Warm bath for LB steaks?


 
Bob Correll

Bob Correll

R.I.P. 3/31/2022
Ran across a 2009 Cooks Illustrated recipe & video for grilling London Broil steaks here.
I do realize that London Broil is a method of cooking, and the flank is usually used.

The recipe reads in part:
1. Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (steak can be salted and refrigerated for up to 24 hours).

2. Fill large pot or bucket with 1 gallon warm water (about 100 degrees). Place wrapped steak into zipper-lock plastic bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag tightly. Place steak in water, covering with plate or bowl to keep bag submerged. Set aside for 1 hour.

Maybe this has been discussed before, and wondered if anyone has tried it.
I also wonder how well it might work for other tough cuts.
 
Not sure how much additional enzyme tenderization action you'd get from doing this method instead of just letting the steaks come to room temperature for a couple hours. If I understand correctly there's a couple different enzymes that act to tenderize beef and they are deactivated as it were at like 90 and 110 degrees F.

In addition, having your steaks at 100 internal might make it tougher to get a good sear on them for flavor before they reach your desired doneness internally, without overcooking them. As you probably know most london broil cuts like top round and flank steak will take a pretty significant turn towards toughness if you take them too far beyond medium rare.
 
This is a method called sous vide. It is similar to low and slow for pork butt where you slowly bring the meat to temperature.

I am thinking of getting a temperature controller for my crock pot and trying it.
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method - sort of sous vide
 
With apologies Russell it's not really sous vide since the meat is not under vacuum and it's not used as the primary cooking method for this cut of meat. In a true sous vide setup you'd have the meat in the water closer to your target temperature and probably for a longer period of time.

It's a sort of sous vide hybrid but if you're expected to grill the steak afterwards for anything besides grill marks I wouldn't call it sous vide.
 
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