Smoked London Broil (Top Round)

This week we are talking about smoked London broil and, before anyone corrects me, I am fully aware that this is a cooking method rather than a cut of meat. However, this is how it will most likely be labeled in your meat section or behind the glass case so you'll know what to look for.

This cut is usually a beef top round and regardless of what you call it, smoking it is just what the doctor ordered!

If you want to get technical, we can call it a London smoke or just smoked top round if you prefer.

This recipe is very simple and if you are not careful, you might start thinking that nothing this easy could be so good but then you would be incorrect. This piece of meat does not need a lot to be great. A little oil, my original rub and some time in the smoke and you will be very happy that you tried it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1.5 – 2 hours | Smoker Temp: 225°F | Meat Finish Temp: 135-140°F | Recommended Wood: Oak or Pecan

What You'll Need

• London broil (top round) 1.5 to 3 lbs
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Jeff's original rub
• Foil pan (for easy cleanup)

Prepare the London Broil for Smoking

Remove meat from packaging, rinse in cold water and place on a cutting board or in a foil pan to keep the cabinet nice and clean.

Pour on a little olive oil.

Rub/brush the olive oil all over the top and sides of the meat.

Sprinkle some of my original rub on the outside of the meat.

Flip the meat over and repeat with the oil and my original rub on the bottom side.

Smoking the London Broil

Regardless of whether you are using an electric, charcoal, gas, or wood smoker, prepare it for smoke cooking at about 225 degrees. 215 to 225 is best to give it plenty of time in the smoke before it reaches its done temperature.

Once the smoker is pre-heated and ready, place the meat on a bradley rack, Weber grill pan, a cooling rack or you can place it directly on the smoker grate.

Smoke cook the meat for about 90 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of doneness. You will need to test the temperature using a meat thermometer and if you want the very best, then consider purchasing a super fast Thermapen which reads the temperature for me in less than a second. Of course, I have the black model and I am convinced it is the fastest one;-)

If you want a great digital probe meat thermometer that stays in the meat while it cooks, then you need the “Smoke” by Thermoworks which keeps you apprised of your smoker temperature as well as your meat temperature via dual probes and a remote unit that you can carry with you up to 300 feet away.

The London broil that I purchased was only about 1.5 lbs so it got to a good medium rare (135°F) in just over an hour.

I threw it in a hot iron skillet with just a little oil for a minute or two per side to give it a good reverse sear. You could also do this on a hot grill or even under the broiler.

The iron skillet works really fat but if you choose to use the grill or broiler method, you might consider removing the meat when it is about 120-125°F and let the heat from the grill or broiler bring it up to 135-140°F.

Reverse Sear: This term is used a lot when smoking meat and is simply searing the meat after it is cooked rather than before per the traditional method.

Let the meat rest under foil for a few minutes before slicing.

Slice it thin on the diagonal and across the grain.

Serve with grilled peppers and onion or a nice garden salad for great results!