Cooking Q&A: Cooking London Broil?
I just bought London broil on sale at the grocery store, but have no idea how to cook it. Any suggestions?
Technically, “London broil” isn’t a cut of meat -- it’s the preparation of marinated steak (usually flank) cooked medium rare. However, some butchers also label top round steak -- a thicker, tougher cut -- and sirloin tip as London broil. You probably purchased top round, but it’s always a good idea to ask your butcher exactly what cut of meat you’re buying if you don’t recognize the name.
Flank, top round, and sirloin are very lean, grainy cuts (which means there's little fat and lots of sinewy muscle fibers), so you really need to marinate the meat for a few hours (or overnight) in order to tenderize it.
Two simple marinades:
1. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in 1/2 cup of soy sauce. Throw 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes into the marinade if you want an extra kick.
2. Combine 4 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 4 smashed garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Set the meat in a zip-top bag, pour in the marinade, and let it sit in the refrigerator. Flip the bag every hour or so to make sure both sides soak up the marinade.
London broil is often cooked medium rare because the meat turns tough if it's cooked any longer. The meat should also be cut in very thin slices across the grain -- another tenderizing touch.
Top round and flank steak are good, inexpensive cuts for making steak sandwiches, beef rolls, ranchero-style tacos, and Asian-influenced soups and stir-frys that call for thin slices of beef, like Fresh Noodles with Beef and Garlic Chives and Saraman, a Cambodian braised curry. You can also use London broil in recipes that call for flank steak. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the steak (but only by a minute or two).
-- Colleen Rush