Every week we’ll post a recipe that we both made. This week’s recipe was London Broil, found over at AllRecipes.com. Printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this post.
Robyn’s Take:
This week’s recipe was Nance’s choice. Since we here at Crooked Acres are voracious meat eaters, I was ALL FOR this one.
The ingredients:
Let me just say here that someone known as Future Nance can NEVER give me shit for the money she spends on ingredients, because HELLO? The recipe called for FOUR pounds of flank steak, but when I saw the price, there was no way I was buying more than two pounds – which still cost almost $16. I mean, come on – seriously? I thought flank steak was a cheaper cut of steak, no?
(To be honest, I don’t know shit about different cuts of steak, because I never bothered to learn.)
Firstly, mix all your marinade ingredients together in a bowl, like thus:
Then make “diamond cut” scores in both sides of the meat. I don’t have any clue what that means, so I slashed randomly at the steak with a sharp knife and called it good enough.
Rubbed that side of the steak with half the marinade:
Then flipped the steak onto a big piece of foil, and slashed and rubbed the other side of the steak.
Then you wrap that shit up and stick it in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight or three days or whatthefuckever. (I left mine for six hours.)
And as a side note, I put the foil-wrapped steak on a big plate, because you’re supposed to flip the whole package over every couple of hours, and I knew that no matter how tightly I’d wrapped the damn thing, it was going to leak. And it DID.
Once it sits all day (week, year), you grill the steak. Only, look at me. Do I look like I ever ever grill anything, ever? I do not, so that became Fred’s job.
We don’t have a gas grill, by the way. Someone who is not me feels that foods grilled on a gas grill do not taste “right”, I assume because there’s not the overwhelming taste of lighter fluid. I’d (have Fred) grill more often except that I am beginning to loathe stuff cooked on a charcoal grill and I’d just rather slap it down on the George Foreman and call it grilled.
(I’ve been planning for about FOREVER to buy a small gas grill. Perhaps by the time I’m 75, I’ll actually have done it. DOUBT IT.)
(True story: back when I was in my 20s and living with my sister and our kids while my then-husband was stationed in SC, my father got a new gas grill and passed his old one on to us. It worked just fine except that the starter thingy didn’t, um, start. So I had to open the gas, let it hiss out for a few moments, and then light it with a lighter. I did this many times with no problems, and then one day my friend Liz was coming over to join us for dinner, and I turned on the gas and then got distracted for a minute talking to her. While all that gas hissed merrily out. Then I turned and flicked the lighter, and this fucking FIREBALL shot out, singed off my eyebrows, some of my hair, and the hair on my arm. And that was the last time I touched that grill. I’m lucky it didn’t burn my stupid face off.)
My point being, Fred did the grilling on our crappy little charcoal grill.
Look, steak on the grill:
Steak on the plate, after we’d each hacked a piece off of it:
Clearly, we prefer our steak medium-rare-ish rather than shoe leather. It’s tasty that way, and if you whine about how you think medium-rare (?) steak is nasty, just remember no one asked YOU to dinner, motherfuckers.
The verdict? Very good. In fact, Fred liked it so much that he requested we have it again for dinner last night (I made the above steak last week). I got a smaller flank steak, marinaded it, and then seared it in a pan on the stove and finished it in the oven (I’ll add directions for that in the printable recipe in case you’re interested), and it was damn damn DAMN good. Highly recommended, and this is going into regular rotation without a doubt.
Kudos to Nance for her bad-ass recipe-choosing skillz.
9/16/12, edited to add: I used the marinade on a small piece of sirloin I had in the freezer, seared it on the stove and finished it in the oven, and it was OUTSTANDING. Two thumbs up to the marinade, no matter what cut of meat you use!
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Nance’s Take:
I’m the one that picked this recipe because I had it in the freezer and didn’t know what to do with it. I’m not the only one that goes grocery shopping in this house. The husband will occasionally pick up a few things at the store when I run out of steam (and ideas, which is why we have this site but that’s a story for another day). Rick saw this at the store, noticed that it was on sale ($6.99/lb!) and grabbed it.
Here I was with this hunk of meat sitting in my freezer and the only thing I know about it is that it’s supposed to be cheap and tough. I don’t know where I heard this rumor, but I know that I had it filed away in my brain as something that I needed to remember. And that’s the reason why I never look at this meat at the grocery store. Also, the fact that one of the supposedly cheapest cuts of meat in all the land cost $6.99/lb! on SALE blew my mind.
I googled for a recipe and although I found a shit-ton of them, this one caught my eye because of the star rating. 4-½ stars works for me! Speaking of stars – did y’all know that we have star ratings (in the comment section) too? I wanted to turn them off because I think they’re ridiculous, but apparently the more stars you have the easier it is to be found on Google (or some shit, I skimmed). They’re part of the recipe plugin and I can’t make them go away (I can’t control something – ugh!) . So now I just hit every single one of the stars when I comment just because I can. If it means we get more people coming in and gabbing about food, I’m all for it. I love hearing what you guys think (and your ideas, and the recipes that you use, etc.). I’m known in the online journaling world for being a hater of comment sections, but our comment section here (and believe it or not, the one on my own site) has proven to be a great addition to the over-all website experience. Look at me, a bullhead changing my mind about something!
Okay, 375 words in and I still haven’t said anything about the actual recipe. I’m a wordy motherfucker today. What? There is no way I can go without throwing a great swear word in. That’s one of the things this web site is all about! Fuck yeah!
The recipe calls for everything to be mixed into a bowl. Please note: New Polish Pottery bowl. Please also note that I picked this up at a HUGE discount ($4.99) because it’s an imperfect. I will never pay real money for stuff like this. You need to know that because I don’t want nobody thinkin’ I’m rich and tryin’ to hit me up for mah money. hee!
Am I the only one that instantly gets annoyed when it’s all 1 teaspoon of salt – 3 tablespoons of this – 1 tablespoon of that – ¼ teaspoon, blahblahblah. It damn near killed me to follow this recipe to the letter and measure everything out exactly as it says instead of just tossing shit in. I know I could have avoided this if I had actually read the damn recipe before I picked it, but I blame Robyn because she rushed me.
If a recipe calls for cloves of garlic, I’m pulling my shit out of this jar. It’s only $4.72 at Sam’s Club and it saves me a shit-ton of time. No way are you going to see me messing around with a real garlic clove on this site. That’s just Pioneer Woman Food Blogger Nonsense and I’m not partaking. Moving along…
I was a little wary of dumping this all over the meat and just wrapping it in foil.
As you can see, I wrapped it up really well because I was so worried.
And as per my usual (ask my husband), I was right. LEAKAGE, GODDAMMIT!
Let me show you why this is such a big deal. You see that up there? That is a HUGE deal at my house. I fucking fret over paying as much money as I do for the HEAVY DUTY version of this aluminum foil. It does better than a lot of brands out there, but a part of my brain loses its shit when this stuff doesn’t work perfectly.
So I wrapped it up in this junk, slapped it on a plate (still expecting the worst) and put it in the refrigerator.
This is what it looked like on the grill. Poor Rick, he never stood a chance with this piece of meat because I told him to make sure he used our meat thermometer to ensure it was done. Although I hate to see any pink in my meat, I expected to see it this time due to the fact that the instructions said 3 to 7 minutes per side (and I’m trying to follow the directions exactly, Jane). In all the hoopla of getting dinner ready I think he only heard that I wanted him to make sure it was DONE and he assumed DONE like I want my steak (which is absolutely NO PINK).
Holy Chewy Meat, Batman! This freaking meat was so goddamn tough that I swear I had to chew it 50 times before I swallowed and even then I felt like I had a lump in my stomach. I can’t blame the recipe because the marinade was really good. I guess this type of meat is just not my cup of tea. Trey liked the taste of it (not the toughness) and Grandma Tube-top said that she liked it once she sliced it paper thin. Rick just said it was good because he’ll eat any type of meat.
I’m probably just gonna pass on this recipe only because I don’t see this cut of meat coming into my house again. Heh.
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 pounds flank steak
- In a small bowl, mix together garlic, salt, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, black pepper and oregano.
- Score both sides of the meat, diamond cut (or slash randomly if you're an idiot), about ⅛ inch deep. Rub garlic mixture into both sides of the meat. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours, or overnight. Flip meat every few hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
- Place meat on the prepared grill. Cook for 3 to 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think you guys used the same cut of meat. Maybe the package was mislabeled. Robin’s is the flank steak I am used to but the one Nance is using the muscle fibers are not running the right way.
I agree with Robin, if there isn’t some moo left it is going to be like a shoe. Also, I find cutting it on the biases makes it tenderer.
You know, I was wondering about the different meats from the minute I looked at the recipe. My package (Giant Eagle) was marked on the label as “London Broil” and that’s why I googled the name London Broil (and got this recipe) and then I saw in the ingredients that it said flank steak and that threw me. Are London Broil and Flank Steak the same thing? And why doesn’t my London Broil look like Robyn’s? What do you think my mystery meat was? Ugh, my brain is exploding now. 🙂
From an anatomy perspective, I would guess your cut was some type of round steak, most likely top round. In other words, from the rear of the cow.
The flank steak (London Broil) comes from the abdomen of the cow as it goes toward the rear leg.
Yea, I know way to much about meat but it is an occupational hazard. 😉
Here (los angeles) London Broil can mean many things, but I don’t think it ever means flank steak. I think you might have gotten top sirloin, which is what I think they call LB. When I’ve seen flank steak called that, it’s usually rolled up slices, with or without some kind of stuffing.
I agree. Not sure what cut of meat Nance had, but it was n0t flank steak. I was wondering why it just didn’t use an actual london broil. We get it all the time and it is yummy on the grill. We have never marinated it but will have to try. Again, I don’t know how that would be with no pink. I have a hard time getting the middle warm without burning the outside, but we like our steak to moo when we poke it.
Yours was most likely a london broil. The ones I get are rarely that rectangle. We get thick cuts from our little store and it has angled cuts of meat on the london broils.
I love that I LOVED it and you HATED it. Heh. (We are going to try the marinade on other cuts of beef, too, I don’t remember if I mentioned that in the post or not and I’m too lazy to scroll back up and look.)
Also, that garlic from Sam’s is the same kind I use – I just had to transfer it to Mason jars because I was having a hell of a time getting the lid off. Apparently garlic is made of glue.
I’m definitely going to try the marinade on other beef too! I loved the marinade, just not the meat and I’m seriously concerned about what the hell I was eating now!
And also, I have found that when you don’t make a mess of your jar when getting your garlic out, or at the very least, WIPE IT OFF, you don’t have those glue-like problems, slob. 🙂
I meant to add (regarding the marinade) that the second time I made it, I didn’t add the salt because it seemed a bit too salty the first time around – even though I use low-sodium soy sauce. Maybe I’m just a salt-sensitive flower.
Also, hush. You think I’ve got time to wipe off the top of garlic containers? 😛
I hate pink meat too so I think I’ll bypass this one, I’m just commenting to say that I love Nance’s dishes.
Jenni, you are my new best friend! 😀
The whole flank steak vs. London Broil question is a big pain. I’ve read that “London Broil” is a style of cooking flank steak, but that somebody (clever butchers?) decided to market a different cut of meat with the name London Broil. I cook flank steak all the time and it’s usually very flavorful and not too tough (also thinner). When I give in and buy LB ‘cause it’s on sale, it’s usually a flavorless, tough cut of meat
That being said, this marinade looks good; I’m gonna try it.
I don’t know the difference between flank steak and London Broil. All I know is both of them are tough as hell and I RUN AWAY from any recipe Tim proposes that involves flank steak, skirt steak, chuck steak or London Broil.
I forgot to give the stars.
We have London Broil all the time. I sprinkle a spice rub (lots of garlic) and olive oil on it and let it sit for an hour or so and then throw it on the grill. We like it pretty pink in the middle and still juicy. The trick is to slice it very, very thin and then it’s tender and tasty. But I’ve been wanting to try a flank steak and will be making this recipe soon.
We love flank steak, we usually just marinate it in Wishbone Italian dressing and slap it on the grill. Then slice it “against the grain” super thin, and eat it plain or wrap it in a tortilla. We will definitely try this recipe!
Robyn, I used to think like Fred, until my husband bought the Traeger grill-which is a wood pellet grill/smoker. My husband grills all year long, a few times a week, and we have never had anything off this grill that wasn’t absolutely delicious. He hemmed and hawed about getting it, more expensive than what we are used to, but we haven’t had an ounce of buyers remorse after having it for 2 years. He even made pizzas on it last week, and god they were good.
We ate our second flank steak sliced in tortillas with homemade salsa and onions. SO good.
Thanks for the Traeger grill tip, Maureen – I’m going to see if I can convince Fred to go in that direction. 🙂
We eat London Broil all the time and I love it. I marinate it in Fat Free Italian Dressing and Worcestershire Sauce like my brother-in-law who worked in restaurants and county clubs taught me. I am anal about measuring but just eyeball it for that. I also have a tupperware marinating container that you can flip and make no mess. It seals so well it is a real bitch to open later but no mess in the fridge. Don’t marinate too long-my other restaurant working brother-in-law taught me that too. Marinating too long makes meat tougher. I am so jealous of these women with cooking knowledge husbands. They really pay attention when it involves meat. We like our London Broil rare too and I buy the S cut which costs more but is worth it. I broil it sometimes but prefer it on the grill.
I think I bought Flank Steak at a very good local butcher years ago and marinated it in red wine vinegar as instructed-it was a German Butcher. We hated both the marinade and the horribly tough cut of meat and I never bought it again. I’d rather have a cube steak over a flank steak any day.
The whole london broil/flank steak thing is making my eyes twirl! Someone needs to figure it out and report back. Which means not me.
I wonder if the star thing gets you on yummly? It would be a trip if I was plugging ingredients in for a recipe and you guys popped up.
The Traeger grill sounds like it makes all foods delicious. Did you watch the awesome contest winning video? What a wholesome and fun looking family. http://www.traegergrills.com/why/love
I used to live in an apartment with a gas oven where the starter wouldn’t work, so I had to use a birthday cake candle held in a pair of tongs to light it. Had some blowbacks, too.
I also heard that ‘against the grain’ is the way to go.
I blame food network for the price. I bet in the 60s you could get chicken wings for free from your butcher . Now they cost more than breast meat. Probably filet mignon is 6 dollars a pound because Rachel Ray and whatnot tell you to use flank steak.
Those Food Network bastards ruin EVERYTHING!
Eh, I think flank steak got expensive before that stupid Food Network was born–but I’ll hate them if it was their fault. Back in the dark ages, when we were poor, we ate flank steak a lot because it was so damned cheap.
But, Nance, if you like your meat DONE, grilling flank steak isn’t for you. It has to be on the rare side to be able to chew it. Except I used to have a recipe (back when it was cheap) where you spread it with butter, added a bunch of chopped parsley and something else green, and simmered it in stewed tomatoes. That was so good served over noodles.
I use london broil only in the crockpot. I add a can of cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, and Lipton dry onion soup mix. Throw those ingredients over the london broil and crock on low 6 – 8 hours. It comes out tender and makes a nice gravy type sauce. You can also add fresh mushrooms or green peppers if desired. It is really good.
Oooh, that sounds good, Anna Marie! I may have to give that a try!
This is my go-to marinade, and it’s actually sitting on two london broils in the fridge right now for dinner tonight. SO weird. I’ve been making it a few years and whenever I bring it to parties, people rave about it. I’m so surprised Nance didn’t like it! Now i need to go get the grill turned on because I need it!! Tastes even better cold the next day with a salad!
We had ours sliced in tortillas with onions and salsa. 🙂
Tried this marinade last night on flap meat, and we all loved it! Son ate the meat over rice; hubby had it in tortillas and I ate mine with a salad. It’s very similar to the marinade I normally use, except for the ketchup. I also add a little bit of sweet rice seasoning.
London Broil and flank steak are different cuts of steak. Nance, had you cut your steak in much thinner strips it would have been much less chewy. Flank steak should be cut against the grain, in thin strips, too. I use both cuts of meat quite often – we’d rather have one of those steaks than a rib eye! I will have to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Yay! A recipe without bread so I can comment (not that I have been stopped in the past). I am going to echo everyone else (well, mostly everyone), flank steak has to be sliced thin, and it is better a bit pink – it is delicious on salad. I probably eat it at least once a week (and it doesn’t cost 6.99/lb here, I know that because I am poor and would never pay that much for meat). I just use my indoor grill or my fancy grill pan in the oven (but hate that cause it is hot!) London Broil in the crockpot is also delicious. Sometimes I cook it with mushrooms (Fancy Steak), sometimes with tomatoes (then I call it Italian Pot Roast – I could be on the Food Network Channel with my own made up shit).
I love Nance’s dishes too. Robyn – no cat inspectors available that day?
5 stars
No, I need to get my ass in gear and grab a cat inspector next time. 🙂
London Broil has always been my favorite cut of meat to do at home – either on the grill or in the broiler. I have a kickass recipe that calls for a ton of garlic, a dollop of vegetable oil, a couple of splashes of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Those ARE official measurements. To help cut the toughness of the steak, I always use Adolph’s unseasoned meat tenderizer. Sprinkle it on both sides and punch hell out of the steak with a fork. You also need to, as stated above, slice the steak thinly on the bias.
One last thing. For those that live near a Randall’s grocery store – they have London Broil on sale in the large pack for $2.99 a pound. Randall’s is the same chain as Safeway and Tom Thumb so, if they’re in your neck of the woods, you might want to check out their flyer. I just bought four steaks for the freezer and can’t wait to try this recipe as soon as I get back to town in a week.
Flank steak used to be cheap as hell until all the fancy TV chefs started saying how wonderful it was. We used to use it for fajitas, but I refuse to pay 6/pound for fajita meat!
I am trying this marinade though, it sounds wonderful.
You women do not get London Broil. I grew up on this stuff and there really is only one way to cook it and present it. This is definitely a marinade type of meat. And depending on your favorite seasonings, take your pick. Also, marinade for a minimum of 6 hours. You might want to do it for 24. You can either broil, BBQ, George Foreman it, or I’ve even pan fried. The trick is to never go more than 8 minutes on either side. Let the meat rest for 14 minutes so juices stay in. Then slice almost across the grain. The meat should be dark pink, medium rare. NEVER medium or done. Only medium rare and full of juices.
If you’re not eating l
Do you really have have to use curse words to explain a recipe? Cursing this Cursing that and using the name of God in such a way….sad…very sad….not only disrespecting others and God, but also yourself.