London broil is good

[Jaymes]

My dad was a rancher. When we were running low on beef, he just selected a likely but unlucky cow, called the slaughter guy, who drove his pickup right out into the pasture, slaughtered the selectee on the spot, hauled everything away, aged and processed the meat, cut it up, wrapped it in white packages, called us, we went and picked up our packages, put them in the freezer and ate really well for several months.

As for quality, though - it was hit or miss. Some of those cows were tender and succulent - the finest beef available.

Some of them made us damn sorry we'd picked them.

[Emma]

So last night, inspired, I found at my local King's (NJ supermarket) a 2-pound london broil on sale for $3.96. I went for it. And it was delicious coated with s&p and chili seasonings....I broiled for 5 minutes a side to just medium rare, sliced thin, and topped with a quick salsa. It easily served 5 people and I felt very economical. I've always avoided this cut before.....

[Jaymes]

Okay - I'm confused. I always thought "flank steak" was the name of the actual cut of beef, and "London Broil" was a recipe, a method, for preparation.

I gather you are discussing the actual cut of beef here, correct? And not the recipe for London Broil - right?

If I am correct, I'll add that the main thing I use flank steak for (in addition to London Broil), is my bulgogi BBQ which is one of my most popular cookout summer dinner party main dishes (recipe on the bibimbap thread). I also use flank steak for all my other Asian beef dishes - beef and broccoli, pepper beef, etc.

In addition, in that (bibimbap) thread, I mentioned that in order to slice flank steak thinly enough for these Asian beef dishes, I always slice the raw steak against the grain, while frozen solid (the meat, I mean).

In your stores, wherever you are shopping, at your meat counters, are these cuts of beef labled "London Broil" instead of flank steak?

Are we talking about the same thing??

[Priscilla]

Jaymes, it's true, here in Southern California (and I bet it's so all over the Great Southwest) flank steak is labeled flank steak. Things labeled London broil in the store can be, in my experience, top round, or a big slab o' top sirloin. (Maybe other cuts, too?)

And I knew London broil as a preparation, too, growing up.

[Jaymes]

My (much loved) recipe for London Broil went like this:

Take one flank steak, tenderize it twice.

Lay strips of bacon across flank steak. Roll up, and slice across the grain into rolls about 1 1/2" thick.

Stick rolls on skewers.

Marinate overnight in fridge.

Marinade: 2 T soy sauce; 1/4 C oil; 1 onion, grated; 2 cloves garlic, mashed and minched; 1/2 C dry red wine

Broil, basting with marinade.

Or, grill on BBQ.

[Fat Guy]

Here's one way to look at it: If somebody says to you "We're having London broil for dinner," what assumptions do you make about what you'll be eating?

[Jaymes]

Here's one way to look at it: If somebody says to you "We're having London broil for dinner," what assumptions do you make about what you'll be eating?

I would assume that I'm having some sort of marinated beef cut broiled in a kind of, but not exactly, BBQ method. Flank steak likely, but just as likely top round, or brisket or something. Sort of a dark, steak-house kind of dish. Something marinated, then broiled - not sauteed, or fried, or grilled.

I may sure be "wrong" but would not necessarily assume it was a flank steak by any means. In fact, if the menu didn't say, I'd ask what cut of beef it was.

Edit - I know that often recipes that we in the States refer to as having come from some other country, like "German Chocolate Cake" have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the named country.

But, I always thought that, most-likely, British beef was not so tender as ours. And, that if the name "London Broil" did indeed have anything at all to do with London, it was a method of marinating and tenderizing and then cooking, via the broiler, any tough cut of beef.

[Emma]

I agree, I've always thought London Broil was for a cooking method. But, indeed, it's how it was labeled on the package. It kind of looked like top round or a big, rectangular sirloin, about 2 inches thick. When I get flank steak it is a thinner cut. Altho I did cook mine like I would a flank steak.

If someone told me they were serving london broil for dinner, I would think it would be a tough piece of meat....I guess it has a bad rap. I would never picture the delicious meal I created.

[Priscilla]

OK. Over the weekend my local supermarket had Angus London Broil labeled top round, and Angus London Broil labeled top sirloin.

[britcook]

I know that often recipes that we in the States refer to as having come from some other country, like "German Chocolate Cake" have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the named country.

But, I always thought that, most-likely, British beef was not so tender as ours.  And, that if the name "London Broil" did indeed have anything at all to do with London, it was a method of marinating and tenderizing and then cooking, via the broiler, any tough cut of beef.

First point is correct, London broil is unknown in London, apart from anything else the term "broil" is not used in the UK.

Your second point is laughable "British beef was not so tender as ours". I think you'll find that Angus is a shortening of the name "Aberdeen Angus", British beef at it's best. And at its best British beef is the equal of anything in the world (with the possible exception of Japanese kobe beef and one or two interesting things out of Argentina). And it certainly isn't pumped full of hormones and chemicals like some beef we could name.

[Andy Lynes]

"London Broil" Jeez , youse guys!

[Fat Guy]

Britcook, your obnoxiousness aside, I agree.

[britcook]

Britcook, your obnoxiousness aside, I agree.

A little over-defensive perhaps, but the original post did tend towards the condescending, especially as it wasn't true.

[Legaud]

[html][sql][code][b][b]

[Fat Guy]

In response to your post, Britcook, I agree with Legaud.