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Making this sous vide hanger steak will change your life. If you are searching for an ultra tender, buttery delicious steak, look no further.
Cooking this steak sous vide transforms it into something beautiful...something that is amazing for a nice dinner for 2, dinner, party, or any special occasion.
Hanger steak can be a slightly chewy cut of beef, which makes it absolutely perfect for sous vide. I can guarantee once you've cooked it sous vide, you'll never cook it another way again.
And I might even be so bold as to say this COULD become your new favorite steak (no shade to this sous vide ribeye, sous vide porterhouse or sous vide sirloin...)
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Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking it for a very long time at low temperature produces the most tender, buttery results.
- Because this cut tends to be chewier, it has a nice bite left to it, even after cooking for many hours - the texture is incredible!
- The miso paste and soy sauce give this steak an amazing umami quality that complements it's meatiness.
- Because it is a leaner cut, we sear it in butter and top it with butter sauteed green onion slices.
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What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.
Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.
To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."
What is the Water Displacement Method?
The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).
Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and the benefits of sous vide cooking.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Hanger steak, also known as butcher's steak or hanging tender, is a flavorful cut of beef sourced from the diaphragm muscle of the cow, hanging between the rib and the loin. It has great marbling and an amazing rich, beefy flavor!
It should come in 2 pieces that have been trimmed. If not, trim off the sinewy part down the middle and cut in two long pieces (see above).
Make sure it has not been butterflied by the butcher as this will make it too thin and more difficult to cook the way we want it!
We also use a red miso paste to add some depth and umami to the beef. Miso paste is basically made from fermented soy beans - red is typically aged longer than white, giving it a stronger flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
Mix the soy sauce and miso paste together to form a paste.
Rub it on the steak and let it marinade for 8 hours or overnight.
Heat a sous vide water bath to 131°F (55°C) degrees. You can cook it at different temperatures per the chart below, but I really think 131°F (55°C) is the sweet spot.
| Temperature | Time | Doneness |
| 125°F (52°C) | 2 ½ hours | Rare, cool chewy center, juicy |
| 130°F-134°F (54°C-56°C) | 4-10 hours | Medium rare, red center, juicy, tender |
| 135°F-140°F (57°C-60°C) | 4-10 hours | Medium, pink in the very center, still juicy |
| 141°F (60.5°C)+ | 4-10 hours | Medium well, no pink, drier (not recommended) |
**While I typically recommend a steak be cooked rare, hanger steak benefits from a medium rare cook as it can be too tough when cooked rare. Plus, we don't recommend cooking below 130°F degrees for longer than 2 ½ hours for food safety reasons.
Place the marinaded steak in a vacuum seal and cook for 8 hours.
Remove from the bag (reserving the bag sauce in a bowl) and pat the steak dry thoroughly.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the steak.
Cook for 30 seconds then add the butter to the skillet, swirling it around the steaks.
Cook another 30 seconds then flip the steaks over. Add the green onions to the pan.
Use a spoon to baste the top of the steaks with the hot melted butter in the pan while the other side sears for 60 seconds.
Remove the steaks from the pan and pour in the reserved bag sauce. Use a spatula to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
Slice the steak against the grain, top with the buttery green onion sauce and serve.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the skillet is searing hot before adding the oil and steak. It should be literally smoking to get a really good sear.
- Slice the beef against the grain when serving to ensure it stay nice and tender.
- If it hasn't been cut in two pieces already, trim the silver sinew line from the middle of the steak and divide in 2 pieces.
- You can make this straight from frozen - just add 1 hour to the cooking time.
- You can also sear the steak in one of theses best oils for searing.
Serving Options
So I absolutely love this steak sliced with the green onion butter. Serve it alongside these garlic butter broccoletti and this super yummy air fryer cornbread (goes great with the oniony butter) for a complete meal.
Here are some other serving options as well you might like:
- Crispy sous vide mini potatoes or these truffle mashed potatoes;
- Serve it like "steak frites" with these air fryer frozen french fries;
- Simple roasted leeks or these sous vide carrots are great veggie sides;
- Slice it up and serve it in tortillas with some of this green salsa or even this cilantro chimichurri!
- Use it to make this beef stroganoff (so good!)
- You could make this hibachi steak with this sous vide hanger steak instead - just change up the seasoning and do the final searing on the hibachi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hanger steak works absolutely perfect in sous vide cooking. It becomes a buttery, juicy, tender cut of beef when slow cooked in a sous vide water bath.
130°F to 133°F is the best temperature range to cook hanger steak sous vide. Quickly searing it on a hot skillet after it cooks allows it to get a nice caramelized crust on the outside, while staying rare and juicy inside.
If you cooked this at too high of a temperature, the steak tends to become chewy. Hanger steak is meant to be served rare to medium rare. Also, it needs to be cut against the grain when ready to serve to keep it's tender texture. If you slice with the grain, it may be chewier than you like. Lastly, if you don't cook it for long enough it can be chewy.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
If you make this steak in advance, place it in an ice bath for 20 minutes after removing it from the water bath. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 130°F water bath and finish according to the recipe instructions.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 130°F water bath or zap quickly in 30 second intervals in the microwave (being careful not to overcook).
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Recipe
Sous Vide Hanger Steak
Ingredients
- 1 pound hanger steak
- 1 tablespoon red miso paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce and miso paste together to form a paste.
- Rub it on the steak and let it marinade for 8 hours or overnight.
- Heat a sous vide water bath to 131F degrees.
- Place the marinaded steak in a vacuum seal and cook for 8 hours.
- Remove from the bag (reserving the bag sauce in a bowl) and pat the steak dry thoroughly.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat (until smoking) and add the steak.
- Cook for 30 seconds then add the butter to the skillet, swirling it around the steaks.
- Cook another 30 seconds then flip the steaks over. Add the green onions to the pan.
- Use a spoon to baste the top of the steaks with the hot melted butter in the pan while the other side sears for 60 seconds.
- Remove the steaks from the pan and pour in the reserved bag sauce. Use a spatula to scrape up any steak bits. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Slice the steak against the grain, drizzle with the buttery, green onion sauce and serve.
Expert Tips:
- Make sure the skillet is searing hot before adding the oil and steak. It should be literally smoking to get a really good sear.
- Slice the beef against the grain when serving to ensure it stay nice and tender.
- If it hasn't been cut in two pieces already, trim the silver sinew line from the middle of the steak and divide in 2 pieces.
- You can make this straight from frozen - just add 1 hour to the cooking time.
Nutrition
Nathan
This was hands down the best steak I've ever eaten. I had a little trouble finding the hanger steak, but ultimately got it at a butcher down the street.
Danielle
Thanks! This is my all time favorite as well!