London broil is a delicious and easy choice for a family meal

For a delicious main course, nothing beats a good London broil.

A London broil can be made using either flank steak or round steak. Although many cooks prefer to use a flank steak when fixing London broil, many butchers package a top round steak as London broil. The first and last recipes are for one using that cut of meat. The first utilizes stout beer to tenderize an oven-baked London broil roast with rich, robust gravy.

2 pounds of fresh London broil, cut at least 1 inch thick 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 strip uncooked bacon, cut into 6 1/4-inch pieces 1 large clove garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 slivers 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 bay leaf 1 cup stout or dark ale 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Trim London broil of any fat and membrane around the edges. Sprinkle meat on both sides with half the salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the cornstarch, and pat the cornstarch into the beef.

Sprinkle thyme over bacon and press firmly into the bacon pieces. With a sharp knife, cut 6 gashes evenly spaced across the meat. Push 1 piece of bacon and 1 sliver of garlic into each gash in the meat.

Place London broil in a lightly oiled heavy Dutch oven pot or ovenproof casserole. Arrange onion slices on top of meat.

Combine bay leaf, stout beer, honey, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine. Pour mixture over the top of the onions. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Place a layer of heavy-duty foil over the top of the pot, and cover tightly with a lid.

Bake 3 hours without peeking. When done, remove from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes. Carve into slices cut against the grain and place on serving platter. Cover with half of the pan juices. Pass remaining pan juices in a gravy boat at the table. Serve with mashed potatoes, turnips, buttered noodles, or rice. Yield: 4 to 5 servings

~London broil (flank steak)

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 6 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1/3 cup oil 2 Tbsps. oil 2 Tbsps. red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tsps. dry mustard 2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce 1/8 tsp. cayenne 1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1-1/2 lbs. flank steak, trimmed and scored on both sides

Combine all ingredients, except steak, in a shallow nonreactive bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight, turning once. Remove steak, discarding marinade. Broil 4 inches from heat source 4-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Slice thinly across the grain diagonally.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 3

Grilled London broil with lime-chipotle sauce 1/2 cup honey 2 Tbsps. canned chipotle chilies in Adobado, minced 3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard 1/2 cup lime juice 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 3/4 lb. top round London broil

Prepare grill. Combine all ingredients, except meat, in a shallow glass bowl or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meat and turn to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into a nonreactive saucepan and simmer over medium heat 4-5 minutes. Grill meat 5 minutes per side, basting occasionally with marinade. Slice meat against the grain into thin slices. Serve with remaining marinade. Once you learn how to cook London broil the basic way, be creative and add your own personal touches. Vary the seasons, try different sauces, or even cook it outdoors on the grill for a special flavor.

However you prepare it, be sure to save some left-overs for sandwiches the following day. Cold London broil on hearty bread makes a wonderful lunchbox treat!

Now that you see how easy it is to learn how to cook London broil, you can add this delicious meat to your family table any time.London broil (flank steak)

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 6 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1/3 cup oil 2 Tbsps. oil 2 Tbsps. red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tsps. dry mustard 2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce 1/8 tsp. cayenne 1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1-1/2 lbs. flank steak, trimmed and scored on both sides

Combine all ingredients, except steak, in a shallow nonreactive bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight, turning once. Remove steak, discarding marinade. Broil 4 inches from heat source 4-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Slice thinly across the grain diagonally.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 3

Grilled London broil with lime-chipotle sauce 1/2 cup honey 2 Tbsps. canned chipotle chilies in Adobado, minced 3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard 1/2 cup lime juice 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 3/4 lb. top round London broil

Prepare grill. Combine all ingredients, except meat, in a shallow glass bowl or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meat and turn to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into a nonreactive saucepan and simmer over medium heat 4-5 minutes. Grill meat 5 minutes per side, basting occasionally with marinade. Slice meat against the grain into thin slices. Serve with remaining marinade. Once you learn how to cook London broil the basic way, be creative and add your own personal touches. Vary the seasons, try different sauces, or even cook it outdoors on the grill for a special flavor.

However you prepare it, be sure to save some left-overs for sandwiches the following day. Cold London broil on hearty bread makes a wonderful lunchbox treat!

Now that you see how easy it is to learn how to cook London broil, you can add this delicious meat to your family table any time.