Walk into any grocery store and you'll see packages labeled "London Broil" sitting in the meat case. Pick one up and you might grab flank steak. Pick up another and it could be top round. So what exactly is London Broil? Here's the twist: it's not a cut of beef at all—it's how you cook it.

London Broil is a cooking method, not a specific piece of meat. It's a technique designed to turn tough, lean cuts into something delicious through marinating, high-heat cooking, and strategic slicing.

The Three-Step Method That Defines It

The London Broil method follows a specific process that separates it from just throwing a steak on the grill.

Marinate: The meat soaks in a marinade with oil, salt, and something acidic (like vinegar or citrus) to break down tough muscle fibers
High-heat cooking: It's broiled in the oven 4-6 inches from the heating element or grilled over direct heat, cooked quickly to create a crust while keeping the inside medium-rare
Slice thin against the grain: This is the secret weapon—cutting perpendicular to the muscle fibers shortens them, making each bite tender instead of chewy

Miss that last step and you've basically ruined it. The slicing technique is what transforms a potentially tough piece of meat into something you'd actually want to eat.

What Cuts Actually Get Used?

Butchers slap the "London Broil" label on large, lean, tough cuts—the ones that need this cooking method to shine. Flank steak is the traditional choice and where the technique originated. But you'll also see top round, top sirloin, and coulotte marketed as London Broil.

These cuts have one thing in common: they're lean, economical, and would be pretty terrible if you just pan-fried them like a ribeye. They need the marinade to tenderize and the precise slicing to be palatable.

So when you see "London Broil" at the store, check what cut it actually is. The name is telling you how to cook it, not what you're buying.

Plot Twist: It's Not Even British

Despite the name suggesting some fancy British culinary tradition, London Broil is completely American. The dish is believed to have originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1931. Why "London"? Nobody really knows. Maybe it sounded sophisticated for Depression-era marketing of cheap cuts.

Britain has no traditional dish by this name. It's as American as apple pie, just with a confusing passport.

Next time someone talks about picking up a London Broil for dinner, you can hit them with the truth: they're not buying a specific cut—they're committing to a cooking method. And if they don't slice it thin against the grain, they're going to have a chewy disaster on their hands.

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