London Broil

It was a good day whenever we had London Broil when I was growing up.  It was usually on a Sunday, and invariably Dad was the cook, preparing it on the charcoal grill.  No one had gas grills in those days.  Those thin slices of juicy meat, dark brown on the outside and bright pink on the inside…it couldn’t be beat.  For the life of me I can’t remember if Dad marinated it or not, but he had to or it would have been too dry and tough.

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Credit: Wikipedia

Flank steak, which is the traditional cut of meat used for London Broil, is a lean, muscular piece of meat that is taken from the abdomen of the cow.  (Too much information?)  Because it is so lean and because the muscle fibers run the entire length of the cut, several things need to take place.

Marinating is a must, and the internet abounds with suggested recipes.  Make sure you find one with oil and with some type of acid, (wine, vinegar, fruit juices, etc.).  The oil will “moisturize” the meat and the acid will help to tenderize it.  Scoring the meat with diagonal cuts (perpendicular to the grain) will start to break the long fibers as well as allow the marinade to better permeate.  If you have some frustrations to work out, pounding the cut with a meat tenderizing hammer can work wonders, too, (for both the cut of meat and your frustrations).

When I started taking my kids to Vermont for week-long “roughing it” camping trips, I would freeze a London Broil and use it to help keep our other groceries cold.  After a day or two when it had thawed, it was time for London Broil for dinner.  After a few years, I learned to put the meat in a gallon Ziploc bag with the marinade and then freeze it before leaving.  As it thawed in the ice chest, it would marinate…for two days!

Here is a marinade made with simple ingredients.  You can use almost any other spices that you like.  Feel free to be creative.

LONDON BROIL MARINADE

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup salad oil

½ cup vinegar (you can use white, cider, or balsamic)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper  (I like pepper, so I usually double this.)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

dash Cayenne pepper

2 drops Tabasco Sauce

Directions:

Score the flank steak (approximately 2-3 lbs.) with a sharp knife to a depth of about ¼“.  The cuts should go against or be perpendicular to the grain of the beef.  Place the cut of meat in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Pour in the marinade, and seal the bag removing as much of the air as practical.  Work the marinade into the beef and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.  Turn the bag and work the marinade into the meat several times.

To cook the meat, place it about 4 inches from the heat source, whether grilling or broiling.  When it has browned well on one side, flip it over and brown it equally well on the other side.  London Broil is traditionally well-done on the outside and rare on the inside.  You can use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.  The safe minimum internal temperature for beef is 145° according to www.isitdoneyet.gov.

Here is the London Broil served with steamed green beans with
mushrooms and Mac-and-Cheese-Style Cauliflower

Always allow meat to rest for a few minutes after removing it from the heat and before slicing it.  When slicing the flank steak, cut thin slices remembering to go across the grain of the meat.

Enjoy!