London broil is more of a designation than an actual cut of meat. It is generally applied to various thick cuts of meat which may or may not necessarily come from the same part of the cow. Everything from bottom round, top round, shoulder and sirloin tip gets called London broil – I guess it just sounds sexier than miscellaneous hunk o’ beef. (BTW – it has nothing to do with the London, The Queen, or anything else in the U.K.)
The common denominator(s) among the cuts called London broil is that they are usually pretty lean, have a great chew to the texture and should always be thinly sliced across the grain. London broil is big on beefy flavor and really stands up to lots of seasoning and a good long soak in a marinade to let that flavor penetrate.
Don’t overcook it! Just like other lean cuts of beef, London broil does not do well when cooked much past the rarer side of medium. If you like your meat pink-less, this is not the cut of meat for you.
Bonus: London broil is always on sale during grilling season!
I’m using a top round that I have marinated overnight in citrus juices, tomato paste, a lot of garlic, cumin, and chipolte powder for a little smoky spiciness. Grilling it over mesquite lump charcoal makes it just that much better.
- For the marinade:
- 6 cloves garlic
- Juice and zest from 1 orange
- Juice and zest from 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste (the kind in the tube)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½- to 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- :
- 2 pounds London Broil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, etc.), for grilling
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Place London broil in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Massage around to make sure the meat is completely coated. Squeeze out excess air from the bag and seal. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator, flipping at least once.
- Set up grill for direct heat cooking over high heat. Brush and oil grate before cooking.
- Remove the London broil from the marinade; reserve the marinade. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper then rub with a small amount of oil.
- Pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and use to brush on steak while grilling.
- Place steak on grill and cook about 5 to 6 minutes, flip and baste with heated marinade and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare or an internal temperature of 130°F to 135°F.
- Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes tented with foil. Thinly slice across the grain for serving.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
London broil? Never heard of it!
LOL I’m sure! London broil is often sold as a cut of meat, but it is actually a preparation. It is a North American term with possible roots in Philadelphia – the first place it appeared in print. Originally it was flank steak that was marinated then broiled. Over the years it turned into a generic term for a hunk o’ meat that is marinated then broiled or grilled. Even as a preparation, the term is a little sketchy. The Canadian version is more like a roulade – flank steak marinated and rolled with a meat stuffing, sliced and then broiled. Who knows?!
Aha!
How do you print these recipes…cannot print from any printer…thank you…Mitch Beers
Hey There Mitchell –
First let me say, thanks for reading the blog! We are going to be updating the blog format in the next few months to make it more mobile-friendly as well as enable printing of the recipes. As you have discovered the current configuration isn’t set up for printing from the posts. In the meantime, you can always copy and paste the recipes in to a Word or Google document and print from there. Please hang in there with us while we make the changes!
Cheers –
Jeff