Grilled Marinated London Broil

Despite being named after the famous city, the London Broil is completely unknown in England. Instead, this dish is popular in the United States. To make matters even more confusing, the name refers to a style of cooking and not even to a cut of beef, though these days, you’ll find the label “London Broil” at most supermarkets. It used to refer to a flank steak, but now it usually refers to a top round steak.

The top round steak is an inexpensive cut of beef. It’s tougher than it’s more expensive cousins and therefore requires a little more prep to make it a delicious, tender steak. Don’t worry, though, it’s not difficult. Learning the London Broil technique of long-term marinating followed by high-heat searing is an excellent way to get a really good meal out of an economical cut of meat. To learn more about different cuts of beef, click here.

To make the marinade, mix together soy sauce, oil, ketchup, vinegar, herbs and spices. You can simply mix the marinade in a bowl, but we love using the Hamilton Beach® single-serve blender to make our go-to summer marinades. It’s quick and easy.

The important part here (and what will help break down the muscle fibers and proteins in the London Broil’s cut over the course of its marinating time) is the little bit of acid and salt in the mixture. It can marinate for 24 hours, and should at least sit overnight. So this is a great recipe if you plan on grilling for guests and want to do most of the work in advance.

Grill the marinated steak on a hot grill for 6-8 minutes per side, resulting in a perfect medium-rare cook. Let it rest for about 10 minutes – you don’t want to lose all the juices from cutting into it too soon. Then slice the London Broil thinly across the grain. Slicing across the grain actually helps create a more tender bite, so you’re adding one more technique to get the perfect piece of meat.

Enjoy this delicious, yet inexpensive, steak the next time you plan to fire up the grill or plug in the indoor grill. It works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for a big weekend meal with guests. You’ll get to enjoy the savory, smoky flavors you can only get from grilled steak, and you won’t feel guilty when you look at your receipt.

Serve this juicy steak topped with herbed compound butter for an extra special treat; side dishes like corn on the cob, Greek pasta salad or rosemary potatoes complete the meal. If you have leftovers, save them for sandwiches, salads and more.