London Broil is one dish that I love to serve for Christmas Eve dinner. It's an inexpensive cut of meat so it can tend to be dry and tough, but it can become juicy and tender if it's treated right.
The key is a good marinade, but it's also important to avoid overcooking the roast. Tough meats do not necessarily need to be cooked for a long time. This 2 lb London Broil is cooked on the grill in less than 30 minutes.
The balsamic vinegar in the marinade is an acid that acts as a meat tenderizer. The ketchup is nice because it thickens the marinade and helps it stick to the meat.
You could probably substitute with tomato paste if you wanted to avoid all of the "stuff" that's in ketchup.
My recipe for Espagnole sauce goes really well with London Broil.
Grilled Marinated London Broil
London Broil is one dish that I love to serve for Christmas Eve dinner. It's an inexpensive cut of meat so it can tend to be dry and tough, but it can become juicy and tender if it's treated right.
Ingredients
- 2 lb London Broil or Flank Steak
Marinade:
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Cut a diamond pattern, about ¼ deep, into both sides of the meat.
- Place the meat on a sheet of foil and rub the marinade into both sides. Be sure to rub it into the diamond cuts.
- Fold the meat up in the foil. The foil will ensure the marinade stays close to the meat, so you don't have to use as much marinade.
- Place the foil wrapped meat in a gallon Ziploc bag or on a plate. The marinade will probably leak out of the foil and you don't want a mess all over your fridge. Also, remember to keep raw meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge and away from ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross-contamination.
- Let the marinade sit for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill on high. Lightly oil the grate. I do this by placing vegetable oil in a bowl and using an old washcloth and a pair of tongs to soak up the oil and rub the oil on the grate. Do this right before you put the meat on the grill to keep the meat from sticking. This trick also works great for BBQ chicken.
- Place the meat on the grill and cook 3-7 minutes per side. Because this is a thick cut of meat, I cooked mine for 7 minutes on all sides.
- Use a thermometer to determine doneness.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Cut thin slices against the grain of the meat to ensure tender slices that are easy to chew. This meat is great over mashed potatoes with an Espagnole sauce or on a sandwich.
Notes
Meat Temperatures for Beef
Rare: 120-125 F
Medium-Rare: 130-135 F
Medium: 140-145 F
Medium Well: 150-155 F
Well Done: 160 and above
Try to avoid "above" if you like your meat Well Done. That's when it starts to dry out. In fact, stay to the bottom of the scale for all of your respective meat temperatures. The meat will continue to cook while it rests.
I popped over from Blogher today. Lovely site. This looks delicious! I will give it a try. Loved reading about your life. I love the idea of raising chickens and planting etc. I am in NYC am happy just to be doing tomatoes and peppers and herbs Can't wait to read more about your life in the country. I would love to read more about your up cycling etc. I try to use things for other purposes too..
You just taught me a lot. I'm not at all experienced when it comes to this cut of meat. Thanks for the info! It looks delicious!