How to cook London Broil

[Kitchen Witch]

How to cook London Broil


Round Steak
London Broil

London broil is a dish made from beef. The meat is marinated then cooked by broiling or grilling. The cooked meat is then cut into thin strips. The cut is always against the grain because tough meat cuts are used.

The top round steak is a thick steak that is cut from the top round roast. A thinner steak cut from the top round roast is simply called a round steak.

London Broil is the name sometimes given to a top round steak, but it is more often cut from the flank primal. It is a well marbled cut, which means it will have a lot of flavor. The only potential drawback to this cut is that, if it is not prepared properly, it could be tough or chewy.


There are commercially available meat cuts labeled as London broil. However, several cuts can be used. Top round roast, top round steak, and flank steak are some of the options. These kinds of meat need to be pounded or massaged to tenderize them before cooking. Other methods of tenderizing may remove the juices from the meat.


Although many cooks prefer to use a flank steak when fixing London broil, many butchers package a top round steak as London broil.



Broiling London Broil

Turn on your oven to "broil." Take the steak out of your marinade, and pat off the excess with a paper towel. Season both sides with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Put the steak on the broiler pan (no need to heat the pan, the steak will cook fast in the broiler), and set the meat in the broiler. It should be around three inches from the heat source. Cook for five minutes, then turn and cook the other side for five more minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for five more minutes before slicing.




London Broil with Stout

2 pounds of fresh London broil, cut at least 1 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 strip uncooked bacon, cut into 6 1/4-inch pieces
1 large clove garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 slivers
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 bay leaf
1 cup stout or dark ale
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Trim London broil of any fat and membrane around the edges. Sprinkle meat on both sides with half the salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the cornstarch, and pat the cornstarch into the beef.

Sprinkle thyme over bacon and press firmly into the bacon pieces. With a sharp knife, cut 6 gashes evenly spaced across the meat. Push 1 piece of bacon and 1 sliver of garlic into each gash in the meat.

Place London broil in a lightly oiled heavy Dutch oven pot or ovenproof casserole. Arrange onion slices on top of meat.

Combine bay leaf, stout beer, honey, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine. Pour mixture over the top of the onions. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Place a layer of heavy-duty foil over the top of the pot, and cover tightly with a lid.

Bake 3 hours without peeking. When done, remove from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes. Carve into slices cut against the grain and place on serving platter. Cover with half of the pan juices. Pass remaining pan juices in a gravy boat at the table. Serve with mashed potatoes, turnips, buttered noodles, or rice. Yield: 4 to 5 servings



London broil (flank steak)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/3 cup oil
2 Tbsps. oil
2 Tbsps. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsps. dry mustard
2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1-1/2 lbs. flank steak, trimmed and scored on both sides

Combine all ingredients, except steak, in a shallow nonreactive bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight, turning once. Remove steak, discarding marinade. Broil 4 inches from heat source 4-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Slice thinly across the grain diagonally.



Grilled London Broil with Lime-Chipotle Sauce

1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsps. canned chipotle chilies in Adobado, minced
3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup lime juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 lb. top round London broil

Prepare grill. Combine all ingredients, except meat, in a shallow glass bowl or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meat and turn to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into a nonreactive saucepan and simmer over medium heat 4-5 minutes. Grill meat 5 minutes per side, basting occasionally with marinade. Slice meat against the grain into thin slices. Serve with remaining marinade. Once you learn how to cook London broil the basic way, be creative and add your own personal touches. Vary the seasons, try different sauces, or even cook it outdoors on the grill for a special flavor.

However you prepare it, be sure to save some left-overs for sandwiches the following day. Cold London broil on hearty bread makes a wonderful lunchbox treat!