Hanger steak spit-roast

Hanger steak or butcher’s steak: only one per animal. It is taken from the upper belly of the cow, that’s right after the brisket. It’s a very tender piece of meat that contains a decent amount of intramuscular fat. It’s a relatively unknown cut of beef here in Greece, but it’s quite popular abroad and is generally grilled, medium-rare or medium, on the grilling grate. Nevertheless, we will grill it on rotation, skewer it on the small spits, and use truffle oil to add a unique aroma. Let’s see how to season and how to grill a hanger steak.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 pieces of hanger steak (1.5 kg/ 3.3 lb approximately)
15 g salt (preferably fleur de sel)
150 ml sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves
3 g green peppercorns, coarsely ground
2.5 ml truffle oil

For the sauce:

30 ml orange juice
30 ml lemon juice
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 ml truffle oil
1 dash of oregano

PREPARATION

Ask your butcher to cut the hanger steak in half and remove the membrane; he will know what to do. Cut the meat into 5x5 cm pieces, slicing against the grain. Then, crush the green peppercorns coarsely, using a stone mortar and pestle, and add the salt, as well.

Add the garlic cloves and the truffle oil to the sunflower oil. You can combine them a few hours prior, and keep the mixture in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to preserve the aroma.

Firstly, add the mixture of salt and coarsely ground peppercorns to the pieces of meat; distribute evenly and mix well. Then, add the infused sunflower oil, and massage the meat. Marinate for 2 hours approximately, mixing once or twice.

COOKED ON amber.q A

COOKING

Add enough charcoals to the fire cabin of your charcoal grill to cover the surface under the small spits. Pile up the charcoals. Place kindling (alcohol-soaked cotton) on top, because the charcoals light upside down, from top to bottom. They will be lit in 20-25 minutes, easily, quickly, and without smoke. While waiting for the charcoals to be fully lit, skewer the pieces of meat onto the small spits. Make sure that you skewer the pieces evenly. When the charcoals are fully lit, spread them inside the fire cabin. Grill on high heat, and on rotation for an evenly cooked roast. The roast should be cooked to medium-rare or medium, depending on which option you prefer. A thermometer is very handy. When the roast is cooked to your liking, remove the spits from the grill, and cover them until the roast cools down a bit. 6-7 minutes is enough.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing the orange juice, lemon juice, oregano, truffle oil, and olive oil. Blend all ingredients with the blender until the sauce is thin and smooth.

After resting the roast, remove the pieces of beef from the spits. Try the hanger steak spit-roast as it is or dip it into the sauce. The flavor is unparalleled either way, thanks to George Karagiannis and his unique recipe.

It’s served with fine-quality red wine. Good company is the secret to success. Happy grilling everyone!