Hanger Steak
Hanger steak is a single, thick muscle that hangs from the diaphragm inside the belly, between the plate and the flank. There is only one per animal, which is why it was long called the “butcher’s steak”: butchers kept it for themselves.
US: Hanger steak · UK: Hanger (onglet) · EU (NL): Longhaas · TR: no common name
Quick facts
Primal: Plate / flank
Tenderness: Tender
Fat: Moderate
Price: Mid
Best: Grill hot, pan-sear
What is hanger called in other countries?
| United States | Hanger steak; hanging tender; butcher’s steak |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Hanger; onglet |
| France | Onglet |
| Germany | Nierenzapfen |
| Netherlands | Longhaas |
| Spain | Solomillo de pulmón |
| Turkey | No standard name; sold as hanger steak |
| Trade codes | IMPS 140 (hanging tender) |
Names and cut lines vary by country and by butcher, so ask for the cut by description if the name doesn't match. Dutch and Turkish names are common butcher usage; there is no official Turkish retail cut standard. How we name cuts
Texture, fat and price
A whole hanger is two lobes joined by a tough central sinew. Butchers remove the sinew and sell the two halves as steaks. The meat is loose-grained, tender and has a deep, slightly mineral flavour from its position near the kidneys. It is at its best medium-rare; well done, it turns livery and tough.
How to cook hanger
- Grill hot
- Pan-sear
- Marinate
- Ask the butcher to remove the central sinew, or cut along both sides of it yourself.
- Salt or marinate, then cook over high heat to medium-rare, about 3–4 minutes a side.
- Rest 5 minutes.
- Slice across the grain. Classic French bistro style: onglet with shallots and frites.
Hanger cooking temperatures
| Stage | Centre temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 49–52 °C (120–125 °F) |
| Medium-rare | 54–57 °C (130–135 °F) |
| Medium | 57–63 °C (135–145 °F) |
Take the meat off the heat 2–3 °C before your target; it keeps rising while it rests. The USDA's safe minimum for beef steaks and roasts is 63 °C (145 °F) with a 3-minute rest. Lower temperatures are common for steak but sit below that guideline.
Hanger nutrition facts
USDA FoodData Central has no entry for raw hanger steak, so we don’t show figures. We don’t estimate nutrition values.
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Related cuts
Skirt (its neighbour, thinner and with a more open grain) · Flank (leaner, from the same part of the belly) · Flat Iron (another tender cut that costs less than the classic steaks)
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS), Series 100: Fresh Beef.