The Middle-Class Steak Dish That Was Beloved In The '80s

A good steak has a certain timeless appeal to it, but that doesn't mean that steak recipes remain popular or unchanged through the generations. Trendier foods often come and go, but even some items that were once considered staples can fade into obscurity. Such is the case with London broil.

London broil first emerged in print in 1931, and it's not a particular cut of meat, but a preparation style. The original recipe called for flank steak to be marinated for a significant amount of time in order to break down its tough muscle fibers. The steak was then grilled or broiled to cook the outside but leave the middle close to rare; cut into thin slices and perhaps served with a good au jus, it was a nifty way to make tough meat taste tender and luxurious.

You might think that this thoughtful cooking technique came from across the pond, but London broil is not even slightly British. It's an American invention, thought by some to have originated in Philadelphia, though the identity of its creator is lost to time. But the "London" moniker likely helped it seem more luxurious to the unknown diner, especially during this dish's heyday of the 1980s and '90s.

London broil is one of those retro steak dishes your grandmother probably loved, likely in large part because of its frugality. A good steak can be an expensive endeavor, but using London broil techniques could make the lowest-quality steaks taste much better than their price points suggest. But times and tastes change, and today's London broil has some notable differences from the original.

Flank steak is still relatively cheap, but as diners and restaurants have embraced the great flavor that a little bit of love gives it, this cut has grown more expensive. A London broil today might use any lean cut of beef that comes from the cow's sirloin or round sections, not just the flank.

Another big difference is in presentation. London broil can be a rare restaurant dish these days, but consumers may be more familiar with it as a Boar's Head deli meat. In an example of this dish outgrowing flank steak, Boar's Head uses a larger top round roast to make this refrigerated beef product. And while it did finish in the bottom third of our ranking of all Boar's Head deli meats, this had more to do with the excellent competition. Much like the classic steak dish, our taste tester found it had a beefy aroma with (pleasantly) strong flavors of onion and garlic.