Gourmet: Day To Day

I love a good cut of London Broil, for several reasons really. First, when you can get them on sale they are a steal compared to any other cut of steak. Second, when you grill them and slice them thin and against the grain they are just as tender as most steaks. Lastly, they usually come in huge sizes so one london broil cut will last us two meals.
I had planned on making this dish with some steaks I found on sale, but the steaks just didn’t look that great. I opted to grill up a london broil instead and serve it over mashed potatoes with the gravy. It turned out great! The pan sauce was ridiculously simple, which was nice. Also, because I grilled my london broil, I was making the sauce and finishing the mashed potatoes while the meat finished grilling and resting. Dinner was on the table pretty fast!

* A quick note: I read several reviews that many thought the sauce was too thick so I adjusted the sauce to be more like a pan gravy and less like a thick gravy. Also, if you do not want to purchase a 6 pack of Guinness or other Stout beer, several convenience stores and liquor stores now sell beer by the bottle so you can buy only what you need. (this recipe takes a little less than one bottle)

London Broil with Stout Pan Sauce
Modified from this recipe.

5 teaspoons dijon mustard, divided
1.5-2 lbs London Broil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 cup low-salt beef broth
1 cup stout such as Guinness
1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Spread 1 teaspoon mustard over london broil; sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Heat Grill to Sear (about 450). Place london broil on grill and turn down heat to medium grill (350-400) Cook meat about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate; tent with foil.

Mash butter and flour in small bowl; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 15 to 20 seconds. Add broth; bring to boil. Whisk in stout, brown sugar, soy sauce, 3 teaspoons mustard, and butter mixture. Simmer until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Check your seasoning in the gravy because the further you reduce the saltier the sauce will become.

Thinly slice London Broil across the grain and divide among plates. Drizzle sauce over and serve with mashed potatoes.

These burgers were such a great way to break in my yummy brioche burger buns. Green Chiles are my new current obsession, they are tangy with a nice sweet heat and are totally under used (well unless you are lucky enough to live in the Southwest). Instead of pairing the burger with salsa I made a fresh pico de gallo to top the burger. It turned out to be a really great combination.
Most everything can be prepared in advance. If you are planning it for a party or for a week night. Just be sure to use a slotted spoon when serving the pico de gallo, because the tomatoes will release extra liquid.

Green Chile Burgers
Ingredients:
•1 1/4 pounds ground beef
•1 clove garlic crushed and finely minced
•1/8 teaspoon ground black or seasoned pepper
•1 teaspoon ground chile mild
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese
•4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
•Pico De Gallo (see recipe below)

Preparation:
Mix lean ground beef with garlic, pepper, ground chile, canned green chili peppers and salt in a large bowl. Shape into 4 flat patties. Preheat broiler or grill, then cook burgers about 4 inches from heat, turning when halfway done. Cook until very little or no pink remains. Just before serving, place grated cheese on each burger. At this point, you will also want to toast or grill your buns as well. Top each bun with a hamburger patty and 1-2 tablespoons of pico de gallo. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Pico De Gallo
1 large tomato diced
1 scallion sliced thin (both green and white)
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine and season with additional salt to taste.