London (Broil) Baby

I used to think that posting a recipe was tantamount to committing blogger suicide—at least for someone trying to be taken even remotely seriously. Not that I am, but in case I was, I don’t care to burn my bridges just for a good steak. Somehow though, Treppenwitz was able to post not only a recipe of chopped liver, but pictures of him preparing it, and people still respected him in the morning. I wonder if the gun had anything to do with that.

In any event, I'll bite the bullet (yowzers) this once and share this awesomely simple and delicious recipe with y'all. If you're wondering why I suddenly feel the need to share--well, that's because you're not one of the three people who asked me for this recipe tonight. At three separate times. If indeed this fame is well deserved, the why not spread the good cheer? So on to the good stuff...

Top 5 reasons to make this steak:

1. It’s inexpensive (for meat),
2. it’s finger-lickin` good,
3. prep time is less than 5 minutes,
   
4. can pass for gourmet cooking,
5. get your vegetarian friends jealous.
   

Top 5, err... only 5 Ingredients:

1. 1 slab london broil (most butchers package them ~ 2 lbs, ~ $15)
2. Soy Sauce
3. Mustard
4. Honey
5. Toasted Sesame Oil
   

Instructions in 5 easy steps:

1. Remove meat from package and wash.
2. Combine remaining ingredients (in equal amounts) and coarse black pepper to taste, and mix. (If your soy sauce is low sodium, add salt.)
3. Pour sauce over the meat in a pan large enough to fit the meat end to end without folding. (Marinating for a few hours is a tasty option, but the key word is optional because it’s also great when made right away.)
4. Put pan under broiler (my oven goes to 500) and broil. To get it perfectly medium rare, allow one side to get brown on the edges (about 10 minutes for a standard slab), turn over and broil for another 5 minutes, just until the surface pink turns brown.
5. Remove from sauce and cool slightly before slicing. Slice diagonally against the grain, about ¼ of an inch thick. Serve with marinade poured on top.
   

Serves 4 adults for main course.

5 variations on the theme:

1. Substitute turkey breast for meat and add orange juice to the marinade.
2. Substitute maple syrup for honey for a more interesting sweetness.
3. In a pinch, forget the marinade and just rub the London broil with black pepper, fresh garlic and a squirt of soy sauce--tastes great too.
4. Use this marinade with added lapsong souchong tea and ketchup for turkey, chicken, cornish hens or capon. The tea gives the poultry a smoky flavor and the ketchup a beautiful glaze.
5. Slice super thin with an electric knife and treat like healthy cold cuts.
   

This isn’t the most original recipe, but it's fool proof, affordable, and always a hit. Because london broil is a thin flat cut, it’ll defrost quickly for last minute dinners. Even the guys can make this one. Strong mustard and red wine will only make things better.