Andy wrote:
> wrote in news:1116837726.317681.284170
> @g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>
> > I am a college student who happens to broil round steak on a
regular
> > basis in a normal oven. Of course, I have to marinade the steak
for
> > about 24 hours to tenderize it, but it actually doesn't taste half
bad
> > and it's a lot cheaper than the more tender cuts. In either case,
I
> > have recently, for a variety of reasons, decided to consider
broiling
> > round steak in a toaster oven rather than in my regular oven, and I
was
> > wondering how well this would work. I know a toaster oven does
have a
> > broil setting, but would it truly be hot enough to cook a
relatively
> > tough round steak? Would it cook it evenly at all?
> >
> > Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Swann
>
>
> Swann,
>
> I have a small toaster/convection oven. I've had great results
cooking
> sirloin tri-tip roasts (2" thick) using convection heat. Cooking time
is
> relatively short (approx 40 minutes) at 400 degrees. The roast plumps
up
> nicely, browns beautifully and tastes wonderful, like it should.
>
> Andy
But that wasn't the question.
The poster asked if they could BROIL a round steak in a toaster oven.
No mention of Convection, which would seriously impact the timing of
the cooking process. Not to mention, you're talking about a tri-tip
"roast", which is usually twice as thick as the typical round steak
would be.
In answer to the original question: Yes, you can broil a round steak in
a toaster oven. Round steak is typically pretty lean to begin with,
but you will want to trim as much visible fat from it as possible,
though, because the close proximity of the meat to the heating element
could cause a flare up.
Don't expect well-done, though. (No more than Medium is probably a
good idea with round steak, anyway). The elements are pretty close to
the meat and it would probably scorch before it got well-done
throughout. Of course, that would depend on your toaster oven.
For an inch thick steak, I would start with 5 minutes on side one
(rotate it 180 degrees to assure even browning) and 3-4 minutes on side
two. Adjust as needed until desired doneness. (By rotate it, I mean,
leave it on side one, but turn it so what was the left side of the meat
is now on the right, and vice versa.)
Good luck.
By the way, just fyi, there is another cut available in my markets that
is also sold as "London Broil" (which is usually how Round Steak is
labeled here) that is from the front half of the cow, rather than the
back, and I find it's more tender and has more flavor, for what it's
worth. It's called either "chuck steak" or "Shoulder steak" for "London
Broil" and I have found it to be superior to Round steak, and is around
the same price. (on sale, $1.69-2.49 per pound. Regular $3.49-4.29 per
pound)
My favorite marinade for this cut is as follows:
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
tons of garlic
salt and pepper
ground celery seed
Tablespoon of worcestershire or steak sauce
3 tablespoons of vegetable (olive, corn, whatever is handy)
A good spice rub. Lately, it's been Montreal Steak by McCormicks
Rub the meat with the spice rub and put it in a ziploc bag.
In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the lemon or lime juice, vinegar,
salt, pepper, celery, worcestershire (or steak sauce) and a couple
pinches of the rub and whisk together until well blended.
Pour over the meat, seal tightly and let sit in the fridge 24 hours.
Turn it every few hours.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with bottle Italian salad dressing in
a pinch!
Cook as above. Make sure you slice it as thinly as possible, across the
short side, and the meat will be pretty tender eating. Leftovers make
a nice topping for a big green salad or even in fajitas.