London Broil

Cheerio!

What say we pop across the pond to see what's cooking in jolly old England with a London Broil?

Nice that it may be to visit the Queen's realm, that won't be necessary, or even wise. 

London Broil, you see, is actually a North American dish, and the name most likely was coined to make a cheaper cut of beef seem a bit classier.  Oh you yanks!

Enough to put the old noggin on the toboggan, what?

Whilst not being marbled with fat may indeed make it less desirable to most Beefeaters, including those not wearing funny hats, this lean meat, when cooked properly, can be quite tasty.

Whereas the London tag may mislead a few chaps, the clue of how to cook London Broil couldn't be more clear: broil it!

In the morning, pick a nice flat cut of London Broil (sometimes called flank steak), ideally about 1 1/2 inches thick and maybe 2 pounds in weight, at your favorite butcher shop or grocery store.  It will most likely appear quite lean, except for a knot of fat that will be essentially inedible.  I only buy this cut of beef when it is on sale, since that occurs regularly.

Open the package and poke the beef repeatedly with a fork without removing it from the styrofoam tray.  Did I tell you to buy it and take it home?  Yes, you should buy it and take it home, or someone may believe you to be a bit off your chump.  I say, that should be plain as a pikestaff for anyone who's not daft as a brush, so let's get on with it, what?

Subsequent to poking it with a fork to the point where it resembles a cribbage board after imbibing six pints at the pub, and mind you this bit should all be happening 3 to 6 hours before broiling the London Broil, pour on your favorite marinade.  Julia Childs would undoubtedly tell you how to make a marinade from scratch with her annoying, faux-British voice, like some Monty Python sketch gone awry, but I say life is too short to reinvent the wheel.  Yesterday, I used Lawry's Mesquite Marinade, but Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce or some kind of terriyaki marinade will do nicely in a pinch.  Spread it around, possibly even poking the meat a few more times.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Now, lest you intend to do a Devon Loch, turn the London Broil over and repeat the process of poking, pouring and seasoning the other side.

Cover it with Saran Wrap and refrigerate it until you're about ready for dinner.

If a nod's as good as a wink, you can proceed to go about your business for the day like Richard Branson when he's not ballooning.

About a half hour before the dinner bell, put the top rack in your oven about 5 inches from the top.  I have a convection oven, on which I push a button called "Convection Broil" and the temperature automatically sets to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you don''t have a convection oven, perhaps you have a button called "Broil."  I wouldn't recommend above 500 degrees if you live in an apartment, as it can get as smoky as London during a Gerry raid in WWII, if you over do it.

On a metal cookie sheet, make a rimmed cooking dish slightly larger than the London Broil out of triple thick aluminum foil.  With a bit of James Bond's luck, the tray will stop the juices from escaping and messing up the old cookie sheet (remember, always QC-C!).  Pour the meat from the marinating tray into the foil dish.  The marinating tray should have been the styrofoam one that you bought the meat in, so discard it posthaste.

Broil the beef for 7 minutes, which should make it generally brown with some black highlights on top.  Carefully take the tray out of the oven, turn the meat over, and broil the other side for 7 minutes.

If you overcook London Broil, it will be too tough, so remove it from the heat, cover it with foil, and let it rest for at least 7 minutes.

Move the beef over to a serving plate.  Cut out the knot of fat and discard it, saying in your best British accent, "You disgust me."  Now, all you have left is the lean beef.  Cut against the grain as thinly as you can. The London Broil should appear medium rare, meaning very pink but not bloody.  This is how most people like to eat it for maximum flavor and tenderness, but if you're like me, you like it a little more done.  Put about 1/3 pound of slices on your plate, cover it with wax paper and microwave it for 45 seconds.  This makes it just right for me.

Simple steamed broccoli, made by trimming off the stems and cooking the florets in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of butter, is a delicious side dish that compliments the beef.

After dinner, throw away the aluminum foil cooking dish.  Put the other dishes in your dishwasher. 

I know you can do it.  Tally-ho!