London Broil with Chipotle-Cilantro Sauce

This is one gorgeous London broil, right? Here's a fun factoid (and sorry if you already knew this): London broil isn't the name of the CUT of beef, but the preparation and cooking method, which typically involves marinating, broiling/grilling, and thinly slicing. The actual "cut" is a boneless top round from the rear of the steer. The best part? Big, juicy flavors. It's super lean too, which is why recipes often call for an overnight marinade. But I can tell you this - if you treat a London broil like a regular steak, which means cooked to medium rare, AKA 125 degrees, (either grilled, broiled or pan-seared), you'll have a winning dish every time. 

What's the rub? Sorry, bad pun. But, for this recipe, I simply rubbed the steak with a halved garlic clove and then seasoned it with a decent amount of salt and pepper. I actually seasoned the steak about an hour before cooking to allow the salt to dissolve and get absorbed into the meat. That's the goal of marinating too. After that, a quick grill on both sides and the steak just needed to rest for 10 minutes before slicing (with a little butter melting on top of course!). It's doesn't get much simpler than that.

So now for the cilantro sauce: This spicy and fresh sauce is a blender-mixed combination of smoky chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, fresh cilantro and lemon. I added olive oil and a touch of water to get the consistency just right. My boys agreed with me - it's JUST LIKE a chimichurri sauce, only better and bolder. It's the perfect partner for a big, juicy steak. 

London Broil with Chipotle-Cilantro Sauce

1 London broil, about 1 1/2-2 pounds (closer to 2 pounds is perfect for 4 people)
2 cloves garlic, halved and divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can (more chipotles = more heat...)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tablespoon water, if needed 

Rub the steak with the cut side of one of the halved garlic cloves and liberally season both sides with salt and pepper. Let the steak sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 
Coat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Grill the first side of the steak for 7 minutes (if you want crosshatch grill marks, rotate 45 degrees after 4 minutes, without flipping over). Flip and grill for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the steak is charred and medium-rare. An instant-read thermometer should register 125 degrees, so the steak will cook about 12 to 14 minutes total. Remove the steak from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board. Place the butter on top to melt. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain into thin slices. 
To make the cilantro sauce, in a blender, combine the cilantro, remaining clove of garlic, chipotle chilies, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest. Process until blended and smooth, adding the tablespoon of water if needed. 
Serve the steak with the sauce drizzled over top. 

Serves 4