createLondon Broil
Okay, so this one is from a long lost book in my mothers kitchen (No idea which one any more).
There’s lots of takes on what “London Broil” really is, I have no idea if this is the proper interpretation or not, but it is what the original was titled ;-)
The recipe is flexible enough to have a couple uses and the leftovers (if you manage to have any) are just as good as the first time round!
Ready
- 1lb flank steak
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh minced ginger or ½ to ¾ tsp dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- N.B. You can add more or less garlic & ginger depending on your personal tastes
Set
Marinating Bag
- I’ve marinated this one a few different ways, but the one that I’ve found works best is in a bag; Your butcher should have them, I always ask for one when I pick up the meat, they always have different sizes on hand and often toss them in at no cost.
Grill or broiling sheet/pan
- Two different ways to cook this, depending on the season (and what tools you have), Grilled is absolutely devine, but broiled works well if you have no other choice
Go
- Mix the marinade in the bag
- Pierce or score the steak on both sides and place in the bag with the marinade
- Get as much air out of the bag as you can, tie it off, and toss it in the fridge (Warning, there’s lots of garlic in this one, baking soda in the fridge is a good idea)
- Marinate at least 12 hours, a longer time results in a more intense flavour
- Broil 5-7 minutes per side for medium rare
- Grilling time depends on your gril
- Slice thinly and serve as desired
- Serves 3-4 people
What you should know
This one works well for lots of people, all the prep work is done ahead of time so there’s very little fuss during the actual event.
The leftover secret ? This stuff is brilliant in a cheesesteak! Fry up some fresh peppers, onions with thinly sliced bits and toast it all on a fresh baguette topped with pepper jack cheese and you’re in heaven!
Warning: Food coma likely to result from the cheese steak ;-)
Hmmm. That’s the first time I’ve heard a cut of meat called London Broil.
What you do see in supermarkets here is some form of beef in a thin strip rolled with a stuffing (pretty much like a huge sushi roll) and cut about 1” thick labelled as “London Broil”
Too bad I missed your discussion with the butcher would have been interesting to see if he could actually explain his reasons …
This does look good. I particularly want to try the cheese steak variation.
I have two recommendations.
Cook the meat to temperature. See Cooking Temperatures for Beef.
Cut flank steak against the grain as this will help ensure that it is not chewy. Cut it on an angle if you want larger pieces.
Fresh minced ginger? Do you have a method for mincing as opposed to chopping finely? I keep ginger in the freezer which you can grate beautifully.
I cooked this the evening. When I do it next time (and I will) I think I will use less vinegar. I found it just a little too acidic. I may even combine this recipe with the summer flank steak and use the juice of a lime or two instead.
Thanks Brett.
Had to give this five stars. I did, however, make some adjustments following David’s comments. I used only about ¼ cup of vinegar, doubled the honey and added a gulp of olive oil and some coarsely ground red pepper.
This is definitely my kinda thing - juicy, tasty and the honey gives it a great charred look, even when cooked in the griddle pan. Flank steak is a truly great discovery for me from GreatGrub. I’ve added this recipe to my favorites.
As a variation — well I suppose it is actually a different recipe, but the process is the same — try the following marinade:
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice
- ½ tsp chilli powder (or a little chopped fresh chilli)
- 5 grinds black pepper
I gave it two hours in the fridge. I Served it with some noodles stir fried with broccoli, onion, red pepper and soy, finished with a dressing of olive oil, Chinkiang vinegar and sesame oil. It was just great; even better cold in sandwiches the next day.
This looks good. I use ziploc bags for marinating meat in this way. It works well enough and they are widely available.
Incidentally, I had a heated discussion with a butcher in LA recently who tried to convince me that London Broil is a specific cut of meat. My understanding is that it refers to the method of preparation and cooking (specifically grilling or broiling) and that flank works better than most for this method. What it has to do with London, I have no idea. Especially given that in London we do not use the word “broil”!
Brett, if you like this, you should try summer flank steak.