Grilled Hanger Steaks

This week, we welcome back Chef Bill Telepan from JUdson Grill restaurant in New York City.

Telepan has impressed diners and critics alike with his interpretation of New American cuisine. We asked him to create a meal for four for $30 for The Saturday Early Show's Chef on a Shoestring challenge.

Telepan's food reflects his classical French training mixed with his love of New American cuisine. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and has worked in some of the world's top kitchens: Le Cirque with Daniel Boulud; Le Bernadin with Gilbert Le Coze; and Gotham Bar with Albert Portale. He lives in New York City with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. His first cookbook is scheduled to be released next year.

Chef Telepan's menu: an appetizer of Charred Creminis with Baby Spinach, Pecorino, and Balsamic Vinegar; an entrée of Grilled Hanger Steaks with Red Onion Ciopollata and Herbed White Beans; and for dessert, Lemon Crepes with Blueberries.

Terminology

Cremini Mushrooms These mushrooms look similar to conventional white button mushrooms, except they are dark brown. Cremini mushrooms have a slightly fuller flavor. Portobello mushrooms are the matured form of cremini mushrooms.

Hanger Steak This steak is extremely juicy, lean and deliciously chewy. For years, it was unavailable in markets because it was a cut that was not very popular. Today, the secret is out and the hanger steak can be found in bistros and steakhouses everywhere. But hanger steak is still better known in France than in the United States.

Hanger steak is so named because it is part of the diaphragm muscle that hangs between the loin and the ribs. Like a skirt steak, hanger steak is a grainy, fatty cut that is perfect for grilling or broiling. Hanger steak is nicknamed the "butcher's tenderloin" because traditionally butchers kept this full-flavored, odd-shaped meat for themselves. Hanger steak is also known as onglet, butcher's steak and hanging tender.

Telepan served the hanger steak with a red onion ciopollata as part of the entrée. In French, "a la ciopollata" refers to a garnish of glazed vegetables. For this menu the chef used a simple garnish of glazed red onions.

Recipe

Charred Cremini Mushrooms with Baby Spinach, Pecorino and Balsamic
Serves 4

Sherry Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Place sherry vinegar and shallots in bowl, add salt and whisk in oil. Set aside.

Cremini Mushrooms Ingredients
1 pound cremini mushrooms, washed, ends of stems trimmed
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
skewers

To make the marinade: combine garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a bowl.

Add the mushrooms to the marinade and toss. Let the mushrooms sit for one hour at room temperature. Preheat grill to high. Skewer marinated creminis and char on grill with the top open for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms. Rotate each skewer to the other side and grill for 3 to 4 minutes more. The creminis should have grill marks while still maintaining their firm texture.

To assemble:
1/2 pound baby spinach, washed
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 ounce piece of pecorino cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
salt and pepper to taste

Dress baby spinach with sherry vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. Divide the tossed spinach among four plates and stack the spinach in the middle of each plate. Remove creminis from skewers and place around the spinach. Drizzle mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and drizzle a little vinegar and oil around the plate, as well. Sprinkle with chives and top with a few slices of shaved pecorino.

Grilled Hanger Steak with a Red Onion Ciopollata and Herb White Beans
Serves 4

Ciopollata Ingredients
4 medium red onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt to taste

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and cover the pot. Cook until very soft on medium-low heat, about 45 minutes. Then add red wine and red wine vinegar. Cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about another 45 minutes.

Herbed White Beans Ingredients
1 cup dried Great Northern white beans, soaked overnight
2 cups vegetable stock mixed with 2 cups water
salt to taste for the beans

In an uncovered heavy pot, bring beans and broth/water mix to an active simmer. (The surface of the liquid should be bubbling gently.) Do not let the pot boil, because the turbulence will cause the beans to separate from their skins, which will float off. Also, the beans will cook unevenly.

Resist the urge to stir which will break the beans into pieces.

As the beans cook, keep an eye on the liquid level, and add some hot water if the beans begin to be exposed. When beans are just tender (cooking time can vary from 30 minutes to an 1 1/2 hours), remove them from the heat. To test for doneness, always taste more than one bean, as they do not always cook completely evenly. Add salt to taste, and set the beans aside to let cool in their liquid. (This enables the beans to absorb even more of the flavorful stock.)

Take 1/2 cup of beans (it can have some of the cooking liquid) and 1/4 cup of bean liquid and puree smooth in blender. Return the pureed beans to the pot.

Herb Oil Ingredients
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon picked thyme leaves
1 tablespoon picked oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Chop thyme and oregano with 1 teaspoon salt and blend with chopped parsley and oil.

To serve: Warm the beans before serving. Gently stir in the herb oil.

Hanger Steak Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
24 ounces of trimmed hanger steak
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together garlic and oil in a bowl. Then using your hands, rub the garlic/oil mixture into the meat. Let it sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, covered.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, place on a hot grill. Sear the meat for about 2 minutes on each side. Then grill the steak for about 5 minutes on each side. This will result in medium-rare meat. If medium to well-done is desired, leave the steaks on a cooler part of grill so the meat does not burn. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes and slice against the grain

To Serve: Divide the steak among four plates. Top off with some onions and spoon some beans on the side.

Lemon Crepes with Blueberries
Serves 4

Filling Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
4 egg yolks
juice and zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
ice
water

Place the milk in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil and remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch until combined. Add the yolks to the sugar/cornstarch mixture and whisk until they form a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Using a soup ladle, add a ladleful of the milk to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining milk, whisking continuously.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil. (If the mixture begins to lump, immediately remove from heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.) Reduce heat and continue cooking until the mixture again reaches a boil. While it is cooking, combine ice and cold water to create an ice water bath. Set aside. When the hot mixture comes to a boil, immediately pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool at room temperature. Stir in the butter, and place the bowl over the ice water bath, stirring occasionally to release the heat and help the mixture cool to room temperature as quickly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Crepes Ingredients
Makes 8 crepes
2 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the milk, seltzer, sugar, melted butter and salt. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture is free of lumps and has reached a pourable consistency. Set a dinner plate next to the stove. Warm a 12-inch non-stick sauté pan over low heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of the batter (4 tablespoons is plenty per crepe), shaking and tilting the pan as you pour. Try to form an even layer as the crepes cook quickly to patch any "holes."

As soon as the crepe sits up and smells buttery, lift one edge with a spatula or your fingers and transfer it to the dinner plate. (There is no need to flip and cook the other side.) Aim to have blond, uncolored crepes. The batter is enough for eight crepes, so you may choose the best looking and thinnest for the dessert. Continue cooking the crepes, stacking them on top of each other when done. Wrap with plastic wrap and set aside.

Blueberries Ingredients
1/3 cup white sugar
juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pint blueberries, washed

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake or muffin papers. Remove the filling from the refrigerator. Note that it will be quite solid. Whisk until the filling mixture is loose and creamy. Carefully lift the top crepe from the pile. Spoon three tablespoons of filling into the center and gather the crepe around the filling, pinching at the top to seal, essentially creating a "purse."

Gently lift the "purse" and place in a lined muffin cup. Repeat this step with the remaining crepes, releasing each before filling. There will be enough filling for four purses. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes. The crepes should be toasty brown at the gathered edges and the filling warm.

While the crepes are baking, prepare the blueberry sauce. In a small pot, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and add the butter. Add the blueberries and toss to coat. Cook just until the berries are juicy and warmed through.

To serve, open the crepes slightly and place one on each of the four plates, and top with the warm blueberry sauce.