Plate primal (diaphragm support) · Beef cut guide
Hanger Steak
Hanger steak is a beef cut from the muscle that "hangs" the diaphragm from the spine of the steer (crus dexter and crus sinister of the diaphragm). Each animal yields only one hanger, weighing about 0.5 to 1 kg, and the cut's combination of tenderness and concentrated beefy flavor, denser than skirt, more delicate than flank, is why it has historically been called "butcher's steak": butchers traditionally kept it for themselves rather than putting it in the case.
Anatomy and naming
The hanger sits between the last rib and the loin, supporting the diaphragm muscle at the back of the rib cage. It is a non-load-bearing muscle in motion (it works during breathing rather than locomotion) which gives it tender texture, but its proximity to the kidneys and the high blood supply produce a distinctive, almost organ-meat-adjacent depth of beef flavor that ribeye and tenderloin lack.
Hanger has a tough silver-skin membrane running through its center that must be removed before cooking, most butchers will do this on request, but home-cut hangers often have this seam intact. Once trimmed, the cut is short and oblong, typically 30-40 cm long and 5-7 cm thick. Cook fast and hot, pull at medium-rare, slice across the grain. Hanger is the quintessential French bistro steak (onglet), traditionally served with a shallot-red wine reduction.
Also known as
Onglet (France) · Butcher's steak · Hanging tender · Bistro steak · Solomillo de pulmón (Spain, related)
USDA beef carcass diagram - Hanger Steak sits in the Plate primal (diaphragm support)
How to spot a good one
Visual markers
A short, oblong shape with a visible silver-skin seam running through the middle (must be trimmed)
Deep red, almost burgundy lean color, darker than most other steaks
Visible coarse grain running lengthwise
Light marbling visible as small white flecks
A clean, properly-trimmed surface (no silver skin remaining), improperly-trimmed hangers cook unevenly
Cooking, on Pro
Cook hanger steak like its grade
MeatGrader Pro gives you a cooking guide tailored to the exact cut and quality grade in front of you. Temperature, time, primary and alternative methods, resting, pairings.
A USDA Prime hanger steak gets a different guide than a Choice hanger steak, and an A5 BMS 9 wagyu cut gets something else again. Generic recipes do not know which one you have. Pro does.
Free with 3 analyses on signup. Pro is $1.99/month for unlimited analyses + the cooking guide.
How it grades
Grading hanger steak
Hanger is graded at the carcass level but the cut's anatomy means it rarely reaches the top of the marbling scale. A USDA Prime carcass produces a hanger that grades like Choice. The cut's value is in flavor concentration rather than fine marbling; grade matters less than freshness and handling. MeatGrader scores hanger on color, grain integrity, silver-skin trim quality, and freshness markers.
FAQ
Common questions about hanger steak
What people ask most about picking, cooking, and grading this cut.
Score any hanger steak from a photo
Photograph your hanger steak and see how it grades against the regional system you select.