DRY-RUBBED GRILLED LONDON BROIL AND MY TASTY TREASURES GIVEAWAY

Eastern North Carolina is pig country, and the pork is great. Beef, on the other hand, takes a back seat. It's not aged here, unless you're lucky enough to be near a butcher who carries Sterling Silver Beef that's been aged 21 days or more.

We don't eat as much beef as we used to. It's just not that good for you. We both really like beef and like to have it occasionally. And when we have it we want it to be good. Usually, I marinate a London Broil, but it doesn't really change the fact that the meat, without proper aging, is bland. This time, I decided to try a dry rub, without salt. Salt pulls the juices out of meat. So I concentrated on other flavors in the marinade that would keep the juices in and bring out the flavor of the beef. I was actually surprised when it worked! This was the best tasting piece of beef we've had in a long time. Granted, the beef was still not aged, but the rub covered a lot of sins, keeping the meat juicy and providing just the right flavors for a tasty meal. This is definitely one recipe to keep.

Dry-Rubbed Grilled London Broil

Source: Judy's Kitchen

Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. California-style garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 Top Round London Broil, about 1-1/2 lbs.

Combine all ingredients except meat in small bowl. Wipe meat with damp paper towel and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Cover meat on both sides with rub; place on dish or other container and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day.

When ready to cook, remove meat from fridge 1/2 hour - 1 hour beforehand, to bring it to room temperature. Preheat gas grill to medium hot, about 400-425F. Grill meat (preferably covered, on a turned-off burner with the other burner(s) providing indirect heat) about 7 minutes each side, or till meat is cooked the way you like it. Try not to keep flipping the meat. Instead, try to only turn once. This means you will have to gauge the cooking time beforehand.

When meat is done, transfer to a platter and let it rest 10-15 minutes before slicing it on an angle. Leftovers make great sandwiches, sliced as thinly as possible.

Donna, of My Tasty Treasures is having a giveaway from now to Tuesday. Click on the link to get the details. And enjoy her naughty but nice blog at the same time.

EASY MARINATED GRILLED LONDON BROIL

We only have London broil when we have company, so our Memorial Day London broil was a treat for us. I took the easy way out this time and used a recipe from the back of my Moore's Original Hickory Flavor Marinade, entitled "Moore's Perfect T-Bone," which I tweaked a little. The bottle was a gift from my friend, Sara; and I confess I had never used Moore's before she gave it to me. The bottle says "Moore's can do more in 30 minutes than other marinades can do all night." I like Moore's a lot -- the flavor complements beef and doesn't overpower it. If you want to know more about Moore's, or check out more of their recipes, go to their website, http://www.mooresmarinade.com/. BTW, the leftover beef makes great sandwiches. I pound the slices with a meat mallet to make them as thin as possible before I layer them between bread or rolls. So the next time top round, bottom round or flank steak go on sale at your local supermarket, stock up. Freeze what you won't be using right away and save it for an occasion.
Flank steak is the leanest of the 3 cuts; bottom round is my preference but doesn't seem to be as popular in the South as it was up North; but top round is a-ok. And Moore's, made in Alabama, is pretty widely distributed. It's available in Wal-Mart and Harris Teeter, and probably a lot of other stores as well. If you can't find it where you live, check out their website because they will send it to you.

Easy Marinated Grilled London Broil
Rating: 9 out of 10
3/4 cup Moore's Original Marinade
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 London broil

Mix marinade ingredients in gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add London broil; seal bag, pressing out air. Refrigerate 30 minutes. You can refrigerate longer if you need to, but it isn't necessary. Place London broil on hot grill (425F); close cover. Grill about 20 minutes for rare, turning once. Transfer meat to a platter and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing on diagonal in thin slices. (Note: If possible, turn off the grill burner that you place the meat on and let it cook from indirect heat provided by the other burner(s). This produces fewer carcinogens.)