Black Garlic Hanger Steaks

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These hanger steaks are flavoured with a homemade black garlic marinade then grilled to a perfect medium rare over some really good charcoal.

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sliced black garlic hanger steak

Hanger steaks are rising in popularity & for good reason, they’re incredibly flavoursome & despite being classed as offal, they’re surprisingly tender when cooked to medium rare and sliced against the grain.

Although hanger steaks are great when simply grilled and seasoned with just salt & pepper, they’re even better when marinated in a homemade black garlic marinade and cooked over a really good hardwood charcoal!

If you’ve never had this cut of beef before, you’re seriously missing out! It’s one of the more affordable cuts of steak yet is one of the most flavourful. There’s a reason that butchers have kept this steak secret for so long! Keep reading for a deep dive on this fantastic cut of beef, as well as a tasty black garlic marinade that’s great for steaks, chicken, pork & lamb…

For side dishes to serve with these steaks, take a look at our collection of sides! And for more barbecue & grilling recipes, check out our barbecue recipe collection.

What Are Hanger Steaks?

Hanger steaks, also known as onglet or butcher’s steak, is a cut of beef from the cow’s diaphragm muscle (this cut of beef hangs from the diaphragm, hence the name hanger). This cut of steak was once a butcher’s secret but is more popular nowadays. Hanger steaks are incredibly flavourful & pleasantly tender when grilled to medium rare and sliced against the grain.

Trimming Hanger Steaks

Taken straight from the cow, a whole hanger steak is a large piece of meat with a thick band of sinew running down the centre. Chances are your butcher will have trimmed the steaks for you but if they haven’t, you’ll need to do this before cooking them. You’ll get 2 large steaks from one piece of hanger steak.

To trim a hanger steak, you’ll first need to cut any silverskin/sinew from the outside with a sharp knife, keeping as much meat attached to the steak as possible. Next, we cut the steak in half, along each side of the band of sinew that runs down the centre. You’ll end up with 2 large steaks, each weighing around 10 ounces.

hanger/onglet steaks

What You’ll Need

  • Hanger Steaks – You’ll need to visit your local butcher to get some hanger steaks. Make sure to ask your butcher to trim them for you. You’ll need 4 x 10 oz steaks, for 4 generous portions.
  • Black Garlic – Black garlic is available in some supermarkets or online. For our steak marinade, we’re using 12 cloves of black garlic.
  • Soy Sauce – I used Kikoman soy sauce for the marinade but any dark soy sauce will work. We’re only using a small amount in our marinade, to amplify & enhance the flavour from the black garlic.
  • Dijon Mustard – Another ingredient for our marinade. A good quality mustard works best here.
  • Worcestershire Sauce – This adds a savoury, unami flavour to our marinade, as well as seasoning it. You’ll only need a splash!
  • Veg Oil – Any neutral oil will work for the marinade. We’re using just enough to make a paste that will coat the steaks.
  • Thyme – Fresh herbs work fantastically with steaks. If you haven’y got any thyme, rosemary will work as well.

Black Garlic Steak Marinade

This black garlic marinade is easily my favourite steak marinade & it can be used for any cut of steak, not just hangers! It would also work on chicken, pork or lamb.

This stuff’s super easy to make. Simply add loads of black garlic cloves into a blender, along with a splash of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, veg oil & chopped thyme. We blend this to make a coarse paste, pour over our steaks then leave to marinade for at least 4 hours or up to a day.

black garlic steak marinade

How To Cook Hanger Steaks

Hanger steaks don’t take long to cook (we’re talking a couple of minutes on each side!), so it’s best to cook them over a high heat, either on a barbecue or in a pan! Here’s how to cook them…

A quick note: Before cooking your steaks (whichever method), it’s best to take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before hand & let them temper. This is key to evenly cooked steaks! You’ll also need to wipe off any excess marinade then season the steaks with table salt just before cooking them.

On A Barbecue

  1. First, light a chimney starter full of good quality lumpwood charcoal & leave to get white hot.
  2. Once your charcoal’s ready, tip it into your barbecue & set your grill up for direct cooking. Let your bbq heat up for 20 minutes or so then lightly oil the cooking grate.
  3. Next, place the hanger steaks onto the grill then cook, turning every 2 minutes or so, until the steaks are well seared & the internal temperature has reached 48°c/120°f. You’ll need a digital food probe for this!
  4. Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate, cover loosely with foil then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Slice the steaks against the grain, season well with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper then serve.

In A Pan

  1. Set a large frying pan over a high heat, add in a splash of vegetable oil then leave to get smoking hot. This will take a minute or two.
  2. Add the steaks into the pan then cook, turning every 2 minutes or so, until the steaks are well seared & the internal temperature has reached 48°c/120°f.
  3. Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate, cover loosely with foil then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Slice the steaks against the grain, season well with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper then serve.
grilling onglet steaks
barbecue hanger steaks

How To Slice Hanger Steak

Like all steaks, hanger steaks should be sliced against the grain, to break up/shorten the muscle fibres. Cut with the grain & you’ll end up with chewy slices of steak!

The great thing about hanger steaks is that the grain is easily visible, so you’ll pretty much always be able to tell which way to slice them. If you take a look at the photos below, you’ll see that where the grain is running on the hanger steak is quite clearly, so we’ll need to slice against this. A sharp knife is key here!

Tips & Tricks For Perfect Hanger Steaks

  • For the best flavour & texture, marinade your steaks for at least 4 hours but no longer than a day.
  • Let your steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking them. This is called tempering the steaks & allows us to cook them more evenly.
  • Cook the hanger steaks over a high heat (on a barbecue is best!) for the best sear.
  • Wipe off any excess marinade from the steaks before cooking them, to avoid burning.
  • Season the hanger steaks with table salt before cooking then finish with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper once sliced.
  • Rest your steaks for 10 minutes after cooking them, before slicing.
  • Slice the hanger steaks against the grain for tender slices.

A Note On Barbecues

I cooked my steaks on a Weber kettle grill but this recipe can be cooked on any barbecue/grill. If you’re using a charcoal barbecue, I’d recommend cooking over a really good lump wood charcoal, for the best flavour! I used a mixed hardwood charcoal.

bbq set up for direct grilling

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy hanger steaks from?

You’ll need to visit your local butcher to buy hanger steaks, as you’re unlikely to find them in the supermarket. Hanger steaks are also known as onglet steaks or butcher’s steaks.

What’s the best way to cook hanger steaks?

The best way to cook hanger steaks is over a high heat (either on a grill/bbq or in a pan on the stove), to medium rare. Cooked any more than this & these steaks can become tough.

How long should I marinade my steaks for?

For the best flavour, steaks should be marinated for at least 4 hours or up to 24. If you marinate your steaks for too long, the texture can start to be affected & the steaks can become mushy.

How can I tell when my hanger steaks are cooked?

For perfectly cooked steaks, it’s best to use a digital food probe to check the internal temperature. We’re cooking our hanger steaks medium rare, so we’ll cook them to 48°c/120°f then let them rest for 10 minutes.

Equipment Used

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More Main Courses To Try!

@saltbuttersmoke_

Black garlic hanger steak🔥 An underrated cut of beef, marinated in a homemade black garlic marinade then grilled to medium rare on the barbecue! This one’s super flavourful, tender & goes great in a sandwich (recipe coming soon!). The full recipe is on my blog, saltbuttersmoke.com #hangersteak #onglet #bbq #barbecue #grilling #steak #mediumrare #beef

♬ I Am – Blunted Beatz

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Black Garlic Hanger Steaks

These hanger steaks are flavoured with a homemade black garlic marinade then grilled to a perfect medium rare over some really good charcoal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Marinade Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, French
Servings: 4 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Airtight Container
  • Charcoal BBQ
  • Digital Food Probe

Ingredients

  • 4 10 oz Hanger Steaks

Black Garlic Marinade

  • 12 Black Garlic Cloves
  • 40 g Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tsp Soy Sauce (See Notes)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme Leaves

Instructions

Black Garlic Marinade

  • Add all of the marinade ingredients into a blender/food processor then blend to chop up the garlic. The marinade should be a coarse paste.
  • Next, pat the steaks dry then add into a mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the steaks, mix well then cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to a day.
    It's best to use a non reactive mixing bowl (plastic or glass) to store the steaks. You can also use an airtight container if you'd prefer. I like to coat the steaks with the marinade using my hands (gloves come in handy here!).
  • Before cooking, take the steaks out of the fridge, wipe off excess marinade then leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Season all over with table salt just before cooking.

To Cook On A Barbecue

  • Fill a chimney starter full of lump wood charcoal, light with a fire starter then leave to get white hot.
  • When the charcoal is ready, tip it into your barbecue & set your grill up for direct cooking. Let your bbq heat up for 20 minutes or so then lightly oil the cooking grate.
  • Next, place the hanger steaks onto the grill then cook, turning every 2 minutes or so, until the steaks are well seared & the internal temperature has reached 48°c/120°f.
    Hanger steaks are best cooked medium rare! You'll need a digital food probe to check the internal temperature.
  • Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate, cover loosely with foil then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Slice the steaks against the grain, season well with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper then serve.

To Cook In A Pan

  • Set a large frying pan over a high heat, add in a splash of vegetable oil then leave to get smoking hot. This will take a minute or two.
  • Add the steaks into the pan then cook, turning every 2 minutes or so, until the steaks are well seared & the internal temperature has reached 48°c/120°f.
    You might need to cook the steaks in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Make sure to let the pan heat back up after the first batch.
  • Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate, cover loosely with foil then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Slice the steaks against the grain, season well with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper then serve.

Notes

1. Hanger Steaks – Hanger steaks (onglet steaks) are available to buy in most butchers. Make sure to ask them to trim the steaks! A 10 oz hanger steak is enough for 1 generous portion.
2. Black Garlic – Black garlic is available to buy in some supermarkets or online. If you haven’t got a blender, you can crush the garlic in a pestle & mortar or on a board with the side of a chef’s knife when making the marinade.
3. Marinade – For the best results, the steaks should be marinated for at least 4 hours or for up to a day. Make sure to wipe excess marinade off the steaks before grilling, so that it doesn’t don’t burn.
4. Barbecue – Any charcoal bbq will work for this recipe. Hanger steaks need to be cooked over a high heat, so it’s best to let your grill preheat for at least 20 minutes.
5. Charcoal – A good quality lump wood charcoal works best when grilling steaks. I used a mixed hardwood charcoal.
6. Internal Temperature – Hanger steaks are best cooked medium rare! Any more than this & the steaks will get tough. I’d recommend cooking the steaks until they reach an internal temperature of 48°c/120°f. Once rested, the steaks will be a perfect medium rare!

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