So what part of the cow is “London broil?” Technically, it’s not a cut of meat, but a method of preparing it by marinating it and then pan-frying (or broiling) it to medium rare. Wanna hear a good one? “London broil” is unknown in England. It was devised by Americans to tenderize flank steak, a meat that is normally quite tough; it morphed into “London broil” as a “cut” in butcher shops later on. True flank steak is from the wrong part of the cow for kosher consumers, but our kosher butchers cheerfully label just about any cut of meat that is lean (and not naturally tender) as “London broil.” So don’t ask what part of the cow it comes from. The answers will only confuse you. Suffice it to say that you can take this relatively inexpensive meat and give it the royal treatment.
Before baking this baby, you sear it without adding oil to the pan. No oil because there’s enough liquid from the marinade, and it caramelizes nicely to make a delectable crust. Serve it rare to medium rare along with the roasted onions: elegant to the max! It’s a nice change for your Shabbos dinner menu, without much work.
This is the ultimate marinade that works incredible on London Broil and many other cuts of meat. The onions are an automatic bonus side dish that makes this recipe great for a special weeknight dinner, holiday feast or Shabbat menu.
Related: The Perfect Bistro Style Steak
Balsamic London Broil with Roasted Onions
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 2 ½ -pound London broil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium red onions peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 medium yellow onions peeled and cut into wedges
- 8 medium shallots peeled and cut in half
Instructions
- In a large resealable bag, combine meat with garlic, balsamic and ¼ cup olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine onions, shallots and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on a large sheet pan and roast 40 to 50 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, remove meat from refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking. Season meat with salt and pepper all over. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat and sear London broil 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Transfer meat to oven and cook for about 12 to 18 minutes or until a thermometer reads 130°F for medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- To serve place sliced roast on a large platter and garnish with roasted onions.
Yes, that would work. I don’t have a specific thermometer to recommend, just having one is great. Most of them only last so long, so I like to alway have two.
Hi in my post I said 9 by 12 pan also I meant a aluminum type pan, thanks!
Hi Can I put the london broil in a 9 by 12 pan to sear in the oven instead of a ovenproof skillet. Your recipes are healthy and amazing thanks. Can u also recommend a good thermometer for checking meat if done.
You can put it in the oven, but it would be better if you could sear in a
pan and then transfer it to a casserole. The sear will build a crust and give the meat depth of flavor.
Enjoy!
If this is Rebecca Russo from Chicago, HI! Hope you are well :).
Thanks! And hi, hope you are well, too! 🙂
If I don’t have an ovenproof skillet, could I skip the searing step and just cook in the oven?
Oh Bella!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for letting us know AND for sharing your Shabbos tips. So happy DH is enJOYing!!!!
This recipe has become a staple in our home for Fri Night Dinner. I’ve done several other London Broil recipes .. but my DH always come back to requesting this one. Typically I will make Fri. Let it sit.. Wrap uncut in foil to put on the blech to warm .. and only cut just before serving. Comes out deliciously pink and flavorful. Though I’ll admit I don’t usually serve it with all the onions.
YAY YAY YAY!!!
hey Liron yes you can add it without worrying — I don’t think you need it 🙂 but it won’t ruin the flavor profile – it’s a nice complement.
i’m trying this out for the first time….someone recommended I add a bit of brown sugar to negate the sourness of the balsamic vinegar. do you think I “could” add it without ruining the flavor profile? or just skip it and stick to the original? I’m just afraid the meat will come out super sour
Hi Penina, I have found that you can absolutely over marinate when it comes to really acidic marinades like this balsamic recipe — the meat will be super dry (read BAD! 🙂 I am fearful that if you marinate and then freeze the meat will be sitting in the balsamic too long both until it freezes and as it comes to room temp before you sear and cook it. So in this case I advise against freezing it. Sorry I know as a busy mom I tend to gravitate toward recipes that can be prepped or even semi-prepped in advance but this is just not one of those recipes.
I really love this recipe. I was wondering if I would be able to marinate and then freeze?
HI Cegeiger, I asked our meat expert, Sharon Lurie from South Africa and here is her response:
If she wants to roast it on her revolving rotisserie roaster I would suggest she places the pan of onions underneath the roast so that the juices from the meat drip into the onion tray. I would roast it on the rotisserie for about 45 mins – 1 hr. Remember it’s thicker once rolled and tied up.
I would increase the balsamic vinegar to 1 cup, oil to 1/3 of a cup, wouldn’t increase salt, but would use large onions rather than medium for the larger size. Extra coarsely ground black pepper is a must for this cut, especially as it’s cooked at quite a high temp. Works so well with the caramelised crust on the meat.
If she just wants to roast it in the oven, I would suggest she brown it on all sides either on the Bbq or stove top and then roast that size for about 40 – 45 minutes or until internal temp achieved. Remember it’s rolled so it will take longer to cook. Hope this helps.
No longer than 6 hours – I once made the mistake of overnight and the meat was tough and the flavor too overbearing.
Will this method work for a Rotisserie Roast (rolled and tied London Broil)? Would I need to double the ingredients? How long would a 4lb rolled and tied roast need to bake?
Can you marinate more than 6 hours — overnight? 24 hours?
It refers to the texture – that it’s soft like butter or melts in your mouth like butter – it’s a texture thing not a taste thing.
HOW CAN MEAT TASTE LIKE BUTTER ?? WHY DO PEOLPLE KEEP SAYING THAT ??
made this for friday night, and it came out amazing! really great instructions coming from a london broil first timer. was soft as butter and perfect!
Transfer meat to 400 F oven and cook for about 12 to 18 minutes or until a thermometer reads 130 F for medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Could i do this with a delmonico roast and bake it at 325 F
Yes – but note that you are going with the low and slow method. Meaning 15-20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees F. But, having said that, the oven temp and cook time is not as important as the internal temp — if you like your roast rare cook it to ~130 degrees F internal temp as measured with a meat thermometer.
You don’t state whether we bake the london broil in the oven, or, broil it after having seared both sides.
If it is bake, at what temperature do we do so? Can’t wait to try it. Happy Thanksgiving!
This was one of the best recipes ever. It was luscious. I usede a hangar instead of a tenderloin and it worked very well.Thanks for the great recipe!!!!
SO HAPPY!!!
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. is correct – thank you.
Either the ingredients or instructions are wrong as to how much olive oil is needed: ingredients say 1 cup + 1 Tbsp, instructions say 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp.