London Broil

Don’t let the name fool you—London broil is a dish that’s American through and through. Most likely hailing from Philadelphia, this recipe calls for marinating and grilling or broiling a thick, lean cut of beef until it’s medium-rare, then slicing as thin as you can for a tender bite. The name is thought to come from an attempt to make a leaner cut seem more appealing and high-class, which is a pretty genius marketing feat. But honestly, London broil can hold its own. It’s affordable, easy, and a great blank canvas for adding flavor with a marinade before cooking and a little bit of roasted garlic and herb butter after cooking.

How To Make London Broil

INGREDIENTS

• Steak: London broil is most commonly associated with flank steak, and that’s the cut I prefer for this recipe. Flank takes particularly well to marinades, and because it tends to come in a uniform thickness, it cooks up more evenly than many other lean cuts.
• Brown Sugar: A little brown sugar in the marinade does more than add sweetness—it helps the meat brown quickly (and gorgeously) under the broiler.
• Fish Sauce: I chose fish sauce to triple down on umami in the marinade.
• Worcestershire Sauce: It’s beyond me how this mixture of vinegar, tamarind, anchovies, and spices somehow makes beef taste beefier, but it sure as heck does.
• Garlic Cloves: What’s better than garlic butter? How about roasted garlic butter!
• Butter: Lean steak needs a lubricant to make up for its lack of fat, and as every good steakhouse knows, there’s no beating a good compound butter for said purpose.
• Parsley & Chives: A dish this brawny requires an herby element to for some lift.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This is the fun part: Grab a fork and prick the steak all over on both sides. Really have at it! This has the double benefit of (1) tenderizing the meat by breaking down tough muscle fibers and (2) allowing the marinade to penetrate deeper for further tenderizing + flavor. Now transfer the steak to a resealable plastic bag to ready it for the marinade.

London broil is not associated with any one marinade, so I used this freedom as license to indulge my love for umami. Worcestershire, fish sauce, and mustard form a glutamate-packed triumvirate that contributes ultra-intense savoriness to the meat. Stir the marinade together and pour it into the bag with the steak. Now seal the bag, pressing out any air, and massage the marinade into the meat a bit just to get the ball rolling. Sock it away in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours, turning the bag over every once in a while to ensure the marinade penetrates evenly.

Okay, time to preheat the broiler. While it’s getting ripping hot, remove the steak from the bag and transfer it to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steak dry with paper towels (for better browning) and broil until deeply browned and the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 125°; you’ll want an instant-read thermometer for this. Lean steaks go from tender to tough right quick, so start checking the temperature early. As soon as the steak reaches its target temperature, move it to a cutting board, but don’t slice it just yet! Give it a 10-minute rest to allow the juices to redistribute.

Roasted garlic is usually a half-hour affair, minimum. Well, not this time. Thanks, broiler! Drizzle the peeled garlic cloves with oil and run them under the broiler for a few minutes, until nicely browned and softened enough to mash into the butter. Easy peasy.

On to the compound butter. First, make sure your butter is room temperature. Let it warm up just it dents easily when pressed. Combine the butter, herbs, and roasted garlic in a small bowl and mash away until combined; a fork works well for this.

Once the steak has had a good rest, cut it into thin slices. It is absolutely critical that you slice the meat across the grain. What does that actually mean? See the way the muscle fibers of the steak arrange themselves in parallel lines? Great. Well, you want to slice at a right angle to those lines.

Transfer the steak to a platter and drizzle over any juices from the cutting board. Serve with the compound butter alongside.

Recipe Tips

What cut of meat is best for tender London broil?
London broil isn’t a specific cut but rather a general term for a thick, lean cut of beef that’s marinated and broiled. Lean cuts come from the back end of the cow, where the muscles put in a lot of work, meaning they’ll be tougher than cuts found in the center of the cow. London broil can be anything from top round to flank to flat-iron steak, but in testing, I found flank steak to be the most tender.

What kind of marinade should I use?
You can let your imagination run wild as long as you remember one thing—the marinade needs acid. Tough, lean cuts like the ones used for London broil need a good soak in some sort of acidic liquid to help break down some of the tougher muscle fibers on the outer layer of the meat. The marinade won’t penetrate the meat more than a few millimeters, but it will help tenderize the layer that you’ll be sinking your teeth into first. Lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, and even mustard can serve as an acidic component to your marinade. The combination of vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce that I use here lends the perfect blend of umami and tang with a touch of sweetness.

What temperature should you cook London broil to?
Since London broil cuts are so lean, it’s best to cook them no further than rare or medium-rare or else they become tough. The marinade takes care of tenderizing the outside but the only way to have a tender inside is to cook the steak to the right temperature: 120° for rare, 125° for medium-rare. Remember, as the meat rests, it will continue to cook, with the temperature rising another 5° or so.

What To Serve With London Broil

• Air Fryer French Fries: Steak frites at home? Yes.you.can!
• Garlic Herb Wedge Salad: Go full steakhouse with this classic wedge salad. Warning: The blue cheese dressing might steal the show.
• Garlicky Broccoli Rabe: If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to creamed spinach, give this a try. A quick blanch, a fast sauté, and you’re done.

Storage

A steak this lean is best enjoyed immediately; reheating tends to dry it out. That said, you can marinate the steak for up to 8 hours if you're planning ahead.