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Preparing the hangers into those different items isn't really complicated. There is a little trimming that needs to be done similar to a tenderloin. I leave the silverskin and other thin membranes on for the brief dry age to help protect the meat due to its small amount of covering fat. After trimming is complete, it is just cutting into various size pieces or grinding in my KitchenAid attachment to get a little more variety out of the four hangers that usually come in a package (each hanger ends up producing two "loins" of roughly 3/4 to 1 lb apiece). Similar to skirt and flank, cut across the grain and it turns out great.

Shopping in français can be pesky sometimes—I'm not entirely sure what to call a hanger. I suspect, but I don't know for sure, that it's what Up Here is called an "onglet". Can anyone help me out on this?

Geo

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Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick!

Yes, onglet = hanger.

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Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

Tnx Ed!

Geo

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Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick!

I just bought outer skirt for 6.49/lb at Tonys in Niles. I've never seen it there before I usually go to fresh farms for it. Haven't tried it yet but I am very excited about this find! I will report back.

FYI.. it said "skin on" on the label but the nice man behind the meat counter kindly cleaned it up for me.


Tony's Finer Foods
8900 Greenwood ave
Niles, IL

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"Why, then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open."
William Shakespeare

Hi -- Made some skirt steaks on the (indoor) grill on our stove last night. I should note that most of the steaks were on the thin side. I seasoned them beforehand with some garlic salt, regular salt, and pepper, and I took them off the grill when they were still a nice pink color. However, we found the meat to be tough. Did I need to marinate them beforehand? Was the grill heat too high? I welcome any suggestions. Thanks.

Skirt steak can often be tough (which I don't mind so much), but you can overcome much of that toughness by marinating.

Thank you!

All skirt steak is not alike, there is inner and outer as well as different USDA Grades. The skirt sold in Supermercardos is usually below choice and can be tenderized in the machines if you want but it will still be essentially tough and no amount of marination will help.
Purchase USDA Choice Outside Skirt for tender. Currently I get it from Fresh Farms and the price is much higher than afew years ago but they will cut and trim for you if you purchase the whole skirt and the quality is outstanding.-Dick

Yep, unfortunately FF raised prices up to I believe $10.99/lb within the last year. Haven't seen it on sale once, and I don't believe you get a discount for buying an entire package anymore. Used to be around $6-7/lb.

Did you slice them with the grain or against the grain?

Good point . . . I assumed inner based upon the toughness, although even outer can still be a little tough for some.

Darren72: I think we sliced it with the grain (i.e., along the lines in the meat).

We're amateurs, I take it?

An up-and-comer might be a better term. Yeah, try slicing against the grain next time. That makes a big difference with most cuts, but especially with skirt and flank steaks.

Will do. Thank you!

BTW -- anyone know a good book/cookbook that details some of the finer points of meat preparation?

I have The Complete Meat Cookbook, which I like very much. There are a bunch of newer books on the market that are probably just as good, or better, or have a different focus (such as whole animal cooking). Hopefully others will recommend some of these.

I recently made carne asada with the inner skirt from Cermak Produce and let them clean / run through the machine - on sale for $2.99 vs. $6.99 for outer. I marinated in a homemade mojo (tyler florence recipe) and it was a huge hit. I think the citrus helps as a tenderizer for this type of meat.

has anyone tried the outer skirt from Cermak? I was wondering if it was worth the difference in price

could not agree more.

I'm more than happy (as is the Mrs & any guests we entertain) w/the inner (or outer) skirt steak (not trimmed much & NOT run through the machine) from my local Supermercados.

I too use a mojo marinade (Goya if I'm too lazy to make my own)

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

Yep. Same here. When I've bought skirt, it's been the regular stuff on sale at the local Pete's Market, Cermak Produce, or El Guero (all of which cater heavily to a Mexican clientele here.) I've never had any issues with tenderness as long as I slice against the grain. It tastes like the stuff I get at the local tacquerias.

Now, I will say this: even though it works well for me, there is a world of difference between a nice choice cut of skirt from Whole Foods or similar vs what I get at the local carniceria or supermercado. I like steaks, in general, medium rare or rarer, but the outer skirts I get from the supermercados tend just to be chewy. I cook those medium well, slice against the grain, and get better results (to my taste.) A high-quality skirt, though, medium rare is fine and delicious.

I remember my first time at Frontera, ordering the steak tacos. They came cooked with plenty of pink in the center and were absolutely amazing, but they tasted nothing like the steak tacos from the tacquerias I love, which tend to be cooked well-done and made from cheaper grades of skirt, usually.