I’m not gonna do it. Not today.
Today I’m not gonna talk about vegetables. Or fruit. Really. Can you believe it? Nope me neither.
Why? Oh I don’t know. I just got to thinking that while there is so much produce in abundance right now, there’s just some other things to talk about. Let’s say for instance – beef. Yup, beef.
Come on you know it’s grilling season! And with the 4th of July right around the corner there’s bound to be some grilled food in your future. So why not talk about beef – in particular steak. And not just any steak – London broil. Have you heard of it?
As a kid, London Broil was really the only type of steak I remember eating at home. I remember a big piece of meat thrown on the grill, cooked to medium rare then cut into thin slices. Until recently, it’s been years since I had Grilled London Broil.
So confession – since moving I’ve been struggling to find a butcher to buy decent meat. Back in KC, we had four local butchers within a 5 mile radius. Four! Now? I have yet to find one – well find one with the quality of meat I’m looking for and close to home. What am I looking for? Grass-fed beef. I got hooked on it and now it’s hard to have anything else. What’s different about it? The taste and texture. It’s also tends to be naturally leaner and quite possibly may contain more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Grass-fed beef needs to be prepared carefully. Why? Well, because it tends to be leaner it can be tough if not prepared correctly.
So, in my quest to find a butcher, I stumbled upon London broil. And you know what I learned? London broil is not a cut of beef! It refers to the preparation method. The cut is actually a top round steak which is a boneless piece of meat from the rear of a cow. It has a lot of flavor and, like grass-fed beef, needs to be prepared in a certain way so it doesn’t become tough. Who knew?
I decided to give this cut a try and man am I happy I did! When prepared correctly, this cut is really quite juicy and flavorful. While it may not have all the potential benefits of grass-fed beef, it’s a lean cut of meat, which means less saturated fat, and most definitely can be part of a healthy way of eating.
Oh – and you know what else? It’s very inexpensive. Sounds like a win-win situation if you ask me. So go ahead throw a steak on the grill this 4th of July! And I think this would be great with my Roasted Potato and Radish Salad. Oh, oops. I just can’t stay away from sneaking vegetables in there someplace.
Have you tried London broil or grass-fed beef?
- 1 lb. London broil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lemon
- salt and pepper
- For the marinade:
- Place the garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil in a plastic bag.
- Season front and back of steak with salt and pepper then place in plastic bag with marinade.
- Let the meat marinate 1 hour to 24 hours.
- Cooking:
- Allow meat to come to room temperature before cooking.
- Preheat grill or grill pan.
- Remove steak from marinade and place on hot grill or grill pan. Cook about 3 minutes each side for a 2 - 2½ inch piece of meat.
- Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
- While meat is resting, grill the lemon for about 2 minutes (until it gets slightly charred)
- After meat has rested, cut diagonally along the bias. Reserve any juices and pour back over the meat. Squeeze lemon over the cut meat.