Chef notes
Alex Guarnaschelli, Food Network personality and executive chef at New York's Butter restaurant, brings the best of summer together in one fresh dish: hanger steak with homemade tomato salsa and a side of charred eggplant.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, tightly packed
- ½ cup basil leaves, tightly packed
- ½ small jalapeno, minced
- 2 tablespoons drained capers, coarsely chopped
- 6 cornichons, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon (smooth) mustard
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper, diced
- 1 to 1 1/2 pound piece hanger steak, trimmed
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large eggplant
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
1.Make the salsa: In a large bowl, mix the parsley, basil, jalapeno, capers, cornichons and both mustards. Whisk to blend. Add the vinegar, olive oil and raisins. Whisk to blend. Gently stir in tomatoes and peppers. Do not over mix. Taste for seasoning.
2.Cook the steak: Heat a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the steak until it begins to visibly smoke. Use a kitchen towel to “blot” any excess moisture from both sides of the steak and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Shut the heat off underneath the skillet and use a pair of tongs to place the steak squarely in the dry pan. Raise the heat high and brown on the first side, 3-5 minutes. Resist the temptation to move it as it cooks. It has to form that meaty crust we love so much! Turn it on its second side and brown, without touching it, an additional 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, depending on your desired doneness. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside 10 minutes to “rest”. Slice against the grain of the meat.
3.How do you know when your steak is done? Every cut and piece of meat is different. The simplest way to check for doneness is to make a small incision in the thickest part of the steak. It should be a little less cooked than you would like to allow for “carry over” cooking. If using a meat thermometer, rare registers 125-130 F. For medium rare, 130-135 F and 135-140 F for medium. If you like it well done, pop the steak in a 400F oven for 5-10 additional minutes.
4.Season the sliced eggplant and add to a hot cast iron skillet with olive oil. Cook until deep golden brown on each side and fork tender. Serve as a main or as a side dish.
