What Is Onglet Steak? The French Name on British Menus
What Is Onglet Steak? The French Name on British Menus
This website is independent and not affiliated with Miller & Carter. It is a steak cut guide for home cooks in the United Kingdom.
If you have ever wondered what is onglet steak, here is the short answer: it is the French name for the cut that American butchers call hanger steak. If you spot the word onglet on a British restaurant menu or a butcher’s counter, that is the steak on offer: a bold, beefy cut that the French have made famous as steak frites. For the full detail on the cut itself, from where it comes from to how it tastes, see our guide to hanger steak (note: this page goes live on 17 October 2026 and the link will resolve then). This guide explains the name, what to expect when you see it on a menu, and how to buy it when it is labelled onglet.
What Is Onglet Steak: The Name Explained
The same steak wears different names in different places. In the United States it is sold as hanger steak, sometimes called the butcher’s steak. In France it is onglet, and French bistros have served it for generations. British butchers picked up the French name, and in the UK the cut is now commonly called onglet, especially in London butchers, online meat sellers and restaurant menus.
That borrowing is not unusual. British butchery has absorbed several French terms over the years, and onglet stuck because it sounds like something from a proper bistro rather than something from the butcher’s leftover box. Suppliers such as Turner & George sell it simply as “onglet”, noting it is also known as hanger steak, while Lidgates lists “Onglet Steak” and describes a deep, gamey flavour.
One word of caution on labels. Because the cut is uncommon, some British retailers use names loosely. The Dorset Meat Company, for example, lists its product as “Beef Onglet / Skirt / Hanger Steak”. Anatomically, onglet means hanger, not skirt, which is a different cut. If a label mixes the terms, ask the butcher exactly which cut you are buying.
Why UK Butchers Use the French Name
The French name carries the bistro association, and butchers know it. Onglet arrived in Britain on the back of steak frites, the French restaurant staple of steak and chips, and the name still signals that tradition. A menu that says onglet promises a certain kind of dish: unfussy, quickly cooked, deeply savoury.
It also helps that the English names are less flattering. Hanger steak describes where the cut hangs on the carcass, and “butcher’s steak” recalls the days when butchers kept the single cut for themselves because it was too good to sell. Onglet sounds like dinner. The name change does not change the meat, but it changed the cut’s reputation in Britain from leftover to delicacy.
| Where you see it | Name usually used | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| French bistro menus | Onglet | Hanger steak, served as steak frites |
| British butchers and menus | Onglet | Hanger steak under the French name |
| American butchers | Hanger steak | The same cut, English name |
| Loose UK labelling | Onglet, skirt, hanger | Ask the butcher to confirm the cut |
Onglet on the Menu: The Steak Frites Tradition
When you order onglet in a restaurant, you are usually ordering steak frites. The classic service is straightforward: the steak is seared quickly over high heat, served rare to medium rare, sliced, and brought with a heap of chips.
Typical accompaniments follow the bistro playbook. Shallots deglazed in the pan, a green peppercorn sauce, or a simple pan jus all suit the deep flavour of onglet. French menu listings pair it with pommes frites and sauces from peppercorn to béarnaise. Expect the meat sliced against the grain and served pink; an onglet taken past medium loses the tenderness that makes it worth ordering.
Portion expectations are worth knowing. Onglet is a thin, modest sized cut compared with a ribeye or sirloin, and restaurants often price it as the characterful bistro option rather than the grand steakhouse one. If you want to know what the bigger restaurants near you are serving alongside it, our Miller and Carter main menu guide shows the steak cuts their restaurants do offer.
How to Buy Onglet in the UK
You will rarely find onglet in a supermarket. It is a specialist cut, with a limited amount on each animal, so high street shops seldom stock it. Your best options are independent butchers, who can often order it in, and specialist online butchers, where it is usually sold by weight in packs.
Expect the whole cut to arrive as a long strip, sometimes split into two or three pieces after trimming, which is normal for this cut. Ask whether the central sinew has been removed. If it has, the steak cooks faster and you are paying for usable meat only.
Price wise, treat published figures with care, since they change and vary by supplier. As a rough guide from current retailer listings, onglet sits in the mid range: more than braising cuts, less than fillet. Because it is a single cut per animal, availability can be patchy, so order ahead if you are cooking for a specific day.
Cooking Onglet: The Basics
Cook onglet exactly as you would hanger steak, because that is what it is. The rules are short: bring it to room temperature, sear it hot and fast, serve it no further than medium rare, rest it well, and slice it thinly against the grain. Turner & George’s own advice is medium rare with about 8 to 9 minutes of cooking for their portion, then a long rest, which fits the standard method.
For the full step by step method, including trimming the central membrane and the exact slicing direction, see our hanger steak guide (note: this page goes live on 17 October 2026 and the link will resolve then). If a steak turns chewy in the pan, our rump steak cooking guide explains the resting and slicing basics that fix the texture for fibrous cuts.
FAQs
Is onglet the same as hanger steak?
Yes. Onglet is simply the French name for hanger steak. They are the same cut, from the same part of the animal, cooked the same way.
Is onglet the same as skirt steak?
No. Onglet is hanger steak. Skirt steak is a different, thinner cut from the diaphragm area. Some British retailers label them loosely, so ask your butcher if the label mixes the names.
How should onglet be cooked?
Hot and fast, served rare to medium rare. Never cook it past medium: like other lean, hard working cuts, it turns tough when well done. Rest it for 5 to 10 minutes and slice thinly against the grain.
Why is it called the butcher’s steak?
Because there is so little of it on each animal, butchers traditionally kept it for themselves rather than selling it. The name stuck as the cut became fashionable.
Naming and menu guidance checked against UK butcher and food sources on 13 October 2026. Availability and labelling vary between suppliers. This website is independent and not affiliated with Miller & Carter.
