This delightfully uncomplicated recipe comes from our friend Alicia's stepfather Barry. The marinade combines salty and bold (Worcestershire and garlic) with fresh and bright (parsley and lemon) to pack a powerful punch of flavor to the beef. Technically, London Broil is a preparation method not a cut of meat, and meat labeled London Broil is usually top round roast or flank steak. If you use these cuts, be sure to slice the cooked meat thinly and against the grain. We often use Chateaubriand or other large boneless sirloin steaks for this recipe because it is a bit more tender but still has great flavor. It can be more expensive, so if you use a cheaper cut of meat, you can pound it slightly with the flat edge of a meat tenderizer. Also, we find it helpful take the meat out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking so it will cook more evenly.
This recipe is great for entertaining, since you can cook it slowly in the oven while socializing with guests. Not to mention the fact that all the preparation and clean up has been done hours before, so when people gravitate to the kitchen as they inevitably do, you will appear to be tidy and organized. The marinade can easily be doubled, and you can sear one steak and then place it on a broiler pan while the next one sears. Pop both pans in the oven and you'll have enough to feed a crowd.
P.S. We love it when friends give us recipes to test, so please do not hesitate to send recipe ideas and your other thoughts to comments@cookingsf.com or enter them in the comments section of the blog.
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for grill pan
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 freshly ground pepper
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
2 lbs Chateaubriand or London Broil-type cut of beef approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
1. Combine all ingredients, except for the beef, in a medium saucepan. Heat mixture for a few minutes until warmed through. Once marinade has cooled to room temperature, place beef and marinade in a glass or plastic storage container or a large re-sealable plastic bag.
2. Marinate beef in the refrigerator overnight, turning container/bag once or twice.
3. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Place beef, marinade discarded, on lightly-oiled hot grill pan over medium high heat. Sear each side for 3 minutes each. Carefully transfer pan to preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours or to desired doneness, checking after 1 hour. (Temperature should reach 135 to 140 degrees on a meat thermometer for medium-rare meat.)
4. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10-15 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Serves: 4-6 (It depends a bit on which cut of beef you end up with and how many meat-lovers you are serving. It's always a good idea to double check with the butcher regarding
number of people and the weight of the meat you are buying to be sure that
you have enough.)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
