Delicious & Easy

How to Perfectly Pan-Sear Hanger Steaks

A classic steak to make with very little prep work (season and go). Serve with leafy wilted greens and fingerling potatoes or sweet potato on the side. Hanger steaks make a great cut for single-servings for smaller portion eaters.


Ingredients for

How to Perfectly Pan-Sear Hanger Steaks

  • 2 6- to 8-ounce hanger steaks
  • Granulated sea salt
  • Granulated onion
  • Granulated garlic
  • Ground black pepper

Instructions for

How to Perfectly Pan-Sear Hanger Steaks

Instructions 

1. Bring steaks to room temp for 20 min. This is a lean-ish cut of meat so season lightly with salt, go heavy with pepper, garlic, or any other dry herbs (no sauces needed).

2. Season the Hanger steaks with salt, garlic, onion (magic spice mix), and ground black pepper to taste.

3. Preheat a seasoned and oiled cast iron pan for 3 minutes on high heat. Sear the steaks on both sides for about 45 sec to 1 minute on each side. The steak will sizzle, and a nice brown crust will form,  Immediately take off to rest for 5 minutes.  Reheat your cast iron skillet  Put the steaks back in the skillet for 2–4 min each side.

4. Remove from heat and let steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing. A good tip when resting meat is not to rest it on the plate you intend to serve on. This creates a mess and less appealing presentation.

5. Once ready to serve, slice the hanger steak across the grain and on a bias angle to help present the meat well. 

Frequently asked

Questions About This Recipe

Here is good rule of thumb for getting the proper “doneness” 

  • 1 min = rare 
  • 2 min = med rare 
  • 3 min = med well 
  • 4 min = well done

Final

Notes & Thoughts

My favorite way to serve an easy steak like this is on a plate with a side of wilted greens and roasted Yukon gold rosemary potatoes.