Gordon Ramsay’s London broil is a flank steak, griddled hot and fast, sliced thin against the grain and topped with rosemary chimichurri. The herb sauce infuses for two hours while you wait, so the active cooking is only about ten minutes. It serves four with portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and watercress.
London broil isn’t a British term, so Gordon doesn’t use it. His version is the bavette steak with rosemary chimichurri in his Ultimate Fit Food book. He notes that bavette is less tender than rump steak, so it “is often marinated”, which is why this lean cut suits the method.
The one rule that makes or breaks it is carving. Flank has long, tough fibres, so you slice it thin across the grain, never with it. Cut the wrong way and even a perfectly pink steak chews like rubber.
Gordon Ramsay London Broil
Course: Main, DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings2
minutes10
minutes554
kcal2 hr 25 min
Gordon’s take on London broil from Ultimate Fit Food: a whole bavette or flank steak griddled to medium-rare, rested, then carved thin and spooned with a sharp rosemary and red wine vinegar chimichurri. Served with griddled mushrooms, tomatoes and watercress.
Ingredients
- For the chimichurri:
Large bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Small bunch of oregano, leaves finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
35ml (2½ tbsp) red wine vinegar
30ml (2 tbsp) rapeseed oil
- For the steak:
1kg (2¼ lb) piece of bavette or flank steak
4 portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and thickly sliced
12 cherry tomatoes on the vine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Watercress, to serve
Directions
- Make the chimichurri: Mix the parsley, oregano, garlic, rosemary, chilli, red wine vinegar and a third of the oil. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to infuse for about 2 hours.
- Heat the pan: When ready to cook, heat a large griddle pan over high heat until smoking.
- Griddle the steak: Brush the steak both sides with the remaining oil. Lay it on the smoking pan and cook for 4 minutes each side for medium-rare. Remove, wrap in foil and rest.
- Cook the veg: Put the mushrooms on the griddle in a single layer for 2 minutes each side. Lift them off, then add the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.
- Carve and serve: Carve the steak against the grain into long, thin slices. Drizzle generously with the chimichurri and serve with the mushrooms, tomatoes and watercress.
FAQs
What cut of beef is best for London broil?
London broil is a cooking method, not a cut, so the label changes by country. In the US it’s usually flank or top round, and in the UK the same lean cut is sold as bavette or skirt. They all come from a hard-working part of the cow, so they pack flavour but stay tough.
That toughness is the whole point of the method. Premium cuts like ribeye and sirloin already have fat running through them, so Gordon just seasons and sears those, as in his sirloin steak method. Lean flank needs the acid and the careful carving instead.
Does Gordon marinate his London broil?
Not in the soak-overnight way most London broil recipes do. His chimichurri does the job instead, because the parsley, garlic, chilli and red wine vinegar are mixed and left to infuse for two hours before they meet the meat. The vinegar acid softens the surface much like a marinade would.
If you want a proper soak marinade, he has several for these lean cuts. His other steak marinades range from a cooked BBQ glaze to a quick hoisin and soy, all built for flank and bavette.
Why do you slice London broil against the grain?
This is the step that decides whether it’s tender or chewy. Flank muscle runs in long, visible fibres, and slicing across them cuts those fibres short so each bite gives way easily. Slice along them and you get long, stringy strands that fight your teeth.
Gordon makes the same point in Ramsay in 10, telling you to cut “across the grain to maximise tenderness”. Look for the lines running through the raw steak, then carve at a right angle to them.
What is rosemary chimichurri and can you make it ahead?
It’s Gordon’s herb sauce of parsley, oregano, rosemary, garlic, chilli and red wine vinegar, loosened with oil. It needs to sit for two hours anyway, so making it ahead actually improves it as the flavours mingle. It keeps in the fridge for two to three days, though the herbs dull and darken after that.
If you want the full method on its own, see his coarse five-herb chimichurri, which is a different version he pounds in a mortar. On this steak the rosemary one works as both the marinade element and the finishing sauce.
How do you cook London broil without a grill?
A heavy griddle pan or frying pan does it perfectly, which is how Gordon cooks his. Get it smoking hot first, brush the steak with oil rather than the pan, and give it four minutes a side for medium-rare. He cooks it the same way as the skirt steak with chimichurri on The F Word.
It does smoke a lot, so open a window and run the extractor. The dish also suits the barbecue, since the high, dry heat is exactly what this cut wants.
What do you serve with London broil?
Gordon keeps it lean and simple, griddling portobello mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in the same pan after the steak rests. The watercress on the side adds a peppery bite that cuts the richness of the beef.
For something heartier, the thin slices are made for piling into sandwiches or wraps the next day. The chimichurri doubles as the spread, so leftovers turn into a second meal with no extra work.
