I discovered it this past winter, after picking up a London broil at Fairway under duress. I say "under duress" because, you see, I've never liked London broil. It's got no bone. It's got no discernible marbling. It reminds me of an old leather shoe. But the stuff was on sale for 4.99/lb and my friendly Fairway butcher swore to me that a big old slab would win raves as long as "ya marinate the hell outta the thing."
Not one to pass up a bargain or a challenge (especially from a man wielding a cleaver), I promptly ordered up a slab of said meat and headed home to find the marinade from hell. Who knew I'd hit pay dirt on my very first go. It's from Epicurious and it is divine for these reasons:
1) Most ingredients come straight from the pantry and you can always have them at the ready.
2) The resulting steak is so delicious and flavorful, I'm convinced that this marinade could indeed make an old leather shoe taste good. I started making a 2 1/2 pound steak for this family. I'm now embarrassed to say I've upped it to 3 1/4 pounds for the four of us, and nothing is ever left over.
3) It requires an overnight soak but that overnight soak makes it the ABSOLUTE PERFECT THING to make ahead when you are ditching the family for dinner the next night so you can go out carousing or if you'll be working late. I made this at least once a week over the winter while I was taking my EMT course in Elizabeth. It took exactly 5 minutes to set up and it was a savior. All you or the nearest Neanderthal need do about half an hour before dinner the next night is throw it under the broiler or onto the grill, boil up the leftover marinade and get those mandibles going. I discovered a recipe for Greek lemon potatoes that also marinates in a bag overnight and served it as a side. I might post about that next. If you can't wait, however, you can email me.
So....here's the secret sauce. I throw it together in my food processor but you can just as easily whisk it up in a bowl:
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cups olive oil
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 pound slab of London Broil
In a bowl or food processor, whisk/blend together marinade ingredients until combined well.
Lightly score the London broil on both sides (see picture if you don't know what that is or how to do it.) Put steak in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and set in a shallow dish. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, overnight.
Take meat out of bag. Pour marinade into a small pan and boil well. (The recipe tells you to toss the leftover marinade. I cook it up and serve it on the side, figuring I'm killing off all those bad germs with the heat. If anyone out there knows otherwise and wants to let me know if I'm putting everyone at risk, do tell.) Grill or broil meat, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 135 F to 140 F. on a meat thermometer for medium rare. (or to taste) CUT MEAT VERY THINLY on the diagonal across the grain. Devour.
Not one to pass up a bargain or a challenge (especially from a man wielding a cleaver), I promptly ordered up a slab of said meat and headed home to find the marinade from hell. Who knew I'd hit pay dirt on my very first go. It's from Epicurious and it is divine for these reasons:
1) Most ingredients come straight from the pantry and you can always have them at the ready.
2) The resulting steak is so delicious and flavorful, I'm convinced that this marinade could indeed make an old leather shoe taste good. I started making a 2 1/2 pound steak for this family. I'm now embarrassed to say I've upped it to 3 1/4 pounds for the four of us, and nothing is ever left over.
3) It requires an overnight soak but that overnight soak makes it the ABSOLUTE PERFECT THING to make ahead when you are ditching the family for dinner the next night so you can go out carousing or if you'll be working late. I made this at least once a week over the winter while I was taking my EMT course in Elizabeth. It took exactly 5 minutes to set up and it was a savior. All you or the nearest Neanderthal need do about half an hour before dinner the next night is throw it under the broiler or onto the grill, boil up the leftover marinade and get those mandibles going. I discovered a recipe for Greek lemon potatoes that also marinates in a bag overnight and served it as a side. I might post about that next. If you can't wait, however, you can email me.
So....here's the secret sauce. I throw it together in my food processor but you can just as easily whisk it up in a bowl:
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cups olive oil
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 pound slab of London Broil
In a bowl or food processor, whisk/blend together marinade ingredients until combined well.
Lightly score the London broil on both sides (see picture if you don't know what that is or how to do it.) Put steak in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and set in a shallow dish. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, overnight.
Take meat out of bag. Pour marinade into a small pan and boil well. (The recipe tells you to toss the leftover marinade. I cook it up and serve it on the side, figuring I'm killing off all those bad germs with the heat. If anyone out there knows otherwise and wants to let me know if I'm putting everyone at risk, do tell.) Grill or broil meat, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 135 F to 140 F. on a meat thermometer for medium rare. (or to taste) CUT MEAT VERY THINLY on the diagonal across the grain. Devour.
