Caribbean Hanger Steak, Grilled Plantains & Mojo
“Known by many as a Hanger Steak, it’s called arrachera in Mexico and we love it…”
We call it a Hanger Steak. In Mexico it’s known as arrachera and people love it in fajitas, the French call it onglet and serve it as steak and fries. To grill to perfection, first be sure to remove the membrane in the middle and grill the hanger steak hot & fast to no more than medium rare. For the grilled plantains, get the ripest bananas. The ones with the nearly black peel and the buttery flesh.
The ingredients:
(4 serves)
Lime-garlic & oregano mojo (300g / 10½ oz):
- 2½ fl oz (75ml) olive oil
- 7 fl oz (200ml) lime juice, preferable freshly squeezed
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- ½ bunch fresh oregano, leaves finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Carribean marinade:
- Juice and zest of 6 limes
- 2½ fl oz (75ml) olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, ground
- ½ tsp chipotle flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 21-28 oz (600-800g) Hanger steak
Grilled plantains:
- 3½ oz (100g) butter
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 ripe plantains
Gear:
- Freezer bag
- BBQ for direct grilling
- Core thermometer
How to make:
Duration:
Prep: 6 hours
cookingtime: about ½ hour
For the lime-garlic & oregano mojo simply mix all ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the marinade, mix all ingredients and stir well.
Cut off the membrane in the middle of the hanger steaks with a sharp knife. You’ll end up with two steaks and that’s fine. Put the steaks and the marinade in a plastic freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove the steaks from the fridge and allow them to hit room (or air) temperature. Meanwhile, prepare a BBQ for direct grilling and heat to 180 °C (356 °F).
For the plantains, melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat, add the rest of the ingredients (except for the plantains!) and leave on low heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Meanwhile, cut your plantains in half lengthwise, keeping the peel on. Place on the BBQ open side down and grill for 5 minutes. Flip and brush with the melted spice butter and cook for another 5 minutes. Brush a few more times during this.
After flipping the bananas, place the hanger steaks on the grate and grill hot and fast to a core temperature of 52 °C (126 °F) for a nice and medium rare result. Remove your plantains and steak from the BBQ. Cut your steaks crosswise along the grain into thin slices, and serve with the lime-garlic & oregano mojo.
