Hanger steak substitutes

The neighbouring diaphragm muscle, long and thin with a loose open grain, and the closest thing to hanger in flavor.

Best for

steak frites, grilled steak with chimichurri, tacos and fajitas, marinated steak, steak salad

Almost the same deep mineral beefiness, which makes sense since it comes from the same part of the animal. The differences are shape and chew: skirt is much thinner, so it cooks in about two minutes a side rather than four to five, and its coarser grain eats a little chewier and more fibrous. It takes marinade better than hanger does. Slice it thin, straight across the grain.

A tender, evenly shaped shoulder steak that is easier to find and usually cheaper than hanger.

Best for

pan-searing, steak with a pan sauce, grilling, a steak served whole

The best match for hanger's tenderness, and it shares a faint iron-like undertone, though it is milder and less dramatic overall. Where hanger tastes almost aggressively beefy, flat iron is polite. It is a neater rectangle, so it looks better on a plate and slices more evenly. Cook it hot and fast to 130 to 135 F. This is the swap for someone who wants reliability over drama.

A wide flat steak from the belly wall, stocked in essentially every supermarket.

Best for

feeding a group, sliced steak platters, stir-fry, marinated grilled beef, sandwiches

Solidly beefy but noticeably leaner and less rich than hanger, and the grain is coarse enough that slicing technique becomes critical rather than merely helpful. It is unforgiving past medium-rare, going stringy quickly. Its advantage is size: one flank feeds four, where hanger steaks are small. Marinate it for a couple of hours to make up some of the lost richness.

A thicker, leaner, conventional steak that is available everywhere at a moderate price.

Best for

steak served whole with a sauce, pan-searing in butter, grilling, steak salads

Cleaner and considerably milder, with none of hanger's mineral edge, and firmer in the mouth rather than loose and juicy. It is the least exciting swap on the list and the most reliably available. Because it is often an inch or more thick, cook it several minutes longer than the recipe suggests and go by internal temperature. A pan sauce with shallots and butter closes much of the gap.

The rich, heavily marbled premium option, for when price is not the constraint.

Best for

special occasions, pan-searing, grilling, steak with compound butter

More marbled and much richer, so the plate tastes fattier and more indulgent rather than mineral and lean. It is far more forgiving of overcooking than hanger, since the marbling keeps it juicy. What you lose is the specific savoury intensity that makes onglet worth ordering, and what you pay is often double. A genuine upgrade in luxury, a sidestep in character.

Worth mentioning because it is cheap, widely available and closer to hanger's mineral character than any ordinary steak.

Best for

chimichurri, skewers, very high-heat searing, adventurous cooks

Leaner and firmer than hanger with a much stronger iron and offal note, so it tastes like hanger steak turned up loud. Trim all silverskin and fat, slice half an inch thick across the fibres, and sear hard for a minute or two a side, stopping at rare to medium-rare, because it turns rubbery if overcooked. Not a match for everyone, but it is the only cheap cut that hits that flavor register.