Last week, I was looking around the Lilac Hedge Farm Shop Now page and noticed that they are currently offering a cut of beef called London Broil for 11.99 a pound, a bargain for delicious, high quality, pasture-raised beef. But, I wondered whether it could be tossed on the grill without being marinated.

The short answer is YES if it is a shoulder steak cut, albeit you will need to take a few prep steps first. Just defrost it, then cover it it a generous dose of salt, (I used between 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt for a one-pound steak) let it sit uncovered in the fridge for several hours, (I let mine sit for eight) then on the counter for 30-60 minutes too come to room temperature, then grill as you usually grill a steak.

The caveat is that the name London Broil can mean any number of cheaper, more tough steaks. If you can determine it is a shoulder steak, go for it! If another cut, such as from the round, you will be better off marinating it before grilling, or use use a recipe that calls for braising. Although, I will probably try the above-technique on a round cut one of these days, just to be sure. But, Farmer Ryan says that the London Broil steaks are currently being cut from the shoulder, so you can grill away if you have planning time for defrosting, salting, and bringing to room temperature before cooking.

Otherwise, any cut labeled London Broil will be super to use in any recipe calling for tenderizing with marinating or pounding, and braising is always a great option for tougher cuts of meat.

But, as of my writing this, the London Broil from Lilac Hedge Farm is from the shoulder. So, If you want a really tasty steak with a satisfying texture that is a bit easier on the budget than steaks that need no prep or planning, give their London Broil a try!

With our market day falling on July 4th this year, I wanted to remind people that you can cook steak right from frozen, an important bit of news since the steak you buy from Lilac Hedge Farm comes frozen. FYI – you probably know, but pre-made burgers can be cooked from frozen, too. And, for chicken from frozen in a hurry, buy wings, thighs, and/or drumsticks and pop them, still in their packaging, into cold water from the tap, refreshing the water every 30 minutes, and they should defrost enough to work with within an hour or so.

There now, be sure to get your July 4th barbecue meats from Lilac Hedge Farm this or any Saturday during our market season. 🙂

For more background about grilling steak from frozen, see my 2018 post: https://wfmmarketkitchen.site/frozen-steak-just-grill-or-pan-saute-it-really-no-need-to-defrost/

For a recent video of a steak being grilled from frozen, click HERE. You will also see a few shots of both my husband, the grill master, and my dog, who is very cute.

As promised in the video, here is the recipe I use to create a nice baste for steak. Why baste? Because you’ll have a hard time getting a rub to stick on frozen steak. 😉

But first, the grilling instructions: heat grill to high (375-400) and put steak (sans packaging, of course!) on the low part of the grill and cook, grill lid down, for 5 minutes. Flip, baste, and cook covered for another 5 minutes. Flip onto top rack, baste, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Check temperature, then cover and cook in three minute increments until it is done the way you like it. As you can see by this picture taken after the video was made, we like it very rare.

Okay, the baste: To a tablespoon of melted butter, add about a 1/4 teaspoon each cooking (unsweetened) cocoa, Penzeys Season Salt, Penzeys Quebec Beef Spice, and crushed rosemary. I use a suribachi for the latter. Then, see how it tastes and adjust as needed. OR, just use salt and pepper, or whatever seasoning you like. You can also use olive or another type of oil as the menstruum.

If you want to cook your steak indoors, you can use the same method, not covering during the high sear part and using the oven for the final roasting to temperature.

And that’s it – quick and easy!