If you have not experienced the pleasure of cooking with pure Wagyu steak, this affordable Wagyu London broil cut will make you a fan for life. With this recipe, you can bring those gourmet flavors to any gathering, formal or festive. Build a marinade to suit your tastebuds and marry it with the uniquely buttery, beefy flavor of pure Wagyu for a memorable meal.
Grill it at your next summertime barbecue or broil it and fill your home and savoring those mouth watering aromas. Leftovers find their way into sandwiches, salads, fajitas, pot pies … there’s a world of possibility!
What is London Broil?
“London broil” typically refers to a thick, lean cut that comes from the top of the rear leg or the shoulder. You’ll notice a nice, beefy taste and the distinctive Wagyu tender chew even for a cut considered to be on the tougher end of the spectrum. The dish originated in the U.S. and is not widely known in its namesake city. The name likely arose as a way of fancying up a less-expensive cut of meat when the recipe first appeared in the early 20th Century. Fortunately, when prepared and cooked right, the marinated Wagyu London broil more than lives up to its fancy name.
Shopping for Wagyu London Broil
Allow a half pound per person (a quarter pound per child), and don’t forget to get enough for leftovers! Make your own deli meat with sliced Wagyu London broil. The recipe possibilities are endless.
Grill it at your next summertime barbecue or broil it and fill your home and savoring those mouth watering aromas. Leftovers find their way into sandwiches, salads, fajitas, pot pies … there’s a world of possibility!
Marinating Tips For Wagyu London Broil
With a balanced blend of acid, oil, and spices, marinating does three things:
- It saturates the cut more deeply into the meat, bringing with it your favorite tasty flavors.
- It tenderizes the meat. Acids like vinegar, tomato base, and citrus juice penetrate the surface of the meat and weaken its tissues, making it less chewy.
- It moisturizes the meat. Salt draws out the meat’s juices, mixing it with the marinade. Then, in the marinating process, the mixture is reabsorbed deeply into the meat.
- Don’t marinade your Wagyu London broil for more than 24 hours or you risk over-tenderizing the meat, making it mushy and tough. Six to eight hours is a good middle ground; overnight is best.
- All’s not lost if you forget to marinade the meat! Follow the pricking or scoring suggestion below and at least a 30-minute marinade will offer you at least some of the benefits of marinating.
The marinade is where you can have fun skewing the flavor profile to your taste. Do you like tomato-based marinades? Prefer more of a citrus flavor? Like your steak with an Italian accent? It’s all fair game.
We like it simple at Morgan Brook Farm, which leaves ample room for spicing it up, according to whim. Based on a 2-pound cut of Wagyu London broil, we have included a marinade recipe for you below.
A note about fresh vs dried herbs: “Of course, fresh is always better,” says Chief Cook Kathy. “The fresh herbs marry more quickly with the rest of the flavors because you’re not having to bring dried herbs back to life.” You still use about the same amount, dried or fresh. “It’s always to taste, whatever the ingredient.”
So, gather your ingredients, mix well and then turn your attention to the London broil itself.
Prick the meat all over with a fork or make an attractive, cross-hatch pattern by scoring it with a sharp, non-serrated knife at regular intervals, about 1/8” to 1/4” deep. Both techniques help the marinade work its way in and leads to more even cooking.
Place the meat in a small, covered dish with the marinade so that as much of the meat as possible comes in contact with the juicy mix. If the marinade doesn’t cover the meat, spoon some across the top, then cover and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours, turning it over every couple of hours for even coverage. Alternatively, seal it in a plastic bag along with the marinade and pop it in the fridge, turning it every couple of hours for even saturation.
Recipe for Marinated Wagyu London Broil
Equipment
- For marinating: A covered, close-fitting dish or a sealable plastic bag keeps the juices in contact with as much of the meat as possible.
- For grilling: Nothing fancy here - both gas and charcoal grills deliver that caramelized sear.
- For broiling: A shallow sheet pan that allows the juices to collect while not blocking the heat from the meat. For tips on what to look for in a good roasting pan, see our recipe for Wagyu Bottom Round Roast.
- For cutting: At Morgan Brook Farm, Head Butcher Todd and Chief Cook Kathy both prefer a good breaking knife, a type used by butchers and chefs to more easily cut large or tough sections of meat. Because you’re cutting across connective tissue of a London broil, the breaking knife’s long, curved blade helps you slice through it with greater ease. An all-purpose chef knife is a versatile option that can also do the trick.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp Oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinade
- Gather the marinade ingredients, mix well and then turn your attention to the London broil itself.
- Prick the meat all over with a fork or make an attractive, cross-hatch pattern by scoring it with a sharp, non-serrated knife at regular intervals, about 1/8” to 1/4” deep. Both techniques help the marinade work its way in and leads to more even cooking.
- Place the meat in a small, covered dish with the marinade so that as much of the meat as possible comes in contact with the juicy mix. If the marinade doesn’t cover the meat, spoon some across the top, then cover and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours, turning it over every couple of hours for even coverage. Alternatively, seal it in a plastic bag along with the marinade and pop it in the fridge, turning it every couple of hours for even saturation.
Grilling Marinated Wagyu London Broil
- Remove the meat from the fridge and give it at least 30 minutes to come up to room temperature.
- Preheat your grill to 400℉ (204℃), or wait until the coals are nicely glowing. Remove the meat from the container where it’s been marinating.
- Don’t toss the marinade! While the meat is cooking, sauté it until it has thickened and become somewhat caramelized. Then you can pour it over the meat when you are ready to serve it.
- Once the grill is up to temperature, lightly oil the grill and cook your London broil 5 to 8 minutes per side. The high temperature gives it a good sear, caramelizing the outside while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- While it’s hard to control the exact temperature of any grill. You could go by this rule of thumb for achieving your desired doneness:- Rare: 5 minutes per side- Medium-rare: 7-8 minutes per side- Medium: 10 minutes per side- Well-done: 12 minutes per sideFor a more precise sense of doneness, use a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the cut:- Rare: 125℉ (52℃)- Medium-rare: 135℉ (57℃)- Medium: 145℉ (63℃)- Well-done: 160℉ (71℃)
Broiling Marinated Wagyu London Broil
- Preheat the broiler. Place the room-temperature Wagyu London broil onto a sheet pan. Pour the marinade over the meat and put it on the top rack, close to the heating element. Broil 5-6 minutes. Flip and let it cook another 3-4 minutes. For that juicy, pink medium-rare finish, cook until the internal temperature is 135℉, or go by the temperature guide above.
Serve it up!
- Once the steak is done, remove from heat and let it rest on a room-temperature surface for at least 10 minutes to allow the heat from the outside edges to move to the interior to finish cooking, and to allow the juices to more evenly saturate the meat.
- To serve, slice against the grain — thinly, and at a slight angle. Serve with the sautéed marinade or your favorite steak sauce and enjoy!
