Hanger steak with charred limes, fresh chillies and herbs

Hanger steak is relatively lean but packed with flavour. Lime juice and a heap of mint and coriander leaves make the dish salady and satisfying, and give it an Asian twist

Serves 4

• 2 large limes, cut in half
• 1 large shallot (about 35g), thinly sliced
• sea salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, grated or
• finely chopped
• 1 level tbsp peeled and grated
• fresh ginger
• 3½ tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing and grilling
• 675g-900g hanger steak, about 2.5cm thick, centre line of gristle removed, or skirt steak, see Tip
• freshly ground black pepper
• 10g mixed fresh basil, mint and/or coriander leaves
• 1 jalapeño chilli, thinly sliced

Squeeze 2 tsp juice from one of the lime halves. Put the juice in a bowl and stir in the shallot and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the garlic, ginger and 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the steak and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Place a lightly oiled griddle pan over high heat. Brush the cut sides of the remaining lime halves with 1½ tsp oil and season with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.

Scrape the marinade from the steak and season with 1¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Grill the steak, turning once, until nicely charred, 4-5 minutes per side, or until it’s done the way you like it. At the same time, grill the lime halves, cut side down, rotating them occasionally, until charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer the limes and steak to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.

Stir the remaining oil into the shallot mixture. Slice the steak crossways into 1cm-thick pieces and arrange on a platter. Squeeze the grilled lime wedges over, then spoon the shallot vinaigrette on top. Top with the herbs and chilli.

TIP Hanger steak (also known as onglet) has a line of gristle that runs down the middle. You can ask your butcher to remove it or do it at home before marinating. If you can’t get hanger, skirt steak is good; cook it for 3-4 minutes per side. You can also cook the steak on a barbecue.