London Broil with Roast Beets and Yorkshire Pudding

So, I thought choosing an English meal would be simple.  I thought I could rely on my ancestral inklings to illuminate a path toward gastronomic bliss.  But, alas, the month had almost passed before I could even settle on the main course.  What was creating such difficulty, one might ask?  For starters, names of dishes like "Toad in a Hole," "Bubble and Squeak," and, of course, my favorite - "Spotted Dick" - made the task a little more daunting than necessary.  Add to that the abundance of boringly boiled menu items, infinitely wobbly puddings, and entrees which featured organ meats.  Bleck!  I suppose one might be able to say that there were already a few chinks in the armor of English cuisine.  But, being the daring cook that I am (ha ha), I decided to plow ahead and continue my family's food education despite my own trivial hangups.

Being that some of my ancestors originated in London, I felt compelled (and safest) to attempt a dish I had always heard about but never tried: London Broil.  Simply, it is flank steak that has been buttered, mildly seasoned and broiled to near perfection.  Since flank steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat, I figured this would make for the best blending of all desires.  English.  Authentic.  Tasty.  And no odd moniker prevailing over its presence.  Just a good, hearty meal. 

For our side dish, I chose to make roasted beets, all of which came from our family's garden; and, once again, simplicity dominated.  Roasting is never a bad option when fresh produce is part of the equation.  Then, finally, I made the Yorkshire pudding (which, thankfully, was more like bread).  Its traits resembled that of a pop-over, a delicate puff of air with a mildly eggy flavor.  It was a unique addition to the meal and an interesting piece to add to our cooking repertoire.  All around, the English meal was so much more than I thought it would be - so much better, so much tastier, so much more interesting.  I think it's safe to say the English have now colonized my palate.
London Broil - Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef flank steak
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cloves garlic

Instructions:

1. Cut both sides of the steak in a diamond pattern, 1/8 inch deep.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and brush on half of the beef.  Broil 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes.
3. Turn and brush with remaining oil mixture.  Broil for 5 more minutes.
4. Cut across the grain and serve warm. 

Roasted Beets - Ingredients:

• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.shopenglandonline.com/london-broil.html)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, toss the beats with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to coat.  Spread a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Mix the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar in a large ziploc bag.  Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag.  Seal and shake to coat vegetables.
4. Bake beets for 15 minutes.  Mix the sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet.  Continue baking for 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Roasted-Beets-n-Sweets/Detail.aspx)

Yorkshire Pudding - Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk.  Stir in flour.  Set aside.
3. Divide butter evenly into 12 cups of a muffin tin, about 1/2 tsp. per cup.  Place tin in oven to melt butter for 2 to 5 minutes.  Remove tin from oven and distribute batter evenly among buttery cups.
4. Bake in oven for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Yorkshire-Pudding/Detail.aspx)