Hot foodie Teri Tsang Barrett knows her way around a kitchen—a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she works as a Food Editor at Everyday With Rachael Ray in constant search of the perfect thin crust pizza. Here she unveils her favorite frisky recipes—good food that every ravenous gal can make in a pinch. Got a rumble in your belly for something you want her to cook up a recipe for?
Now that it’s officially grilling season, I felt it was important to arm Frisky gals with a grilling recipe so easy, that you don’t really need the recipe. The trick here lies in the cut (and a little bit of the prep and cooking time).I started to play around with hanger steaks after my favorite Top Chef judge—Tom Collichio, whom I heart—called it his favorite cut. This cut hangs (hence, the name) from the last rib of the cow and is frequently used as the steak in hoity-toity bistro cooking. I then became obsessed, as they’re crazy-easy to grill and take well to every marinade/seasoning combo I’ve played with. I make it a point to try a different marinade or spice rub each time, but the combination used in the recipe was a favorite (FYI, I got called a genius at the dinner table).
Grilled Hanger Steak
Serves 6
One 1½- to 2-pound hanger steak
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high heat. Set the hanger steak on a clean work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut away the fibrous membrane running lengthwise down the center of the steak; you will have two strips of meat. Trim each steak of any excess fat and other membranes. (If any small parts of the steak become detached as a result of trimming the steaks, that is a-ok. These bits cook faster than the rest, so I like to remove them to prevent them from being overcooked. And eat them as I did all the work.) This will help the meat melt like buttah in your mouth.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, paprika and brown sugar. Rub the mixture over the steak and let stand for 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours, covered and refrigerated).
3. Using paper towels, pat the steaks dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for about 3 to 4 minutes per side to develop a nice sear and then continue to grill for another 3 to 5 minutes, turning frequently, for medium-rare (135° on a meat thermometer*); cooked any longer, this cut will get tough and chewy. Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing on the diagonal.
*The beauty of this cut is that you don’t really need your meat thermometer. Once you’ve got a nice sear on the outside, let it grill for a few more minutes, turning for even cooking, before letting it rest (muy importante!), which allows the meat to continue to cook a teeny bit more while all the juices in the meat redistribute themselves to keep it all nice ‘n’ juicy.
Original by TTB