Top-round steak, sometimes sold as “London broil” or topside, or flank steak, are the traditional cuts of beef used for London broil since they take well to marinades.
First a Little History
Despite its name, this beef dish does not come from London, England. In fact, the meal isn’t even served there. The etymology of the name is unknown, but it’s actually a North American creation—believed to have started in my current hometown – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1931.
The original method of the London Broil was using a flank steak that was pan-fried medium rare and then cut across the grain to be served. This basic method eventually evolved to include marinating the flank steak and broiling it—hence the name. Now, we tend to grill London Broil instead of pan frying or broiling it.
Traditionally, the marinade for this dish included a wide variety of ingredients, because chefs in those days pulled anything they had on hand in the kitchen to season the dish, rather than abide by a specific recipe. Today, people commonly use a mixture of olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, and ginger to marinate the London Broil.
A London broil used to be an inexpensive meal, but with the popularity of flank steak and skirt steak resulting in higher prices, London Broil is not a cheap meal anymore. It’s not filet mignon expensive, but costs a lot more than ground beef. You can generally buy a piece of meat suitable for a London broil for just under $10 per pound.
I remember not too many years ago butchers had a hard time selling these cuts and would just about give it away. Then came our obsession with Fajitas and the price skyrocketed.
Is London Broil a Meat Cut or Cooking Technique?
There are many common misconceptions about London broil and what exactly it is. When I was a kid, my mother would make London Broil for our family on occasion. She would walk into our local butcher, ask for “London broil,” and was inevitably handed a piece of top-round or flank steak.
She would bring home the “London Broil” cut and typically cook it under the broiler until it was totally overcooked, then my father would cut it, and we would sit down and try to get it down with a gallon of milk. Her mistake? She never marinated the meat.
A London Broil is similar to the cut of beef used in a fajita. Fajitas are grilled strips of meat (often skirt steak) that are marinated and wrapped in a tortilla. For both dishes, you can take pretty much any kind of meat, marinate it, cook it, and then slice it thin.
Here’s the deal: my mother may have asked the butcher for something specifically labeled “London Broil” but that can refer to any of the lean, tougher cuts like top round, sirloin tip, chuck shoulder, or flank steak.
The reality is, London broil is really a way to prepare meat and a style of cooking.
I did a little research and will share with you what I learned and some tips on how to prepare it.
What is a London Broil? Mystery beef cuts identified | Jess Pryles
FAQ
Is there another name for London broil?
What is London broil called in the store?
What is the real name for London broil?
What is the London broil meat equivalent?
What is London broil?
London broil, despite what you might find at the local meat market, is not a cut of beef. Rather it is a method of cooking a steak. It was one of the first recipes to become popular in early restaurants in the United States and so the name London broil became synonymous with a cut of meat.
What is London broil steak?
“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.
Is London broil a real beef?
It’s a bit of a misnomer: Supermarkets may label beef as London broil, but there is no actual piece of meat with that name. “It is often cut from the round, or leg muscles, of the beef, but the best London broil is cut from the top round, which is relatively tender and has great flavor,” says Thomason. As for the name? No one is sure.
What kind of beef is used for London broil?
The sirloin or round portions of beef, which range in size from a 1-inch steak to a 4-inch roast, are typically used to market London broil. All of these cuts share the characteristics of being lean and being generally tougher.