.
  5. Just before cooking, press the meat dry between towels and rub with olive oil.
  6. Sear over high heaton a preheated grill or in a hot skillet with a few additional drops of oil.
  7. Sear each side of the meat until splotched with a little color, a minute or so per side, then move to slightly lower heat, or reduce the burner heat, to cook to the desired doneness.
  8. Skinny skirt steak will take only minutes more at most; a thick hanger steak may take 8 more minutes to cook to medium-rare.
  9. But these times are hugely affected by the cooking medium, size of cut, how cold it is when you begin cooking it, how thoroughly you sear it, and so on.
  10. Hanger steak benefits from resting for a few minutes before slicing.
  11. Slice straight across the grain, rather than on a uniform indiscriminate steep anglethis popular habit produces wide, elegant looking slices, but they can be pretty chewy, regardless of how well the meat is cooked.
  12. Cutting strategically across the grain minimizes the chewiness problem.
  13. Also in view of chewiness, I like to slice both skirt and hanger steak no more than 3/8 inch thick.
  14. Cutting skirt steak across the grain is easy, since the fibers run in regular, parallel formation across the full width of the muscle.
  15. Try to forgive the skinny slices and enjoy the improved texture.
  16. The grain of hanger steak is not so ruly; and most cooks puzzle over the cooked thing, flipping it a few times, before making a calculated, counter-intuitive stab.
  17. It may help to study the direction of the fibers before you cook the meat, when they are much easier to make out.
  18. The grain does alter course within the cut; be prepared to change the angle of your knife accordingly.
  19. Cutting the hanger steak this way you will get a collection of oval and oblong slices.

skirt, salt, olive oil

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/skirt-steak-and-hanger-steak (may not work)

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