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How To Tenderize A London Broil

London Broil is actually not a cut of beef. It’s a method of cooking a steak. It was one of the first restaurant steak dishes to become popular in the United States. This popularity made people think the meat was called London Broil. However, the name refers to how the beef is cooked, not the meat itself. Where the dish originated is unknown, but it wasn’t in London, England. A London Broil is a lean and tough steak, usually Flank, that’s marinated and either grilled or broiled over high heat. Because London Broil starts off as a tough cut of beef, it’s very important to tenderize the meat before you cook it. The best way to tenderize London Broil is by pounding it with a spiked mallet and marinading in an acid based marinade.

Tenderizing a London Broil makes it easier to chew while maximizing its flavor. To cook a great London broil, steak is marinated before broiling or grilling, and then cut it into thin slices. Flank is a tough, lean meat that’s easy to dry out. Marinade not only softens the beef but also imbues it with flavor and juices.

Pounding the meat with a spiked mallet tenderizes the beef and creates small dimples. These dimples allow the marinade to penetrate deeper into the beef with makes it softer and more flavorful.

Flank steak comes from the lower abdominal muscle just below the tenderloin. This area gets lots of exercise during the cow’s life which makes the meat tough and lean. But when cooked as a London Broil with a proper marinade, the meat can become tender enough to cut with a fork.

When you’re ready to slice your London Broil, make sure to do it against the grain. This makes the meat easier to chew.

What Makes London Broil Tough & Chewy?

Steaks are actually muscles cut from a cow. Muscles that get lots of work during the cow’s life are denser and have less fat marbling. This makes them tougher and harder to chew. But areas of a cow that don’t get much exercise are softer with more marbling. This makes the meat tender and flavorful.

London Broil is typically made with Flank Steak, which is a tough cut of beef.

  • Muscles located around the top of the animal, around the backbone and ribs, don’t get much exercise so the meat is soft and tender with more marbling. These are your high-end cuts like prime rib, tenderloin, porterhouse, etc. Unfortunately these areas tend to be smaller, so an entire cow only provides a few prime steaks. Hence the high price tag for the meat.
  • The working parts of the animal, like the legs, neck and lower muscles, get more exercise so the meat is tough and sinewy with more strips of fat and less marbling. There are more tough cuts on a cow than tender cuts so the price is much lower. These include chuck, brisket, skirt, flank, etc.

Muscle is made up of long strings of connective tissue called fibers. Surrounding the muscle fibers are a thin gelatinous substance called collagen and fat.

Tenderizing beef before you cook it breaks down and weakens these fibers which makes the meat softer and more tender.

The primary ways a London Broil is tenderized is by pounding it with a spiked mallet followed by a marinade. The mallet creates small dimples which allow marinade to soak deeper into the meat. The marinade should contain acids which breaks down and softens tough muscle fibers and connective tissue.

Pounding a London Broil and a marinade both tenderize meat, but they do it in different ways. This is why using both methods together is so effective.

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The Best Way To Tenderize A London Broil

London Broil is typically made with Flank or a similar tough and lean cut of beef. So try to select the freshest cut of steak you can get with some amount of fat or marbling. Even among tough cuts of beef, some steaks are more tender than others.

Fat imparts flavor to the meat which can become dry after grilling or cooking at high temperatures. However, too much fat isn’t good for your health, and doesn’t add anything to the dish. Look for steak with some marbling rather than large chunks of fat on the sides.

Tenderizing a London Broil is done by beating it with a spiked meat tenderizer and then marinading it in an acid based marinade. Pounding the meat softens tough muscle fibers and connective tissue while creating small dimples. These dimples allow marinade to penetrate deeper into the beef.

  • Lightly wrap the meat in waxed paper or plastic and place it on a cutting board.
  • Using a spiked meat mallet, hit the London Broil hard enough to leave dimples in the meat.
  • Pound both sides of the meat evenly.
  • Remove meat from the wrap and place it into your marinade.

Once you tenderize the London Broil with your mallet, marinate it overnight in the refrigerator with an acid based marinade.

The best way to make a London Broil tender is by softening it with a meat mallet and then marinating it.

Which marinade you use is a personal preference, but I recommend using one with some acid or fruits. Try lemon, orange, wine, vinegar or other citrus fruits. Acids and enzymes found in many fruits naturally break down and soften tough muscle fibers and tissue.

Marinating time matters. I like to marinade my London Broils for at least 8 hours.

1. Tenderize London Broil With A Mallet

The best steaks used to make London Broil, like Flank, are flavorful but a bit lean and tough. So tenderizing the meat before you cook it is crucial if you want a tender London broil.

Keep in mind that the age of the cow, how they were raised and what they were fed effects the quality of the meat. Try to use the best quality beef you can because it will naturally be more tender.

The best way to tenderize a sirloin steak is by pounding it with a spiked meat mallet.

Repeatedly pound the steak on both sides. This not only tenderizes the beef but also creates small dimples which allows rubs, spices, sauces and marinades to penetrate deeper into the meat.

  • Wrap the beef in waxed paper or a plastic bag. This will contain the meats juices as you hit it.
  • Repeatedly pound the beef on both sides. This not only tenderizes the meat but also creates small dimples in the beef.
  • The blunt force of the mallet helps break the bonds which hold muscle fibers together.
  • Pounding the meat enhances the tenderizing effects of a marinade by opening up the beef’s muscle fibers.

As you pound the steak, tough muscle fibers are broken down and torn apart. This makes a London Broil softer, more tender and easier to chew.

Tips On How To Tenderize London Broil With A Mallet

Tenderizing London Broil with a meat mallet is easy to do. Here are some helpful tips if you’ve never done it before.

  • Wrap the beef in some wax paper or plastic wrap to avoid cross contamination of surfaces. You can tenderize meat without wrapping it, but make sure you clean up thoroughly afterwards.
  • Use a good quality dish-washer-safe cutting board that’s well sanitized.
  • Meat mallets come flat and spiked. The spiked end works better for tenderizing steak. The flat side is better if you want to flatten the meat a little.
  • Hit the beef hard with the mallet but not too hard. You don’t want to damage the meat. Hit it hard enough to form dimples but not hard enough to shrink the meat.
  • As you hit the beef you’ll notice dimples on the surface from the mallet spikes. This means you’re breaking down and penetrating into the muscle fibers. When you’re all done, turn the steak over and do the same on the other side.
  • If you hit the steak too hard it’ll start to get slimmer. You don’t want this to happen because the meat can get tougher when it’s compressed. Just hit it hard enough to form some deep dimples and break up the muscle fibers a bit.
  • Once both sides are pounded you’re all done.
  • Remove the steak from the wax paper or plastic wrap and place it in a marinade.

2. Tenderize London Broil With A Marinade

Marinade is essential to cooking a tender and flavorful London broil. But not just any marinade will tenderize a steak, it has to contain some acid like lemon, lime or kiwi.

The basic ingredients for a London Broil marinade are oil, an acidic solution and culinary herbs.

  • For the oil, I recommend olive oil.
  • Lemon juice, wine and vinegar serve as excellent acidic ingredients.
  • Culinary herbs include rosemary, garlic, onion and parsley.
  • Try seasonings like dry mustard, ground pepper and ground chili to taste.
  • Sauces like Soy, Teriyaki and Worcestershire can add flavor to your marinade.

Acids break down proteins and tough connective tissue which tenderizes the steak. Lemon juice, wine, vinegar, beer and soda are all strong tenderizers. Even liquids like buttermilk and yogurt will help tenderize meat because of their acidic qualities.

Before you soak your steak in a marinade, pound it with a spiked mallet first. Pounding meat with the spiked edge of a mallet breaks down tough muscle fibers and creates dimples which allow the marinade to penetrate deeper into the steak.

Marinade only tenderizes the surface of the meat it touches. So if you don’t pound the beef first you’ll only tenderize the outer edges with a marinade.

Here’s how you do it:

  • Place your steak in a food-safe container or plastic bag.
  • Add your favorite marinade over it. This works better if you pound the meat with a spiked mallet first.
  • Both sides of the steak should be bathed in marinade. Turn the steak over so both sides are soaked in liquid and spices.
  • Place the steak in the refrigerator.
  • Let the steak rest. The amount of time you marinade depends on the recipe and type of marinade you’re using.
  • Remove the steak and start cooking.

Either use a clean paper towel to blot the steak dry before cooking or grill it while still wet.

Pro Tip: When marinating with acids, use a non-reactive container like glass or Ziploc bags. A metal bowl can react with the acids giving your steak a strange metallic flavor.

How To Prepare London Broil For Marinade

Here is a simple step by step guide on how to prepare your London Broil for marinade.

  • First, unwrap your meat and rinse it thoroughly under running tap water. Allow excess water to drain off the cleaned steak.
  • Once the meat is rinsed I like to pat is dry with a paper towel. This reduces the chance juices will splash off when I pound the meat.
  • Wrap the meat in waxed paper or place it into a plastic bag.
  • Put the meat on a cutting board.
  • Pound both sides with a spiked mallet until dimples form.
  • Remove the meat from the paper or bag.
  • Sprinkle salt and ground pepper over the meat, and rub seasoning on with your fingers.

As you’re preparing the meat, you should already have the marinade ready.

As soon as the pounding is done and your meat is spiced, place it into the marinade.

The basic ingredients for a London Broil marinade are oil, an acidic solution and culinary herbs.

  • For the oil, I recommend olive oil.
  • Lemon juice, wine and vinegar are all excellent acidic ingredients.
  • Try rosemary, garlic, onion and parsley for your herbs.
  • Dry mustard, ground pepper and ground chili are great seasonings.

Marinade your meat in a dish or plastic bag. make sure both sides of the steak are covered in liquid.

Place the meat into a refrigerator and let it rest. How long it rests depends on the recipe and the marinade your using. I like to marinade my London Broils for at least 8 hours.

Turn the meat over every 2 to 4 hours. This keeps both sides soaked in juices.

How To Make A Tenderizing London Broil Marinade

Making a marinade that will tenderize a London broil is easy. The recipe includes the following ingredients:

  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Coarse Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Coarse Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Thyme
  • 1 Teaspoon Oregano

Feel free to make substitutions as you see fit based on taste. If you like it a little less spicy remove the cayenne pepper.

Here’s how to make the marinade:

  • Use a meat spiked tenderizing mallet to pound both sides of your London broil until dimples form.
  • Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, storage bag, or brining container: ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano.
  • Place the entire London broil in the marinade then refrigerate.
  • Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes and no more than 24 hours. I like to marinade London Broil for 8 hours.
  • Remove the meat from your marinade when ready.
  • Let your London broil to warm to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. This helps ensure the beef cooks evenly.

You can pat dry the meat and cook it or cook it wet. I prefer to cook it wet and sometimes drizzle some marinade on top as it cooks. But either way works fine.

How Long Should I Marinade London Broil?

The ideal time to marinate a London Broil is 8 hours in the fridge. Turn the meat over every 2 to 4 hours to keep it drenched in marinade. But you can marinade steak for up to 24 hours. Don’t go over 24 hours or it can become mushy.

If your short on time, marinating beef for just 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator will tenderize a flank streak enough to make a delicious London broil.

When you’re done marinading, remove the steak and broil it. You can either pat dry the meat with a paper towel or cook it wet. I prefer cooking a London Broil while the marinade is still on and will often drizzle the meat with some marinade as it cooks.

Tenderizing a London Broil with both a spiked meat mallet and a marinade is essential to cooking a tender and flavorful steak.

You can cook a London Broil either by grilling or broiling. Both methods produce a great tasting and tender steak.

Cook the meat until it’s medium to medium rare and don’t overcook it.

Cut the meat across the grain and never along the grain. This makes the meat easier to chew. Make thin slices and serve with a savory sauce and baked potatoes or vegetable on the side.

Tenderize A London Broil By Slicing It Against The Grain

Another way to improve the tenderness of a London Broil is done after you cook it. Once it’s off the grill and on the plate, cut it against the grain into thin slices. Thin slicing helps shorten tough muscle fibers which makes the meat a little softer and easier to chew.

Always cut steak against the grain. This makes the meat more tender and easier to chew.

Here are a few more tips that can help tenderize a steak:

  • If your steak was marinading in a refrigerator or freezing in a freezer, bring it to room temperature before grilling. This ensures faster and more even cooking.
  • Rest your steak for at least 5 minutes before serving. The steak continues to cook while it rests which consolidates its juices.

Letting a steak rest and slicing it against the grain are the final things you can do to tenderize it before serving.

How To Quickly Tenderize London Broil With Baking Soda

One of the fastest ways to tenderize a London Broil is with a Baking Soda bath. Baking soda mixed with water creates a solution that can tenderize London Broil in only 15 minutes. Baking soda causes the steak’s pH level to increase while neutralizing acid found in the meat.

As pH levels rise toward the outside of the meat, proteins on the inside loosen their bonds. This results in a more tender and juicy steak.

Once you’re done tenderizing the meat, thoroughly rinse it off before adding spices and cooking. You don’t want to cook the meat if it still has baking soda on it.

Even though a Baking Soda bath can quickly tenderize a London Broil, it doesn’t do much for its taste. Add all your spices, herbs, rubs and sauces after the meat is removed from the baking soda and rinsed.

To add even more flavor, let the meat rest in a traditional marinade for 30 minute to an hour before cooking it. This will add more flavor and juices to the beef.

Here’s how to create a baking soda bath for your London Broil:

  • Dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a ½ cup of water for every 12 ounces of steak.
  • Place your meat in the solution and soak it for 15 minutes.
  • Rinse with water and pat dry.
  • Season the meat and cook as desired.

Remember, a baking soda bath is a fast and easy way to tenderize a London Broil. But it doesn’t add flavor like a traditional marinade does. So you have to spice the meat after its been removed from the bath and rinsed.

Tenderize A London Broil With Salt

Coating a London Broil with salt is another good way to tenderize it.

Don’t use regular table salt to tenderize a steak. It contains iodine which can give the meat a strange chemical flavor. It’s also too fine which makes it hard to wash off later. Table salt usually results in a weird tasting over salted steak. Use coarse kosher or sea salt instead.

Use salt along with a pounding to tenderize a steak. The dimples created when you pound the meat allow salt to penetrate deeper into the steak.

Tenderizing a London Broil with salt is easy, here’s how:

  • Sprinkle coarse salt generously over both sides of the steak after it’s been pounded with a spiked mallet.
  • Allow the steak to rest for at least an hour.
  • Rinse off the excess salt.
  • Dry the steak with a clean paper towel.
  • Season the meat.
  • Cook.

Salt draws out the steak’s natural juices which then dissolve the salt creating a brine solution. The brine then absorbs into the meat, adding in moisture while it tenderizes.

In addition to tenderizing the meat, salting also gives it great flavor. Just remember not to add too much additional salt when you grill the meat. It’s easy to over salt a steak that’s already been tenderized in salt.

When you tenderize a London Broil with salt it will turn a little brown in color. Don’t be worried, this is normal and harmless.

Tenderize A London Broil With An Enzyme Tenderizer

Natural enzymes are another good way to tenderize a London Broil while also adding some additional flavor.

You can buy powdered meat tenderizer at the grocery store. Meat tenderizer contains a naturally derived enzyme powder. The enzyme most commonly used is papain, which comes from papayas or bromelain, which comes from pineapples. Sprinkle the steak with tenderizer and allow the enzymes to break down those tough meat fibers.

Meat tenderizing powder works fast. Usually the meat just has to sit with the powder on for a minute or two before cooking. The enzymes do most of the work while being cooked.

Use less salt on your steak if your enzyme-based tenderizer comes with salt in it.

If you prefer using fresh fruits instead of a powder, use a marinade of kiwis, pineapple, papaya and mango instead. These fruits are good sources of tenderizing enzymes and more natural than a powder.

The enzymes found in certain fruits do an excellent job of breaking down tough muscle fibers and connective tissue. They’ll tenderize the meat making it softer and less chewy.

Even though enzymes are effective, they only work on the meat’s surface. To make them more effective, pound the beef first with a spiked mallet. The dimples created by the mallet allow the enzymes to penetrate deeper into the meat.

When enzyme tenderizers are used too long the steak can get mushy on the outside.

  • If you use the powder let it sit for just a minute or two before cooking.
  • If you use the fruits let the steak marinade for about an hour.

Pro Tip: When marinating with enzymes, always use a non-reactive container like glass or Ziploc bags. A metal bowl can react with the enzymes giving your steak a strange metallic flavor.

Summary: How To Tenderize A London Broil

London Broil is actually not a cut of beef. It’s a method of cooking a steak. It was one of the first restaurant steak dishes to become popular in the United States. This popularity made people think the meat was called London Broil. However, the name refers to how the beef is cooked, not the meat itself. Where the dish originated is unknown, but it wasn’t in London, England. A London Broil is a lean and tough steak, usually Flank, that’s marinated and either grilled or broiled over high heat. Because London Broil starts off as a tough cut of beef, it’s very important to tenderize the meat before you cook it. The best way to tenderize London Broil is by pounding it with a spiked mallet and marinading in an acid based marinade.

Tenderizing a London Broil makes it easier to chew while maximizing its flavor. To cook a great London broil, steak is marinated before broiling or grilling, and then cut it into thin slices. Flank is a tough, lean meat that’s easy to dry out. Marinade not only softens the beef but also imbues it with flavor and juices.

Pounding the meat with a spiked mallet tenderizes the beef and creates small dimples. These dimples allow the marinade to penetrate deeper into the beef with makes it softer and more flavorful.

Flank steak comes from the lower abdominal muscle just below the tenderloin. This area gets lots of exercise during the cow’s life which makes the meat tough and lean. But when cooked as a London Broil with a proper marinade, the meat can become tender enough to cut with a fork.

When you’re ready to slice your London Broil, make sure to do it against the grain. This makes the meat easier to chew.

If you have any questions about London Broil, email any time.

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