Grass-Fed London Broil with Mint Jus and Salsa Verde, Minted Peas, and Crispy Smashed Potatoes
A lean grass-fed London broil, seared until deeply browned, sliced paper-thin against the grain, and served with a bright mint pan jus and a tangy Italian salsa verde. On the side: sweet buttered peas and sugar snaps with fresh mint, and crispy, golden smashed potatoes. An easy, elegant dinner that feels like a celebration.
Yield: Serves 4–6 · Active: 45 min · Total: 1 hr 15 min (plus 1–24 hours dry-brining) · Best in North America in spring and early summer, when peas, sugar snaps, and mint are at their peak (fall and winter swaps below) · Best eaten: early evening
About London broil: "London broil" is actually a cooking method, not a cut. It's traditionally made with a thick, lean cut like top round or flank steak, cooked quickly over high heat and sliced very thin. Because grass-fed top round is so lean, the two keys are cooking it no further than medium-rare and slicing it as thinly as possible against the grain.
Your Game Plan
The day before, or at least 1 hour ahead: Dry-brine the steak.
About 1 hr 15 min out: Boil the potatoes. Make the salsa verde.
About 45 min out: Heat the oven to 450°F. Smash the potatoes and roast them.
About 30 min out: Sear the steak, then finish it in the oven.
While the steak rests: Make the mint jus and cook the peas and sugar snaps.
Ingredients
London broil
2 lb grass-fed top round or flank steak, about 1½ inches thick
2 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp grass-fed ghee or tallow
Mint jus
1 shallot, finely minced
1 cup beef bone broth
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp cold grass-fed butter
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Salsa verde
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup fresh mint
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
2 anchovy fillets in olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Zest of ½ lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Crispy smashed potatoes
1½ lb small potatoes (Yukon Gold or new potatoes)
3 tbsp grass-fed ghee or tallow, melted
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped
Buttered peas and sugar snaps with mint
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1½ cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp grass-fed butter
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh mint, torn
Zest of ½ lemon
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Method
Dry-brine the steak. Pat it dry and rub it all over with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Refrigerate uncovered 1–24 hours.
Boil the potatoes. Simmer them in salted water 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them steam dry 5 minutes.
Make the salsa verde. Finely chop the parsley, mint, capers, anchovies, and garlic by hand (or pulse them briefly in a food processor, keeping some texture). Stir in the Dijon, vinegar, lemon zest, olive oil, and salt.
Smash and roast the potatoes. Heat the oven to 450°F. Set the potatoes on an oiled sheet pan and press each one flat with the bottom of a glass, until about ½ inch thick. Drizzle with the ghee, sprinkle with salt and herbs, and roast 25–30 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges.
Sear the steak. Take it out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. Heat the ghee in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sear the steak 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Then move the skillet to the 450°F oven for 5–8 minutes, until the center reaches 125–130°F for medium-rare.
Rest the steak on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
Make the mint jus. Set the skillet over medium heat (careful, the handle is hot). Add the shallot and cook 1 minute, then add the broth and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer 4–5 minutes, until reduced by about half. Off the heat, swirl in the cold butter, then stir in the mint, salt, and any juices from the resting steak.
Cook the peas and sugar snaps. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the shallot 1–2 minutes. Add the sugar snaps and peas and toss 3–4 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Finish with mint, lemon zest, and salt.
Slice and serve. Slice the steak very thinly, at an angle, against the grain. This is the key to tender London broil. Fan it onto a platter, spoon over the mint jus, and serve with salsa verde, the smashed potatoes, and the peas and sugar snaps.
Fall and winter swaps:
Swap the peas and sugar snaps for roasted Brussels sprouts or garlicky sautéed kale.
Swap the smashed potatoes for roasted sweet potato or root vegetable wedges.
Storage: Steak, up to 3 days refrigerated (it's wonderful sliced cold over a salad); salsa verde, up to 4 days; mint jus, up to 5 days; vegetables, up to 4 days.
Nourishment Notes
Grass-fed beef — complete protein, heme iron, zinc, B12, and creatine, plus more CLA, omega-3s, and vitamin E than grain-fed beef.
Parsley, mint, and capers — vitamin K, vitamin C, apigenin, menthol, and quercetin.
Anchovies — omega-3s, calcium, and a deep savory flavor.
Peas and sugar snaps — plant protein, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.
Potatoes — potassium, vitamin C, and B6. Cooled leftovers form resistant starch.
Bone broth — gelatin, glycine, and minerals.
Grass-fed butter, ghee, and tallow — vitamins A and K2, plus CLA.
For your cycle: The steak's heme iron, zinc, and B12 make this especially restorative during the menstrual phase, and the herbs' and peas' vitamin C helps your body absorb that iron.
Sourcing
Top round or flank steak — 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, from a local farm, White Oak Pastures, or US Wellness Meats
Potatoes, peas, sugar snaps, parsley, mint, rosemary, shallots, garlic, and lemons — organic, from a farmers' market
Anchovies — packed in extra virgin olive oil, like Ortiz
Capers — packed in salt or brine
Dijon mustard — organic, with no preservatives or sugar; Delouis Fils or Maison Orphée
Red wine vinegar — organic and naturally fermented
Beef bone broth — homemade from grass-fed beef bones, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Grass-fed butter, ghee, and tallow — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows; grass-fed ghee; tallow rendered from grass-fed suet
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon for finishing
— Anna aka Food Marshall