Korean -Style Seared Hanger Steak Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing

Serves: 2-3 as a main; 4-5 as an appetizer

A vibrant, hearty salad, this dish is homage to the iconic Korean Romaine salad, Sangchu Geotjeori. This rendition combines ribbons of icy-cold, crispy romaine lettuce and crunchy matchstick carrots, with a medley of fresh herbs --bracing mint, sweet, peppery Thai basil, citrusy, herbal cilantro, mild green onions and spicy red Fresno chile-- as its base, and tops it with a seared, medium-rare Korean-style marinated hanger steak. Served with a variety of garnishes, such as chopped roasted peanuts and plenty of fresh lime wedges, this dish reads as a refreshing, curated and balanced. A  great menu item served at a party, or festive weekend dinner.

If you are unfamiliar with a Hanger steak, which also goes by the moniker “Butcher’s butter”, it’s an insanely beefy-flavored cut, which is fork-tender. Though not a cheap cut, it is still a bargain compared to Japanese A5 or Wagu, and just as  melt-on-your tongue tender when marinated in the onion, kiwi and Asian pear marinade, that further tenderizes the muscle fibers with enzymes without making the flesh “mushy”. This is the secret Korean culinary technique for tenderizing tougher cuts of meat, such as short ribs, before grilling.  Since there is one hanger steak per cow, it might be hard to source; Sub-in a skirt steak, but up the marinating time to twenty-four hours. The one caveat: Do not go past that time. 

Steer clear of the softer lettuces, such as Bibb or Butter, since they will not stand up to the Korean-Style dressing, and wilt quickly into a soggy mess. To change up the flavor profile, sub in watercress for the cilantro —this nutritional powerhouse lends a bold peppery flavor with a subtle bitter back note, and a cooling, tongue-tingling sensation reminiscent of wasabi or horseradish. Julienne-cut Korean curly cucumber or Persian cucumber can be added, which will hold up in the Ginger Sesame Dressing and remain sweet and crisp.

Salad Dressing
Makes: 1 cup
1 cup sodium-reduced soy sauce
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, about 2 juicy limes
Zest of lime
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar, 6% acidity 
7 Tbsp. white sugar
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seed oil 
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 Tbsp. minced red bell pepper, seeded and pith removed
1 Tbsp. freshly ground coarse black pepper 
1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed 
1 tsp. sea salt flakes

Preparation
Place all ingredients into a blender and process for 20 seconds creamy. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Marinade and steak
Makes: 2 cups 
1 mild onion, yellow, Vidalia or Maui, peeled and cut into quarters, about 1 cup
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup Asian pear, cored and cut into large chunks, about ½ large Chinese pear or 1 smaller Korean pear 
1 cup sodium -reduced soy sauce 
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into medium chunks  
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seed oil
1 kiwi, cut into medium chunks  
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. flake sea salt 
2 6 oz hanger steaks, wiped with a kitchen towel, room temperature 
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Place onion, garlic, Asian pear, soy sauce, kiwis, sesame seed oil, freshly ground black pepper and salt into a blender. Process on high until the sauce is formed. 

Place ½ cup sauce into a medium glass storage dish and coat the bottom. Layer hanger steaks over marinade and pour 1 cup marinade over the steaks. Cover and chill in the fridge for 6 hours.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high flame until hot but not smoking (a drop of water will dance on the pan’s surface). Wipe marinade off steaks and add olive oil. Place steaks in skillet and allow a crust to form, for about 3-4 minutes, then turn over with tongs and sear the other side. Remove from pan and allow meat to rest for ten minutes before plating.

Salad
½ head of organic romaine, washed, dried and sliced 1/3-inch ribbons 
1 bunch cilantro, tough ends removed, roughly chopped 
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion 
1 red Fresno chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 
1 bunch fresh mint, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch matchstick cut

Garnishes
Serve with roasted, salted and chopped peanuts, fresh lime wedges and slivered chile peppers. 

Salad Preparation
Place greens in a serving bowl and slice the steak in a diagonal cut, about ½-inch thick. Layer the steak over the greens in a line and squeeze half a lime over the salad and drizzle with a bit of coarse flake sea salt.  Serve with dressing on the side along with extra lime wedges and chopped salted, roasted peanuts.