Lindsey's London Broil

I know not who the eponymous Lindsey is, but I must thank her for an excellent steak. Target has a nice selection of Calphalon cookware, and this past weekend I picked up a rather stylish grill pan. I realize, of course, that a grill pan bought at the start of the warm season is like a snow blower in Georgia. But if it's rainy (or snowy or you suck at grilling), a grill pan is an easy way to fix a steak or burger or seven hot dogs at once.

But you know all this. "Ward, you're just grilling a steak?" you ask. Let me draw you an analogy. If you are at all familiar with Fighting Games, then you are aware of the U-shaped learning curve. When one picks up a Fighter for the first time, it is instinct to "button-mash". That is, to press all the keys at random, hoping for a favorable outcome. Unfortunately (a sign of bad game design?), a new player can go a long way with haphazard technique. Once you decide to learn the game's core mechanics, your win percentage drops considerably. You embark on a longer journey then, to master the simple before mastering the complex. To the naïve, this can seem a step backward. To the cognoscenti, you show dedication.

And here I thought I could get through this whole post without mentioning the meal at all. A London Broil is a top round steak, not dissimilar to a flank steak (and you can safely replace a London Broil with a flank steak, if you so choose). This steak tends to have a distinct grain, but is quite thick. Lindsey's contribution consists of a marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, and soy sauce. Delicious! Thoroughly cover the steak(s) and refrigerate them for at least six hours (or overnight, as I did). Thaw well before tossing onto a very hot grill. Cook for five or so minutes on each side. Expect a pink interior, but remember that to a gourmand (why would we care about them?), medium-rare is preferable to medium-well. I like mine medium-well.

Special thanks to Peter for his guest photography! Serve alongside a minimalist salad of baby spinach (I chose an Asiatic Sesame dressing to match the soy sauce in the marinade). This Franciscan Merlot (2004, Napa Valley) was just brilliant: hints of black cherry and not strong enough to overpower the steak. Excellent! 'Til next time, faithful reader. Eat well and enjoy good company!