14 replies to this topic

[ElsieD]

I was at our local butchers today to buy a brisket which I plan to turn into corned beef. While there, I saw they had hanger steak which is a cut of meat I have heard lots about (and maybe even eaten in a restaurant). So, not having had one before, I had to buy it. It is now sitting sitting in my fridge waiting for me to do something with it. I was thinking of cooking it sous vide and I am wondering - will it take a long cook, say 48 hours? Or does it need a quick cook much like, say, a striploin, followed by a quick sear? Should I put a rub of some sort on it before cooking it?

Any thoughts are appreciated by this sous vide newbie.

Elsie

[avaserfi]

My absolute favorite cut of beef is the hanger. In fact, my favorite days are when we get a whole cow in at work. As soon as I get to butcher the short loin, I pull out the small bit of hanger that often finds its way left in the subprimal from the slaughter house (most of it is found in the plate) and we have a small staff snack. Most of the time this portion isn't good enough looking to sell (the cows we get are 20+ days dry aged and this portion of the hanger is left exposed), but they are delicious.

If cooking the hanger sous vide, I would (and have) cook the hanger at 55-56C for an hour or until cooked through, season and then sear it very hard. Slice thinly against the grain and serve. Hanger steaks are intensely beefy, but aren't the most tender cut of meat because of their grain structure, so they need to be sliced similar to flank before serving.

[inductioncook]

I do it at 52 degrees C for about 40 minutes, or until caught up to that temperature, then sear in a pan or under a salamander (broiler) or use a blowtorch. Don't cook it for 48 hours. Nice post by aveserfi.

[inductioncook]

It's also awfully good just cooked quickly by conventional means until the center is at least 50 degrees C. A lot of people marinate or rub it but it is such a flavorful cut -- maybe the most flavorful steak of all -- that seems a shame to me. Some times in France it is "butterflied" and opened up and seared quickly. That's called an "onglet ouvert."

[Justin Uy]

Hanger steak is probably my favorite cut to do sous vide. I've got two of them sitting in the fridge as I type this.

I'm going to agree with the others and say doing it to temperature is the way to go. I've gone as long as 12 hours with it, and it didn't lose any texture, but it seems that the longer that it's in the bath, the more the kidney/organish notes come to the surface.

[vengroff]

I'll add another vote for cooking just to temperature (54.4C for medium rare) followed by a quick sear.

Edited by vengroff, 12 March 2012 - 08:11 AM.

[rlibkind]

De gustibus non disputandem, but why on earth would you want to cook this SV? It's quicker, easier to grill/broil, the way God meant! Save the SV for where it's tastier, easier or more appropriate. Call me an old school curmudgeon.

[Chris Hennes]

You're an old-school curmudgeon. SV is easy as can be, and basically foolproof. Why not SV it?

[Todd in Chicago]

I was lucky enough to stumble across a bowl of these in my local butcher shop recently (5 of them) and bought all of them. They are already cooked SV and currently frozen and ready for a reheat/sear. I can't remember the time/temp at the moment, but I believe these were sub 130 F. I normally don't cook very many things less than 130, but I got the time/temp (I think from MC) from somewhere. Since I normally always use 130 F for a reheat, anytime I cook anything less than that I note it on the bag so that upon reheat, I will never go over the original temp. I'll see how they turn out, my wifes a stickler for tender been and is hooked on tenderloin and usually frowns on much else. I do love the hanger and a restaurant across the street (BLT) in Chicago has hanger steak on the menu.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago

[ElsieD]

Thank you all for the help. I cooked it sous vide at 134F followed by a quick sear. I thinly sliced it across the grain and I dare say it is the best piece of beef I have ever tasted. Better yet, I cut the thing in half and packaged each separately so I have the other half for another day. The butcher had several of them in the freezer so I think I'll go back and scoop me some more.

[kryptos1]

I went to a higher end grocery store and asked for Hanger steak and he said he cannot get them due to everyone exporting it to Japan. Anyone else heard this? I get them from a local farmer usually.

[m61376]

Thank you all for the help. I cooked it sous vide at 134F followed by a quick sear. I thinly sliced it across the grain and I dare say it is the best piece of beef I have ever tasted. Better yet, I cut the thing in half and packaged each separately so I have the other half for another day. The butcher had several of them in the freezer so I think I'll go back and scoop me some more.

So how long did you land up cooking it for?

[ElsieD]

I cooked cooked it sous vide for an hour. It was perfect. I did separate the steak into two halves and each would have been slightly over a pound as the whole thing was just over a kilo.

[Todd in Chicago]

I was lucky enough to stumble across a bowl of these in my local butcher shop recently (5 of them) and bought all of them. They are already cooked SV and currently frozen and ready for a reheat/sear. I can't remember the time/temp at the moment, but I believe these were sub 130 F. I normally don't cook very many things less than 130, but I got the time/temp (I think from MC) from somewhere. Since I normally always use 130 F for a reheat, anytime I cook anything less than that I note it on the bag so that upon reheat, I will never go over the original temp. I'll see how they turn out, my wifes a stickler for tender been and is hooked on tenderloin and usually frowns on much else. I do love the hanger and a restaurant across the street (BLT) in Chicago has hanger steak on the menu.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago

I did just check my bags in the freezer....not sure where I got the time/temp from, but did 12 hours @ 131F. My thought is to bring up to temp in a 130F bath, and then a quick sear either on the grill or a pan. We'll see how it comes out!

Todd in Chicago

[Abe]

It takes an hour to pasteurize per inch of steak. 57 C for 1 hour, take it out, pat it dry, sear it, and eat it!

Good luck :)