Hanger Steak & Board Sauce Recipe

When it comes to a delicious perfect steak, the hanger steak is an allusive contender that you need to try out immediately! Hanger steak is rich in flavor, tender and juicy, and when paired with this amazing board sauce, you will have everyone waiting in anticipation. Now grab that hanger steak and fire up the BBQ!

For this recipe, we brought in Greg from Ballistic BBQ. He's using the Slow ’N Sear® Kamado with the Slow 'N Sear® insert. 

Prep

The steaks used in this video were trimmed prior to purchase. Often times, hanger steaks in the stores have not been prepped. Remove any “silver skin” from the outside of the steak. You may see a very defined strip of connective tissue running through the center of the meat. Cut along each side of this tissue, subsequently creating two separate steaks.

Dry brine the hanger steaks by seasoning them with as much kosher salt you would typically use to season a finished steak (1/2 teaspoon per pound is a good starting point). Place the steak on a rack (to allow air to circulate) and place uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. 

Prepare the Kamado by fully filling the Slow ‘N Sear® with lump or charcoal briquettes. Leave the water reservoir in place, but without water. If smoke is desired, place 1-2 chunks of wood in the bottom of the Slow ‘N Sear®, prior to the charcoal. Light the charcoal in 2 places, using a starter cube or “tumbleweed” fire starter. For this cook, I used the Drip ‘N Griddle Deluxe (with resting rack) on the charcoal grate opposite of the Slow ‘N Sear® with a remote pit probe in place, attached to the grate on the Drip ‘N Griddle. Once the charcoal ignites, close the lid of the Kamado, with the top and bottom vents fully opened. Once the Kamado reaches 115ºF, close the lid vent to the #1 setting, and close the bottom vent to its smallest setting. When the Kamado stabilizes at 225ºF – 230ºF, we are ready to cook. 

Board Sauce

• 2 garlic cloves
• kosher salt
• ¾ to 1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately)
• 6 pads of unsalted butter

While waiting for the grill to come up to searing temperature, mince the 2 cloves of garlic on a wooden cutting board.  After the garlic is minced, sprinkle a little kosher salt, then smash and rub the garlic/salt mixture into the board with the side of your knife.  Mince a bunch (3/4 cup to 1 cup) of Italian flat-leaf parsley on top of the garlic.  Add one chopped shallot on top of the parsley, and mince.  Make sure that the parsley, garlic and shallot are well mixed with the side of your knife.  Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon ground cumin to the herbs and continue mixing with your knife.  Add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil and about 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime and mix.  Evenly spread the mixture on the surface of your cutting board, and add 6 pads of unsalted butter, for which to lay the cooked steak on.  

Cook

Cook the steak at 225ºF over the indirect side of the grill, on the Drip ‘N Griddle Deluxe.   

Flip the steaks when the internal temperature reaches 80ºF to assure even cooking.  When the steaks reach 110ºF, pull them from the Kamado and allow them to rest.  While the steaks are resting, keep the lid of the cooker open, and fully open the lower vent. 

Prep the steak for searing by blotting any moisture off the steak’s exterior with paper towels. Coat the exterior with olive oil and black pepper to taste.

For searing, place the EasySpin™ Grill Grate on the grill with the steaks on the cold side of the grate. Then spin the grate so the cold grate and steak are on the hot side for 40-50 seconds. After 40-50 seconds, flip the steak to the cool side of the grate and spin the grate to the other side of the cooker for 40-50 seconds. Repeat the process until each side of the steak has been seared for 80-90 seconds total, or when the exterior has reached the color you desire.  

Lay steaks on top of the board sauce and cover (very loosely) with foil for about 10 minutes.

Serving

Slice steaks across the grain on top of the board sauce, allowing the juices to run into the freshly chopped herbs and spices. Remove sliced steaks from the cutting board and plate. Pour (or spoon) the remaining board sauce over the top of the steaks.  

Steak Temperature Guide

How you like your steak cooked is as personal as what you’ll eat with it. Arguably, the most tender, juicy, flavorful and palatable steak comes from medium-rare. If you’re new to cooking your own steak, we’d like to encourage you to give medium-rare a try! Despite what you may have heard, pink beef doesn’t mean it's undercooked, and pink juices are not blood! Unless you have a lot of experience, a lot of luck with your timing, or are a professional steak chef cooking dozens of steaks every night, you must use a digital thermometer if you want repeatable, foolproof results. 

Rare, 120-130°F A finished internal temp of 120-130°F will give you a rare steak. This is not the most popular serving temp, but rare steak has its fans. The center will be bright red and will be only lightly warm, and very juicy.

Medium-rare, 130-135°F (CHEF’S TEMP) A finished internal temp of 130-135°F will give you medium-rare. This is also known as the “chef’s temp”, the temp at which most quality steakhouses prefer to serve their masterpieces. This, with a deep brown crispy sear on the outside and a properly salted interior, will be your best tasting, juiciest steak.

Medium, 135-145°F If solid pink is not an option for you or your guests, but a little pink is ok, we’ll recommend medium. This a finished internal temperature of over 135°, particularly 140-145°F. Still juicy, still some pink, but warmer and a little more firm, medium is still a good choice.

Medium-well, 145-155°F Next comes medium-well, with a temp between 145-155°F. This will give you only a hint of pink deep in the center, but this is also where the meat begins to lose its juiciness.

Well, 155°F + Well done, at 155-160° and above, contains no pink color and yields a much firmer and drier steak. Well done steaks are often worthy of using a steak sauce to add moisture and a juicier mouthfeel.  We highly recommend that you use a good quality digital thermometer to measure your steak’s internal temperature for best results. Please do not be fooled by those that tell you to cook over ‘medium heat for x-amount of minutes’, or to push on your steak, those aren’t the best measure of doneness.