Buying hanger steak/onglet

[doctortim]

The last two times I've been to the markets (visiting most of the different butchers) searching for hanger steak I've been met with little more than blank stares. At best one butcher said she thinks what I'm referring to is the tail end of the tenderloin, and at worst one butcher looked at his mate and laughed, saying "do you know what he's talking about?"

Part of the problem is butcher shops employing non-butchers, but even when I've spoken to the guys who place orders or the butchers working there, they've got no idea what I'm talking about. I've tried referring to it by the different names I've seen it called online (onglet, butcher's steak, etc.). Obviously the hanger steak from each animal is going somewhere, and I shudder to think that it's simply being discarded or ground up.

Now I've got a few more butchers to try, but can anyone help me out here? What should I be calling it?

[Busboy]

The last two times I've been to the markets (visiting most of the different butchers) searching for hanger steak I've been met with little more than blank stares. At best one butcher said she thinks what I'm referring to is the tail end of the tenderloin, and at worst one butcher looked at his mate and laughed, saying "do you know what he's talking about?"

Part of the problem is butcher shops employing non-butchers, but even when I've spoken to the guys who place orders or the butchers working there, they've got no idea what I'm talking about. I've tried referring to it by the different names I've seen it called online (onglet, butcher's steak, etc.). Obviously the hanger steak from each animal is going somewhere, and I shudder to think that it's simply being discarded or ground up.

Now I've got a few more butchers to try, but can anyone help me out here? What should I be calling it?

←

I assume that butchers with the rest of the English language, what butchers in Oz speak is a little different from what butchers in the U.S. speak. Nonetheless, I offer up this long-shot suggestion, given to me by an old-timer in Denver, Colordao who followed it up by saying that in 50 years in the business, he'd never heard anyone ask for it. Try "butcher's hangar."

And, as you've already guessed, you'll a;most certainly have to find an old-time, real butcher to get what you need.

[Pat Churchill]

My Larousse Gastronomique shows a chart of beef cuts which identifies where your "onglet" comes from. Best bet would be to take the butcher the map.

My Aussie beef cuts chart doesn't show hanger or onglet. In fact, there's a bit of a no man's land in there which makes me wonder if your cut is being ignored totally as you suspect.

Without knowing what it is you want to cook, would flank or skirt steak be a suitable substitute?

This Hormel link may be useful.

[k43]

See this French interactive illustration.

The hanger (onglet) is area 20. The meat is naturally dark, so don't worry if it's not bright red.

Skirt steak (bavette d'aloyau) is area 22.

Flank steak (bavette de flanchet) is area 23.

The hampe, area 21, looks like it should be good, but I've never seen it in a butcher shop. Google Translate renders it as "pole" and says it is "characterized by long and very apparent fibres," like flank steak.

[PCL]

You'll definitely find skirt and flank steak at most Asian, read Chinese or Vietnamese butchers in major Australian cities...

[Tomatom]

The last two times I've been to the markets (visiting most of the different butchers) searching for hanger steak I've been met with little more than blank stares. At best one butcher said she thinks what I'm referring to is the tail end of the tenderloin, and at worst one butcher looked at his mate and laughed, saying "do you know what he's talking about?"

Part of the problem is butcher shops employing non-butchers, but even when I've spoken to the guys who place orders or the butchers working there, they've got no idea what I'm talking about. I've tried referring to it by the different names I've seen it called online (onglet, butcher's steak, etc.). Obviously the hanger steak from each animal is going somewhere, and I shudder to think that it's simply being discarded or ground up.

Now I've got a few more butchers to try, but can anyone help me out here? What should I be calling it?

←

I've recetly eaten Onglet at The Homestead in Melbourne. Perhaps the chef there Ayal Nathan might be able to help - 03 9489 2861

[tim]

Doc,

A real butcher will call it a hanging tender.

Ask to speak to the butcher who breaks down the carcass. The hanging tender "hangs" from the 12th(?) rib across the diaphragm. If you shop gets halves, there is a 50/50 chance of finding the hanging tender.

If this is perplexing to your butcher, you might want to visit a meat processing plant.

Good luck,

Tim

[lamington]

What I've seen as onglet in France and the UK is strips of skirt (as it is called in Australia), with the layer of tough tissue removed. As PCL mentioned, skirt is available from Asian butchers. With advance notice, or on a lucky day, most other butchers will also have skirt. In Australia this cut is not usually (in my experience at least) sold with the tough tissue removed, however.

[PCL]

One can go fancy and try to dry-age the meat from the Asian butcher in the fridge before consumption/cooking I mean, after all, some people can eat their meat raw... hmmm.. weird day.... for me... rain... falling... outside... hmmmm

[Shinboners]

One can go fancy and try to dry-age the meat from the Asian butcher in the fridge before consumption/cooking I mean, after all, some people can eat their meat raw... hmmm.. weird day.... for me... rain... falling... outside... hmmmm

←

Funny you should say that. My butcher (not an Asian bloke, but he's a good North Melbourne man) sold me a piece of rump and instructed me to keep it uncovered in the fridge for a day or two before cooking it.

[PCL]

Hi Shinners!!!

Here's a tip for dry aging in the 'fridge courtesy of an Observer article I read where they quoted Heston Blumenthal extensively...

- use a plastic punnet but sized large enough to hold your steak or whatever piece of beef you're going to age. Failing the punnet, just use them supermarket meat trays.... these are good options because they are disposable... but...

-... if you're conscious about what you're throwing out and want to contribute to reducing the amount of garbage being pumped out of affluent countries/cities/whatevers, then just use a small plate...

-...then lay on a couple pieces of kitchen napkin/towel and plonk said meat on top. Beforehand you should make sure the meat-to-be-aged should be completely as dry as you can make it, especially if it's just out of a cryo-vac pack. Don't save on the kitchen towels in this process, just make sure you're using the unbleached variety if you're being conscious as described in the point above...

-...then cover the piece of meat loosely with another piece of towel and plonk the dish/punnet/tray in a not so cold part of the fridge... One of the middle levels should do, and leave it there for a couple days, or even a week, depending on your courage and resolve... A good experiment would be to age a few pieces of the same cut simultaneously and consume them at different times to see just how far you should go... personal record here of 2 weeks for a piece of skirt.. worked a treat...

-... some slight trimming of the meat after aging should be done for cosmetic reasons if you're conscious of those issues too, but otherwise, just bring to room temperature, and grill to just under medium...

YUM

[Shinboners]

Thanks for those tips PCL. I'll have to give it a go when the missus takes the little one to see her dad for a couple of weeks. Of course, while they're away, I'm planning on doing a few of the dishes from Nose To Tail Eating.

Any chance you'll be in Melbourne late June early July? I don't think I could eat a pigs head on my own.