A few weeks ago, I taught a grilling class at the Hillsdale General Store . We made garlic-basil chicken skewers (similar to this souvlaki ), cedar plank salmon , and the hanger steak pictured here marinated with Worcestershire, garlic, and thyme.
It was all quick grilling, which afforded us time to make some summery side dishes: Mark Bittman’s raw corn salad (a favorite!), soba noodles with cucumbers and scallions , dilly cucumber-yogurt sauce , and quick-pickled onions (onions + salt + vinegar).
It was also all charcoal grilling. Early in the summer, upon seeing the state of our neglected gas grill, I bought a charcoal Weber , a pair of chimney starters , and some new tools, including a Thermapen , a fancy instant-read thermometer that I cannot encourage enough people to buy.
Hanger Steak
I first learned about hanger steaks a million years ago when I worked at Fork in Philadelphia. It was always always always on the menu in some shape or form, often aside yucca frites and sautéed Swiss chard. It continues to be one of my favorite cuts of meat.
A few notes:
- Hanger steak comes from the diaphragm (in the lower belly or plate) of a cow, and it is incredibly tender and flavorful.
- It can be really hard to find, but it’s worth seeking out.
- If you find it and it arrives as pictured above in the video, you need to remove the membrane running down its center — ask the butcher to do this for you or watch the video above for guidance. Ideally, you’ll want to butterfly the remaining loins, too, to ensure fast, even cooking.
- This hanger steak, seasoned with garlic, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce, is one of my favorites. It marinates for one hour—during which time you can slice up some tomatoes, toss together a raw corn salad with herbs and feta , or cut cucumbers into spears—but cooks in five minutes.
Description
Notes:
I can find hanger steak at my local farm, Buckley Farm in Ballston Lake, but also at Whole Foods Market. Be sure to call ahead. Also, if you get your hands on a hanger steak, it may have a membrane running through it. Ask the butcher to remove it and then have him/her butterfly the remaining loins. Or you can do it yourself.
For charcoal grilling, I fill two chimney starters with coals and let them burn for about 30 minutes. Then I dump the coals into grill, replace the grate and let it heat for at least 5 minutes before placing the meat on top. I grill these uncovered when using charcoal, but when using my gas grill, I cover the grill.
- 4 cloves garlic
- A few sprigs thymes, leaves removed
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1.75 pounds hanger steak, membrane removed, loins butterflied, see notes above
- In the bowl of a food processor, make a paste with the garlic, pepper, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Place the meat in a shallow vessel. Rub the paste over the meat. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and Worcestershire. Pour this mixture over the meat. Turn the meat to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare a grill for high heat. (See notes above). Wipe off excess marinade. Season meat on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Grill over hot coals uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes a side until a thermometer registers 125ºF for medium rare or 135ºF for medium. Transfer meat to a board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. Reference the video above if you are having a hard time figuring out which way is against the grain — it’s not always easy to tell.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Notes:
I can find hanger steak at my local farm, Buckley Farm in Ballston Lake, but also at Whole Foods Market. Be sure to call ahead. Also, if you get your hands on a hanger steak, it may have a membrane running through it. Ask the butcher to remove it and then have him/her butterfly the remaining loins. Or you can do it yourself.
For charcoal grilling, I fill two chimney starters with coals and let them burn for about 30 minutes. Then I dump the coals into grill, replace the grate and let it heat for at least 5 minutes before placing the meat on top. I grill these uncovered when using charcoal, but when using my gas grill, I cover the grill.
- 4 cloves garlic
- A few sprigs thymes, leaves removed
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1.75 pounds hanger steak, membrane removed, loins butterflied, see notes above
- In the bowl of a food processor, make a paste with the garlic, pepper, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Place the meat in a shallow vessel. Rub the paste over the meat. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and Worcestershire. Pour this mixture over the meat. Turn the meat to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare a grill for high heat. (See notes above). Wipe off excess marinade. Season meat on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Grill over hot coals uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes a side until a thermometer registers 125ºF for medium rare or 135ºF for medium. Transfer meat to a board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. Reference the video above if you are having a hard time figuring out which way is against the grain — it’s not always easy to tell.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/09/08/simple-grilled-hanger-steak-worcestershire-garlic-thyme/
In this super summery salad, raw corn unites with halved cherry tomatoes, feta, and lots of herbs. A simple olive oil and lime dressing gives the salad a salsa-like brightness and freshness. This is one of my favorite salads to make when the local sweet corn begins arriving.
Last week, as a side dish for dinner, I made Mark Bittman’s raw corn salad with tomatoes, feta, and mint. My husband took one bite and said, “It’s good,” adding as he put down his spoon: “But too much corn.”
Too much corn in the corn salad?!
Oh for Pete’s sake. If he weren’t always (nearly) spot on, I might have protested, or taken offense, or responded as my mother might have, with an “mmm hmm.” Instead, I began adding more tomatoes, feta, and herbs to the heap of corn until reds, greens, and whites punctuated the yellow ball pit. I squeezed in some fresh lime juice, too, for some extra acidity and after taking one bite, I thought: He was right.
The local sweet corn (here in upstate New York at least) at the moment needs barely more than a pinch of salt. But even so, raw corn doesn’t mind rubbing elbows with all of its seasonal pals. Here, it’s tomatoes and herbs, but the simple formula could be riffed on endlessly: diced bell peppers, cilantro, scallions, shaved raw zucchini or roasted eggplant, diced mozzarella, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese would all work well here.
This is a perfect summery side dish—I first served it aside skewers of chicken tzatziki and warm pita—but it can easily be transformed into more of a stand-alone dish with the addition of beans or grains. Chickpeas are particularly good, and their inclusion makes the salad incredibly substantial. With a hunk of bread and a few salted cucumber spears, dinner can be done. As Bittman notes, “In midsummer, with a couple of thick tomato slices, there is nothing better.”
How to Make a Raw Corn Salad, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients:
Halve the cherry tomatoes:
Remove the kernels from 4 ears of corn. This is Samin Nosrat’s trick for stripping corn kernels from cobs: Line a large, wide shallow bowl or plate with a tea towel. Use one hand to hold an ear of corn in place upright, pinching the ear at the top. Use your other hand and a chef’s knife to cut off two to three rows of kernels at a time by sliding the knife down the cob, cutting as close to the cob as possible.
Combine the corn and tomatoes in a bowl with lots of herbs: a mix of basil and chives or mint is nice.
Toss with olive oil, fresh lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Slice or crumble up feta.
I love this feta: Maplebrook Farm feta from Vermont … it’s truly the best feta I’ve ever tasted.
Add the feta to the bowl and toss to combine.
Transfer to a serving platter, and serve immediately. Note: This salad is definitely best eaten right away—the tomatoes deteriorate quickly and the herbs lose their vibrant green color. If you want to get a headstart on dinner preparations, make the salad leaving out the tomatoes and herbs, then toss them in just before serving.
Description
Inspired by this Mark Bittman recipe , this is an absolute favorite late-summer, early fall salad when the local corn is irresistible.
Notes:
If you’d like to make this ahead, hold the tomatoes and the herbs and add them just before serving.
Feta: I prefer in-brine varieties, but any will do. If you can find Maplebrook Farms feta, buy it! It’s truly special.
4 ears corns, shucked
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 ounces feta (crumbled or sliced) or burrata
- Line a shallow bowl or plate with a kitchen towel. Use one hand to hold an ear of corn in place upright atop the kitchen towel. With your other hand, use a knife to cut off two to three rows of kernels at a time by sliding the knife down the cob. Get as close to the cob as you can.
- Transfer corn to a large bowl, along with the tomatoes, and herbs. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and fresh lime juice. Toss and taste. Adjust with more salt and more pepper to taste. If it needs more acidity, add more lime. If it’s too sharp, drizzle in more olive oil to taste.
- Add the feta and toss again, or, if you’re using burrata, break it over the salad. Serve immediately. (See notes above if you’d like to make this ahead of time.)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
