Recipe courtesy Matthew Dillon, of the Corson Building

Serve the steak and its juices with steamed Moroccan couscous, chickpea salad, or a chopped bitter herb sauté with preserved lemon.

Makes 6 servings
Total Time 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds trimmed hanger steak

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small Oaxacan chili, seeded and chopped

1 tsp fennel seed

1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed

1 dried lime

1 cinnamon stick

4 overripe tomatoes, crushed, with juices

½ cup red wine

1 thumb-size lobe ginger, halved lengthwise

½ cup honey

½ cup sherry vinegar

6 cups chicken stock, homemade if possible
8 dill stems, tied with twine

DIRECTIONS
In a braising pot large enough to hold the steaks in 1 layer, heat olive oil over medium-­high heat. Salt and pepper the steaks and brown evenly. Set aside steaks on a plate, and remove all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat. Add onions, garlic, chili, fennel and coriander seeds, dried lime, and cinnamon stick, and stir over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook a few minutes, scraping caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan, until tomatoes have lost most of their water. Return steaks and juices to the pot, add wine, and reduce by half. Add ginger, honey, and vinegar, and chicken stock to cover the steaks. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the dill, season with salt and pepper, and braise on the stove’s lowest setting or in a 350 degree oven, until meat pulls apart easily, about 2 hours. Before serving, squeeze the lime to remove its fragrant juice and discard. Discard the dill. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar. Serve hot.