No mention of a tendon here......
Hanger steak is a cut of beef taken from below the diaphragm in cattle and is named for the way the muscle “hangs” over the animal’s stomach. The muscle is typically cut in half during butchering, which means that each steer or heifer produces two steaks. The meat is naturally thin and usually quite lean, making it popular for recipes that call for meat that is cut into strips. Cooking this cut properly can be something of a challenge, though, as it is easy to overcook. The steaks are usually most tender when cooked rare or medium rare; when well done, the meat tends to get tough and stringy.
[h4]Where It Comes From[/h4]
Butchers typically follow a more or less universal pattern for making cuts and carving steaks, which means that a “hanger steak” will be the same thing no matter where it is sold. The cut is sometimes also marketed as a “hanging tender,” “butcher’s steak” or “bistro cut,” but in all instances, it comes from the same place: the tender muscle between the stomach and the diaphragm.
[h4]Popular Uses[/h4]
Most cattle do not use the muscles around their diaphragms very much, which makes the meat in this region quite lean. The natural thinness of the cut makes it a favorite for dishes that require strips of meat, as less preparation is required. It can work well for fajitas, Mongolian beef, and steak sandwiches and steak salads, for example
