London broil
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London broil is a beef dish made by grilling marinated beef, then cutting it across the grain into thin strips. While the inclusion of "London" in the name may suggest British origins, "broil" is not a common term in UK English, and indeed the dish is American, not British.[1][2]
Cut
[edit]"London broil" originally referred to grilled flank steak, although modern butchers may label top round, coulotte, or other cuts as "London broil", and the term has come to refer more to a method of preparation and cookery than to a specific cut of meat.[3]
Preparation
[edit]The preparation of London broil typically involves marinating the meat for several hours followed by high heat broiling in an oven or searing on an outdoor grill. It is then served in thin slices, cut across the grain.
London broil can be pan-fried and seared on a stovetop steel pan. This cooking technique requires a certain level of expertise to result in an adequate steak, and usually results in tougher steak compared to other cuts, but not rubbery, when done correctly. Since London broil is often the cheapest cut of steak, stovetop cooking is more accessible, and some prefer tougher steak, it is a viable but less common alternative to the traditional way of preparing London broil.
In Canada
[edit]In parts of central Canada, a ground meat patty wrapped in flank or round steak is known as a London broil. Some butchers will wrap the flank steak around a concoction of seasoned and ground or tenderized flank steak. Others sell a pork sausage patty wrapped in flank or top round steak labeled as London broil. Another variant, popular in Southern Ontario, is a London broil "loaf", wherein the tenderized flank steak exterior is wrapped around minced and spiced veal as the filler. In some regions,[which?] bacon will be added between the flank steak and the veal grind.
See also
[edit]
Further reading
[edit]USDA official long description "Beef, round, top round, steak, trimmed to 1/8” fat, select" "Common names: London Broil, Minute Steak, Round Steak"
See Page 47 of USDA Retail Steak Standards for extended nutrition facts and codes on usda.gov (pdf)[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "London broil". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017.
- ^ Oulton, Randal (15 February 2004). "London Broil". CooksInfo.com.
- ^ Beard, James (1974). Beard on food: a Feast of Gastronomic Inspirations, Cooking Ideas, and Irresistible New Recipes. Knopf; [distributed by Random House]. p. 8. ISBN 9780394485058.
Up until the last few years, London broil meant just one thing — grilled flank steak. ... London broil, which is very lean and therefor much favoured by dieters, has become increasingly popular of late, and the demand for flank steak has risen accordingly. So now supermarkets and butchers are beginning to market all sorts of different cuts under the name of London broil — sirloin, butt or rump steak, rib eye steak, even top round. ... It is the thin, fibrous flank steak that makes the best and most authentic London broil, provided it is cooked and carved correctly.
- ^ "USDA Retail Steak Standards" (PDF). September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-16. Retrieved 6 December 2025.