Your only job as a cook is to avoid overcooking the meat. This cut of beef should be served medium-rare. Much like tri-tip roast, top round steak is an inexpensive yet flavorful cut of beef. London broil refers to a cooking technique for this cut. It is traditionally prepared by broiling or grilling a marinated top round or flank steak and then cutting it into thin strips. But I like to cook it on the stove, in a cast-iron skillet.
Ingredients
Instructions
Storing Leftovers
Recipe Card
For the marinade: Balsamic vinegar, soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative), Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and cumin. You can use any mustard you like, but I like the creaminess and flavor of Dijon mustard. Top round steak: I usually get it at the butcher counter at Whole Foods. It’s also available in many supermarkets, such as Kroger. Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients - balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, garlic powder, and cumin. Place the steak in a resealable bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and rub it all over the steak. Seal the bag and place it on a plate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. If you’re home while the steak is marinating, flip it occasionally. Remove the steak from the fridge an hour before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, for about 3 minutes. Remove the steak from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle it on both sides with salt and pepper. Using oven mitts, remove the skillet from the heat. Tent it with foil to allow the steak to rest and finish cooking from the skillet’s heat for five minutes. Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Slice it thinly and serve.
Marinate the beef before cooking. Marinating, especially with a marinade that contains vinegar, tenderizes the meat. Cook the steak to rare (120°F) and certainly to no more than medium-rare (135°F). Note that the USDA says we should cook steaks to 145°F. Slice the cooked steak thinly. Slicing it thinly is another trick that aids with chewing it. Other tough cuts of beef, such as flank steak and skirt steak, are also sliced thinly.
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Alternatively, I serve it with a side salad, such as asparagus salad, tomato salad, or the salad shown below of tomatoes, hearts of palm, cilantro, and olives:
Sometimes, I use them in this Cobb salad instead of chicken.
I also like to make a plate, as shown below, of cold beef slices with fresh-cut veggies, salsa or sriracha mayo, and quick pickles or store-bought pickles:
