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#1 Posted : Friday, November 22, 2024 12:22:57 PM(UTC)
We cooked the recipe in the Keepers cookbook last night for London broil two ways (page 75).

We thought the chimichurri sauce was good. The London broil was another matter. It was just too lean to be enjoyable. We cooked it to the rare side of medium so it was not overcooked. It was just tough.

We like the broiler method in that it cooked the outside and left the inside moist. The Joy of Cooking uses basically the same method, but they use a searing hot cast iron skillet. We opted for the oven to prevent a messy stove-top from the splattering grease.

I am wondering if there are methods out there which produce a more "tender" London broil. Simmers? Braises? Injecting fats or marinades? We purchased a two-pack. I am thinking of grinding the second one and making chili.

Your thoughts?
#2 Posted : Saturday, November 23, 2024 6:25:19 PM(UTC)
London Broil unfortunately is a marketing name, and as such isn’t a formalized cut. A butcher can sell anything as London Broil. That said, it’s generally along the lines of flank steak and best for marinating. And it is absolutely key to carve it cross grain or it will be tough.

I’ve looked at our ‘books in common’ and I see you have The Complete America’s Test Kitchen 2001-2023 and it has a Korean Bulgogi recipe I’ve had good luck with. My family prefers it cut before marinating, which provides more flavor saturation and caramelizing of the marinade during pan frying. I par-freeze the cut, then slice it thin, cross grain and on the diagonal. I marinate it overnight, then flash cook it in a cast iron skillet. If you want to be lazy and can find it, Bibigo Korean BBQ Marinade and Sauce (Original) is very good and saves lots of time.
#3 Posted : Saturday, November 23, 2024 6:52:03 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: Fyretigger Go to Quoted Post
London Broil unfortunately is a marketing name, …
It is not a product name known here in (the original) London. I have lived and worked in/around London for 40+ years and never once heard of "London broil".

#4 Posted : Sunday, November 24, 2024 12:57:06 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: ThePatheticBaker Go to Quoted Post
It is not a product name known here in (the original) London. I have lived and worked in/around London for 40+ years and never once heard of "London broil".


It was all the "rage" in the 60's in the US. Mostly as a BBQ cut, cooked on an open grill. I remember when London broil was an expensive cut of meat. As such our family bought chuck roast, which was much cheaper. Now the tables have turned and chuck roast is pricier than London broil.


It's a flat cut roast basically. 2-3" thick and very lean. Weighing in at 2 pounds or so.


I like Fyretigger's idea of flash-freezing, slicing thin, and marinating for an extended period of time. It's how I would cook Santa Maria style tri-tip, albiet the tri-tip is a bit thicker cut, perhaps a 3/4" or so.

#5 Posted : Sunday, November 24, 2024 4:26:14 PM(UTC)
London broil is not a cut of beef but method of cooking in the US suited for lean, less expensive beef that is normally marinated or dry brined to produce less tough finish. Below method uses cross hatch surface cuts which penetrates the meat. I do this too with chicken thighs and breasts cooked stovetop for searing.

https://cookthestory.com/london-broil/
#6 Posted : Monday, November 25, 2024 11:27:38 AM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: Rinshin Go to Quoted Post
London broil is not a cut of beef but method of cooking in the US suited for lean, less expensive beef that is normally marinated or dry brined to produce less tough finish. Below method uses cross hatch surface cuts which penetrates the meat. I do this too with chicken thighs and breasts cooked stovetop for searing. https://cookthestory.com/london-broil/


This was an interesting read. For all the years I've seen London Broil in the markets I had never considered it a cooking method, rather than a cut of meat. I wonder what other cuts of meat are sold by the moniker of the cooking method, without being pre-marinated?

#7 Posted : Monday, November 25, 2024 12:40:58 PM(UTC)
Make sure your steak is at least one inch thick. If you can, leave it out for between one and two hours. On the stovetop, heat a cast iron grill pan on high. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, 3 on the second. Use an instant thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 130 degrees fahrenheit ( I invested in a Thermapen and am thrilled with it). Leave the meat to rest on the cutting board for at least 5 minutes.
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