London Broil For a Charcoal Grill
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1¼ hours, plus 4 hours salting
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Tasters preferred bottom round for this recipe. While top round can be substituted, it is harder to get an even sear on its less uniform surface. We do not recommend cooking London broil beyond medium-rare. For the best texture, use a carving or slicing knife and cut the steak into very thin slices. (If you're stuck with a dull chef's knife, first cut the steak in half lengthwise, as shorter slices are easier to cut.) If desired, serve with Sweet and Smoky Grilled Tomato Salsa or Chimichurri Sauce (see related recipes).
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (steak can be salted and refrigerated for up to 24 hours).
- Fill large pot or bucket with 1 gallon warm water (about 100 degrees). Place wrapped steak into zipper-lock plastic bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag tightly. Place steak in water, covering with plate or bowl to keep bag submerged. Set aside for 1 hour.
- About 20 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, or about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are covered in thin, gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and build modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one-half of grill with other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush.
- Remove steak from water and unwrap; brush both sides with oil (salt will have dissolved) and sprinkle evenly with pepper. Grill steak directly over coals, flipping steak with tongs once every minute, until dark brown crust forms on both sides, about 8 minutes. Move steak to cooler side of grill; cover grill and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of steak registers 120 degrees for rare to medium-rare, about 5 minutes, flipping steak halfway through cooking time.
- Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest, tented with foil, about 10 minutes. Holding thin slicing knife at 45-degree angle to meat (see photo below), slice very thinly and serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 4 hours saltingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
When developing a great grilled London broil recipe, we gave the steaks a salt rubdown, which brought out the beefy flavors and masked the liver-y ones that sometimes develop when inexpensive cuts of meat are grilled. We then wrapped the beef tightly in plastic wrap and submerged it in warm water for the last hour of salting, which raised the temperature of the meat and so shortened the cooking time, giving the fatty acids in the meat less time to break down into off-tasting compounds. Slicing the meat diagonally into ultra-thin slices dramatically diminished chewiness in our grilled London Broil recipe.
Before You Begin
Tasters preferred bottom round for this recipe. While top round can be substituted, it is harder to get an even sear on its less uniform surface. We do not recommend cooking London broil beyond medium-rare. For the best texture, use a carving or slicing knife and cut the steak into very thin slices. (If you're stuck with a dull chef's knife, first cut the steak in half lengthwise, as shorter slices are easier to cut.) If desired, serve with Sweet and Smoky Grilled Tomato Salsa or Chimichurri Sauce (see related recipes).
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (steak can be salted and refrigerated for up to 24 hours).
- Fill large pot or bucket with 1 gallon warm water (about 100 degrees). Place wrapped steak into zipper-lock plastic bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag tightly. Place steak in water, covering with plate or bowl to keep bag submerged. Set aside for 1 hour.
- About 20 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, or about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are covered in thin, gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and build modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one-half of grill with other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush.
- Remove steak from water and unwrap; brush both sides with oil (salt will have dissolved) and sprinkle evenly with pepper. Grill steak directly over coals, flipping steak with tongs once every minute, until dark brown crust forms on both sides, about 8 minutes. Move steak to cooler side of grill; cover grill and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of steak registers 120 degrees for rare to medium-rare, about 5 minutes, flipping steak halfway through cooking time.
- Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest, tented with foil, about 10 minutes. Holding thin slicing knife at 45-degree angle to meat (see photo below), slice very thinly and serve.
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