As I’m sure you already know, we coastal types are many things, none of which is truly lazy. Even during the height of the summer heat when we’re not noticeably working, just look how busy we are: we have to check the Weather Channel every few hours, we need to think about mowing the grass, we are constantly giving directions to tourists, to say nothing of explaining the difference between temperature and heat index to them. And if we don’t do it, who will stand in the yard and talk to the neighbors, the mail carrier, and the UPS guy? Goodness! Sometimes it’s all a body can do to make a cold drink and mosey to the end of the pier to check the crab traps.
Now, I’m sure your grandmother had a few recipes she could rely on when it was so hot that she really just wanted to take a nap after her afternoon bath. You know, I’m talking about the sort of recipe that looks like you worked, but which won’t trash the kitchen? Or seriously heat it up? And is quick, easy, good, and the family likes it? And maybe she could have even cooked it in the morning and been done with it?
London Broil is that kind of recipe. Simple yet precise, if you make it once you’ll never need to refer to the recipe again. It takes longer to explain than it does to cook. There are only two ingredients. Two! This is a recipe that, if you do exactly what I tell you and nothing else, will yield a fantastically flavored pile of sliced medium rare beef steak that you won’t easily forget. If you have guests, they might tell you this is the best tasting beef they’ve ever had. It probably is. But it won’t have been difficult, nor will it have heated up the kitchen because it’s so quick. Further, it’s best served at room temperature or cold so you can make it ahead. Lucky you!
*****A word of caution, though: if you just can’t do rare or medium rare beef, this is not the recipe for you. If you overcook this, it will be incredibly tough.*****
London Broil is good on its own, but we do lots of things with it around here. Steak salad (iceburg, grape tomatoes, cukes, steak, croutons, blue cheese dressing) is the family favorite. I have served London Broil with tiny yeast rolls and horseradish sauce at more fancy parties than I can count. It’s good in wraps. It’s very nice with a plate of cold vegetables, cheese, and a hunk of French bread for a fancy outdoor supper. It would probably be excellent eaten with your fingers, in front of the open refrigerator at midnight, but I wouldn’t know anything about that.
London Broil
To be clear, “London Broil” is the cooking method, not the cut of beef. In my experience, top round is usually used, but sometimes you see flank steak cooked this way. I prefer the texture of round, so that is what I call for here.
Here’s what you need:
2 lb. piece of top round steak, quite possibly labeled “London Broil”, at least 1 ½” thick
½ cup marinade of your choosing (I mostly use bottled Italian dressing)
Here’s what to do:
Put the steak in a gallon resealable bag with the marinade. Marinate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking.
Move the top oven rack to the highest position, and turn the broiler on high. Allow the broiler to heat for 10 or 15 minutes. You want the broiler element screaming hot.
Cover a sheet pan with foil and place a baking rack on top of that. Take the steak out of the marinade and discard marinade. (Some people score the meat diagonally before cooking. I usually don’t, but I did this time. Honestly, I could not tell the difference.) Put the meat on the pan/rack combo and carefully slide onto the top rack of the oven. Ideally, you want the meat to be within an inch or two of the hot element but not touching it. Leave the oven door cracked a few inches.
Broil for 8-10 minutes on the first side and 8 minutes on the other. If you’re relying on a meat thermometer, look for 125°. This will be right about medium rare after the meat has rested. Do NOT try to cook this well-done or even medium. I am not kidding when I say you won’t even be able to chew it. Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
How you cut a London Broil is absolutely crucial to ensure tenderness. Look closely at the entire steak and figure out which way the grain is running. Using a very sharp slicing knife (or even a serrated bread knife if that’s the sharpest thing you have) slice the steak ¼-½ ” thick, cutting at a 90° angle to the grain. This may mean you have to cut the meat on the diagonal. Slicing is even easier after the meat has chilled. As a matter of fact, I usually cook it in the morning, put it in the fridge, and slice it at dinner time. This makes for a seriously easy dinner. Enjoy!
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