Beef Question

[Mister Bushice]

I don't cook too much beef, so I'm not real familiar with some cuts. Perhaps some of you beefaronis can help me.

I cooked a london broil steak last night, and it's got me head scratchin'.

It was about 2.75 pounds. I marinated it in a teriyaki marinade for 35 minutes, then I put it in a glass pan covered with foil, and cooked it for about an hour at 350, and the taste was great but the meat was dry, and not as tender as I expected it to be.

How could I have cooked this cut so that it came out tender and juicy? I cook pork roasts all the time for far longer periods of time without marinade and they come out perfect.

[Goober McTuber]

I believe you were supposed to make fajitas out of it.

Sincerely,

Kendra


Seriously, you don’t bake it. It goes on a hot grill, then you slice it very thin across the grain. It’s also a good cut to make jerky out of. Never mind, you already did that.

[Dinsdale]

You didn't cook a london broil, you cooked a chunk of top round.

Sin,
What part of "broil" did you not understand?

[Goober McTuber]

Could also have been a flank steak, BTW.

[indyfrisco]

While one CAN make a london broil edible, I would never mess with it. I really don't like it. But yeah, Dins is correct. If you want to cook that leather, broil it on the top rack on high for about 7 minutes, flip it and do the same on the other side. Cut across the grain.

There's a reason london broils are so cheap...

[Mister Bushice]

Lots of recipes on the interwebs mentioned the foil thing. Thought I'd give it a shot.

What part of "broil" did you not understand?

It also said "London". Should I have hopped aboard a jet and flown across the pond?

[indyfrisco]

Oh and one ore thing on the broil, you may want to be careful not to put something too "sugary" on it as a marinade (such as terryaki). Otherwise, it will burn the sugars when you broil.

What I have done is taken an oil, such as vegetable, and cooked garlic and onion in the oil for awhile just so you can infuse the oil with the garlic and onion flavors. Then, I'll take that garlic/onion infused oil and mix it with S&P and marinate the meat in there for awhile. Be sure to "fork" the meat so it can absorb the flavors a little more. Then you can broil it.

If you want the terryaki flavor, I'd baste a little on after the broil while it is resting before you cut into it.

[Dinsdale]

No, not one credible recipe on the interwebs mentioned foil for london broil, since it's a cooking technique, not a cut of meat... and it doesn't involve baking or foil.

And do you fly to Germany when you make hamburgers? Whatever.

When a grocery store butcher labels something "london broil," it translates to "wow, we scored some really shitty beef, and here's the toughest chunks of the round for you... cheap."


It's been a few years, but when I've done london broils, first you marinate, since the beef sucks. I'm usually not a big marinating guy, but when the situation dictates, might as well.

After you take it out of the marinade, let it sit a while at room temp, out to dry.

When it comes time to cook it, first get a skillet crankin-smokin hot. Slap it in there to sear it. You can kinda sorta tell when beef is seared because the sound of the "sizzle" changes a little. Should take around 30 seconds on a crazy-hot pan. Flip it over and do the other side. Then, you immediately put it under the broiler with the oven rack as close to the element as possible.

Now, maybe I'm an old-school london broiler, but I've always just broiled the living poo out of one side, until it's borderline-burnt.

That's it -- no flipping. Keeps it a little more moist, and you get varying textures from the top of the flank to the bottom.

If it's going on the bbq, do the same, only you can sear it on the coals, then cook one side thoroughly, with the lid on/closed.


Although if it was me... I'd celebrate getting a cheap chunk of beef by slicing it up and stir frying it, which is a much better use of top round-imo.

[Headhunter]

I'm with Indy. I can't remember the Last time I was so poor I had to resort to eating London Broil, Gotta be better part of 20 years ago.


Life is too short to eat cheap meat.

[Goober McTuber]

And do you fly to Germany when you make hamburgers?

Why would you when it was invented up in God's Country? Seymour, Wisconsin, to be exact.

[indyfrisco]

I'm with Indy. I can't remember the Last time I was so poor I had to resort to eating London Broil, Gotta be better part of 20 years ago.


Life is too short to eat cheap meat.

I think what entices most people to buy the london broil (other than the 8 cents per pound) is the fact it LOOKS like a nice cut of meat with no marbling. I was a freshman in college the first time I bought one thinking WHOH! this looks as marble free as a tenderloin! I was pretty pissed when I grilled it medium rare and couldn't cut into it with a scalpal.

I figured out how to cook them and still didn't like it.

London Broils remind me of that old film where the mime was so poor in the depression he ate the sole of a shoe and kept chewing on nails. I bet the nails tasted better than the London Broil boot he thought he was eating.

[Goober McTuber]

Again, a London Broil could easily be a flank steak. When people buy a London Broil in your area, does it come already marinated?

[indyfrisco]

Goobs,

Maybe it is a regional thing, but where I'm from, this is a london broil:



And this is a flank steak:



Flank steaks are nowhere near as thick as a LB. What someone may CALL a flank vs. me may be different. To me, they are completely different cuts of meat.

[Dinsdale]

To me, they are completely different cuts of meat.

OK, I'll type really slowly this time...

London broil is a cooking technique, not a specific cut of meat.


If after reading that you're still struggling with the big words, let me know and I'll see if I can type even more slowly.

[Headhunter]

Did a little googling and learned what I should have known in the first place. Trust what Dins said.

Turns out that most credible sources call London Broil a cooking technique, and even go as far as calling butchers who label "any" cut London broil as unscrupulous.

My first hand experience is that "london Broil" from a butcher looks like what Indy posted. Keep in mind that in Texas, a flank steak is typically used for Fajitas, so it's a cut most likely to be thin. I'm guessing the shit labeled London Broil around these parts is really top round, another cheap cut of meat I pass right by in the store.

[Dinsdale]

I'm guessing the shit labeled London Broil around these parts is really top round, another cheap cut of meat I pass right by in the store.

Alright for stir-fry, excellent for jerky. Or ground up for burgers if it's on sale cheap enough -- at least it isn't what's swept of the cutting floor like the house ground beef.

[Goober McTuber]

The only round I’ve ever cooked was round steak (same piece of meat I’m sure, just cut thinner, say ½” or so). I’ve braised that stuff with excellent results. Tender, flavorful, and makes its own gravy.

And good juicy burgers should be made from ground chuck. Ground round is too lean.

[Mister Bushice]

Oh and one ore thing on the broil, you may want to be careful not to put something too "sugary" on it as a marinade (such as terryaki). Otherwise, it will burn the sugars when you broil.

What I have done is taken an oil, such as vegetable, and cooked garlic and onion in the oil for awhile just so you can infuse the oil with the garlic and onion flavors. Then, I'll take that garlic/onion infused oil and mix it with S&P and marinate the meat in there for awhile. Be sure to "fork" the meat so it can absorb the flavors a little more. Then you can broil it.

If you want the terryaki flavor, I'd baste a little on after the broil while it is resting before you cut into it.

Thanks for the advice. First time I've cooked any beef in a long time. I'm not a real big big beef eater. I like the idea of using the oil garlic and onion as a marinade, though.

[Mister Bushice]

I'm with Indy. I can't remember the Last time I was so poor I had to resort to eating London Broil, Gotta be better part of 20 years ago.


Life is too short to eat cheap meat.

I don't know much about beef, frankly. I rarely eat or cook it. I wouldn't have known that london broil is a cheap meat. I was stuck with the cooking duties on a day I had no time to spare figuring out how to cook it, so I mad scientisted it. :)

And YES the store labels it "London Broil", Dins.

No, not one credible recipe on the interwebs mentioned foil for london broil,

Credible or not, there are quite a few. Here's one I found on a simple one stop google search using the words "london broil"

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,13 ... 92,00.html

[indyfrisco]

To me, they are completely different cuts of meat.

OK, I'll type really slowly this time...

London broil is a cooking technique, not a specific cut of meat.


If after reading that you're still struggling with the big words, let me know and I'll see if I can type even more slowly.

Well, I saw it labeled as London Broil long ago and that's just what I called it. When I see that cut of meat on the rack, my eyes scroll past it faster than a Risa post. Whatever it is technically called, I don't buy/eat it anymore.

[indyfrisco]

I'm not a real big big beef eater.

And eating London Broils will keep you away from it. Just trying to help.

[Mister Bushice]

No shit. :)

Live and learn.

So what cuts of beef do you buy?

When I was younger, more physically active and less of a lazy slob than I am now, I avoided beef because I always felt so sluggish for a whole day after eating it. I probably ran a stretch of 8-10 years where I ate no beef at all. I'll eat it on occasion now, but it usually isn't on the list for when I'm the cook.

[Dinsdale]

So what cuts of beef do you buy?

Beef is one of those "you get what you pay for" deals, really.

I mean, a tenderloin roast is the shizzy... and is gold-plated.

Regular rib roast is excellent, if cooked properly(try that one in the smoker-que...MMMMMMMM).

Tri-tip often provides a happy medium with bang-for-the-buck.

And don't ever marinate good beef. Save that for the cheap shit.


If you want to do a good roast, and are inexperienced(or experienced, for that matter) a cheap meat thermometer is a great investment. Cheaper than a roast, which makes it a good buy on insurance.

[War Wagon]

So what cuts of beef do you buy?

T-bone's, Porterhouses, Rib-eyes, KC Strips, Baby Back Ribs, Brisket's... if it can be BBQ'd, I can cook it to perfection. Dins is correct about not marinating the best cuts, except for Ribs. It never hurts to marinate either beef or pork ribs.

I probably ran a stretch of 8-10 years where I ate no beef at all. I'll eat it on occasion now, but it usually isn't on the list for when I'm the cook.

Well, that would explain why you're such a chickenshit pussy, I reckon.

Oh, and Goober? Get back to slaving over a hot stove with your tuna noodle casserole recipe's, beyotch. Nobody gives a fuck what some apron wearing nancy boy like yourself thinks about cooking real food.

[RadioFan]

Life is too short to eat cheap meat.

Or watch it cook.

-- Igaze Cackos


Btw, wtf is "London Broil," exactly? I don't seem to have had the displeasure ...

A decent beef roast, on the other hand, slow-cooked with a bit of water and some sherry or red wine and spices, regularly basted ... pure heaven. That is, if you have six hours or more to check it every once in a while.

[Goober McTuber]

Oh, and Goober? Get back to slaving over a hot stove with your tuna noodle casserole recipe's, beyotch. Nobody gives a fuck what some apron wearing nancy boy like yourself thinks about cooking real food.

Whitey,

I've forgotten more about cooking then you'll ever know. Your food prep skills are confined to whatever you can remember from "Eating Dick For Dummies".

[War Wagon]

It's a real bitch when you start to forget stuff.

[Mikey]

Damn...26 posts and nobody has it right yet.

London broil is usually considered to be a top round steak. Yeah Dins it *may* be a way of cooking, but the first picture that Indyfrisco posted is what has been London broil since I was eating my mom's cooking.

It is a cheap, tough, piece of meat, but it's inexpensive and very good if done right. And it's pretty damn simple to do it right.

You've got to marinade it AT LEAST overnight. Here's what I use:

about 2/3 cooking oil (can be EVOO or regular salad oil like canola)
1/3 red wine vinegar
garlic
salt
pepper.

Start with a nice thick piece of meat because you're going to be slicing it "on the bias". That means across the grain at about a 45 degree angle.

Combine the garlic (it can be dried flakes, fresh or whatever) salt, pepper and vinegar and shake in a salad dressing cruet. Then add the oil and shake again. Put the meat in a large zip lock bag, pour the marinade over it, squeeze out the air and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. 36 hours is even better. 50 won't hurt. The longer you marinate it the more flavor it picks up and the more it will tenderize. You can also just put it in a large glass dish and cover in the fridge. When you're ready to cook it, pull it out of the fridge for at least an hour to bring it close to room temperature

Now, you don't bake it, pan fry it, braise it OR oven broil it. You've got to grill it.

Heat up your grill so it's really hot. One nice thing about this cut of meat is that it has almost no fat so you don't have to worry about flare ups. Cook it for about 6 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. It should be REALLY WELL seared on the outside (not charred, but close) and very rare in the center.

Take it off the grill and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Cut it very thin "on the bias". It will be quite juicy and it'll have a really good flavor. It's tough if you cut it too thick...just don't do that. Serve with a simple green salad with Italian dressing and baked potatoes.

I've been cooking it this way for years and my whole family loves it. Believe me if it wasn't good they wouldn't be asking for it because there are plenty of other things that I do pretty well.

[Goober McTuber]

Damn...26 posts and nobody has it right yet.

London broil is usually considered to be a top round steak. Yeah Dins it *may* be a way of cooking, but the first picture that Indyfrisco posted is what has been London broil since I was eating my mom's cooking.

In your experience, Mikey. Do a little bit of googling. London Broil is a cooking method, and flank steak is mentioned almost as often as round. And somebody should ask Whitey what part of the cow the baby back ribs come from.

[indyfrisco]

So what cuts of beef do you buy?

I only buy two cuts of beef. Beef tenderloin and T-Bones. I will not eat any other kind. I eat 2 filets a week on average. I buy a whole tenderloin, cut the silverskin off and make about 14 oz. steaks, wrap in bacon with some rub on them, use the foodsaver to seal them, fridge overnight to absorb the rub seasoning, then freeze. I don't give a shit what the yahoos say about freezing meat. When I seal it in the foodsaver bags, I can't tell the difference.

As for the T-Bones, I buy them only a couple times a year. I make sure to get the thick cut ones. The T-Bone has part tenderloin and part strip. They are much cheaper than the tenderloin so I usually get these if I have a crowd coming over to the house for dinner. Damn good cut of meat but is only about $9/lb vs. $17/lb on the tenderloin.

[indyfrisco]

And somebody should ask Whitey what part of the cow the baby back ribs come from.

Shi. Beat me to it. Was reading down the thread and just about quoted that. Good thing I finished the thread.

[Goober McTuber]

I have a little neighborhood store that I visit mostly for their meat department. Their black angus tenderloins are all bacon-wrapped, and $21.99 a pound. Cracks me up that anyone would buy one of those without making them take that bacon off. Something about paying $22 per pound for bacon that just doesn’t seem right.

Of course, I’d never pay that much for tenderloin, either. Fortunately, they started carrying steer tenderloins at $9.99 a pound, $8.99 if you buy a whole loin. I buy tenderloin for the wife. New York strip is a much tastier steak.

[indyfrisco]

I once put a tenderloin through the grinder with bacon and made hamburgers with it. I served them at an A&M tailgate party. My best friend came up and said, "Damn, these are good burgers. Where'd you get them?" I told him I ground them myself with a tenderloin and bacon. He said, "If you ever do that to a tenderloin again I'm going to punch you in the face." He meant it too.

[Mikey]

Damn...26 posts and nobody has it right yet.

London broil is usually considered to be a top round steak. Yeah Dins it *may* be a way of cooking, but the first picture that Indyfrisco posted is what has been London broil since I was eating my mom's cooking.

In your experience, Mikey. Do a little bit of googling. London Broil is a cooking method, and flank steak is mentioned almost as often as round. And somebody should ask Whitey what part of the cow the baby back ribs come from.

Are you questioning the wisdom of my (sainted) mother?

:x

If I see you I will definitely fight you.

[Dinsdale]

I guess I didn't type quite slowly enough for Mikey.

I was stating fact, which isn't open to your "opinion."

Although, don't get me wrong -- your TOP ROUND recipe sounds quite tasty, except I have no use for the vinegar, and would use straight red wine instead.


I'm not sure where you figured that a cooking technique known as "BROILING" involves "you've got to grill it."

Hello?


And I'm sticking by my guns that real "london broil" involves only broiling one side, till it's well done on top, and medium rare on the bottom(sear the bottom, though).


And frankly, I think a lot of it depends on the cow it came from. I've had super-tasty london broils, and I've had old-boot london broils. Mikey is quite correct in saying the longer the marinate the better, though. An hour or two ain't gonna do shit.

[Mister Bushice]

Don't be so anal about this London Broil thing, Dins. No one here is saying it isn't a cooking method, however every store here in Cali sells a cut of meat called London Broil, and ever since I was a kid Me own Sainted Mudda also referred to the cut of meat she bought at the store that was labeled by the store as "London Broil", London Broil.

Of course she always made it come out awesome. I probably should have called her up beforehand.

[Goober McTuber]

My mother is an excellent old-school, down home type cook. When I started to cook for myself, whenever I thought about cooking something that my mother had made, I always asked her for her recipe. It always made a good starting point.

My mother never made London Broil. Maybe because she’s Irish.

[Mister Bushice]

Hey Me Mudder is Irish too. She had to let her hatred of the Brits go, though. :)

She grew up as a kid during the depression, and she learned to make do with whatever they could afford. When we were kids we had what we needed, but we weren't rich. Feeding a lot of kids was a constant challenge for my parents, since they also sent us to private catholic school. She bought what was on sale and worked magic with it.

[War Wagon]

She grew up as a kid during the depression, and she learned to make do with whatever they could afford. When we were kids we had what we needed, but we weren't rich. Feeding a lot of kids was a constant challenge for my parents, since they also sent us to private catholic school.

Wow. Same here, except my mother was born from German immigrants (don't tell mvscal) and my dad came over from Scotland in 1928 when he was 12 years old. Mom grew up on a farm outside Seneca, Kansas during the 20's and 30's, and they literally had to scratch their livelihood out of the dirt. No running water, no electricity, no phone.

Mom could never let one oz. of food go to waste, and that led to her being overweight later in life. If any of us 4 kids ever left any food on the dinner plate, she'd get an annoyed look on her face and then eat it herself. Leftovers and microwaves didn't exist.

Small world, and I refuse to spend one more minute in it trading ridiculously trite insults with you, mister.

Truce?

I'm going to go call my mother now. I haven't talked to her in a few days.

[Dinsdale]

my dad came over from Scotland in 1928 when he was 12 years old.

To persue a lucrative career in raising pigs to sell the beef?