Steve's London Broil

So tonight I wanted to debout my very own London Broil recipe/marinade.  I just ate it and its absolutely delicious.  A smoky, buttery, savory masterpiece to your tastebuds.  I'm contemplating eating the rest that's still sitting on the cutting board over there... Anyways, the term "London Broil" is actually a misnomer and not truly a cut of meat, although it is commonly seen on meat labels in American grocery stores.  The specific cut of meat is actually a flank steak.  The preparation, marinading and either broiling it or grilling the meat is where the name comes from, although the true origin of the dish is still unknown (not from London apparently...).  My guess is it's an American thing... This is a relatively cheap cut of meat, but if prepared properly, can be just as good as a tasty ribeye or NY Strip.  The key here is the marinade, which plays a key role in breaking down the natural muscly character of this cut of meat allowing for a tender final product. If not properly marinated and sliced (always slice against the grain), the steak will be too tough to eat.  That's where this post/recipe comes into play.

Steve's London Broil Marinade 

Ingredients (place meat and all the following ingredients in a large freezer Zip-lock bag or Tupperware container:

• 3 tbsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, herein referred to as EVOO, yes we're Rachel Ray fans)
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 dashes of smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. water
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 small yellow onion (minced or hit with a food processor)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced or food processed)
• 4 hearty sprigs of rosemary (use only leaves, mince, discard stems)
• 4 hearty sprigs of fresh thyme (use only leaves, mince, discard stems)
• Marinate a MINIMUM of 12 hours (I just let marinated mine for 24 hours and it was bangin)
• 2 lb. cut of London Broil/Flank Steak 

Preparation:

• Let the meat reach room temperature (this helps for an even cooking process, you can thank me later)
• Preheat your grill to a medium heat (mine takes about 5-6 minutes to fully preheat)
• Remove meat from the marinade and let the remainder drip off
• Turn heat down briefly and oil the grill (to avoid sticking and ruining your soon to come perfect grill marks)
• Turn heat back up to medium heat and place over the hottest part of your grill
• Cook for 9-10 minutes per side with grill cover open, rotating meat 45 degrees every 4-5 minutes, for distinguished grill marks (time quote is for the use of a 2 lb. cut of meat at a medium-rare cook temp., increase time for higher cook temps)
• Remove meat from grill and let stand for at least 5 minutes (capture your juices!)
• Slice thinly, against the grain
• Garnish with fresh Cilantro and serve!  

Optional side:  Pictured above, we've paired the steak with our classic go-to bean medley (black beans with sauteed onions, garlic, jalapeno  cheese, and whatever else we have lying around) and a glass of Bonarda.