Monday, November 8, 2010

London Broil marinade and cooking steaks that you can chew. Really.

No this isn't MY dinner plate but I did make homemade mashed potatoes!
I make chewy steaks. I admit it. I am terrible at it. It isn't even the method of cooking (broil or grill), it's the selection of the right meat and the right seasonings. I'd rather pay $30 for a steak out than $8 for one at home that no one can chew.

Friends have tried to help me. Like any normal American, I reached out to my 200 "best" friends on Facebook for their advice. The most popular tip had to do with using lots of kosher salt to age the steak and tenderize it.  I tried the "salt it until it begs for water" technique (seen here) last week. This was one of those "we swear this will work" and "take it from me this is GUARANTEED." 

Disaster. 

The results were our tongues stuck to the roof of our mouth from the salt taste. I don't care how many times you rinse and pat dry a steak, letting it sit for an hour with that much kosher salt on it is going to leech salt into the meat. My steaks did not turn from super market to "Gucci." Gucci does not make steaks, as far as I know, but they make a lot of leather goods. I'm just sayin'.

So last night I tried something new. I bought London broil and used this marinade from my SIL because I really liked how hers turned out.

Then learned my SIL hadn't used it on London Broil at all, but flank steak. Is this important? I didn't know. I called my mom.

Mom kindly told me she'd not made a London Broil in 30 years and the last one was so tough she threw it out. Thanks mom!

What the heck, I tried it anyway.
Marinade
3/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
3 scallions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
18 oz lean London Broil

Marinade steak at least 2 hours.

I substituted green onions and let it sit for 4 hours. (I also stabbed it 800 times with a fork, kneaded it like bread and banged on it a fair bit with a meat tenderizer). Sufficiently tortured, I broiled it until rare on high under an electric broiler and then sliced it on an angle, against the grain, PAPER THIN. It didn't turn out really rare despite the thermometer. I'd say it was more medium rare, but I didn't want to over cook it.
And it was good. No it, was REALLY GOOD. And you could CHEW it.  All of us. Even the kids!

You should make this.

Take it from me this is GUARANTEED....




2 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I love London Broil and flanks. I'll definitely try your marinade. But, I must admit, I'm really curious about this salting thing. I'll have to give it a shot just for the hell of it!

Weekend Cowgirl said...

You are cracking me up!

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