Spice Rubbed Hanger Steak
Ten years ago, riding my motorcycle across Mexico, I fell in love with arrachera, hanger steak. There it’s marinated, grilled, and served with lime. Until recently hanger steak was the cow’s best-kept secret; an inexpensive, relatively tender, flavorful cut that could be roasted or grilled like any other steak, but at a fraction of the cost. Then damn chefs like me started putting it on their menus and butchers got wise.
The cut is called hanger steak because it sort of hangs down off the steer’s diaphragm, near the
kidneys. I’m a huge fan of this cut, but it can be chewy, so I suggest lightly pounding it to tenderize it before grilling. Or you can marinate it overnight in herbs, onions, garlic, and olive oil. The pomegranate seeds here give a punchy acidity that reminds me of the fresh lime of the Mexican arrachera.
