Turkey London Broil: A Jersey Original?

London broil is not what I thought it was: It is not from London, and it does not have to be made from beef. Turkey London broil tastes fantastic, is easy to cook and comes from Guess Where.

But Turkey London broil? Wha....?

That's exactly what I thought when I stumbled upon Turkey London Broil at Rosario's Butcher Shop rosariosbutchershop.com in Montclair.

Turkey London Broil? Is this the new turkey bacon?

I'm a sucker for a classic. So I was not interested in purchasing the bastardized broil when I first saw it, I just dismissed it as a way to lighten up (read: ruin) a cut of meat I thoroughly enjoyed. But my hungry fiance pushed for the bird, so I had no choice but to take it home.

Turns out Turkey London Broil is 1 1/2 pounds of turkey breast meat, which Rosario Barbalace, owner of Rosario's, marinates in a combination of olive oil, parsley, rosemary and red pepper flakes. At $8.99 per pound, it’s also reasonably priced.

We grilled the London Broil for 12 minutes on one side, four on the other, on a very hot, closed grill. Good-bye dried-out turkey; this bird breast was the most moist turkey breast I've ever had, brine or no brine. Plus the marinade was herby and flavorful, with a touch of heat.

Moist turkey breast in under 20 minutes? Yes, please.

I can't imagine a better way to cook turkey breast than grilling this boneless, skinless work of art.
So where did this bird-tastic dish come from? Rosario claimed it came to him in a dream, and that he'd been making it for six years, since he opened his shop.

Hmmmm. Something about the sparkle in his eye made me question the talented butcher. Talk to me, Google.

Turns out Turkey London Broil might just be a Jersey original after all, but it's not credited to Rosario. It's credited to Shrewsbury-based Salvatore Vella of Sal's Original salsoriginal.com, who, according to his Web site, holds a U.S. patent on the thing (#6,171,639).

A little more research reveals that the patent he was awarded in 2001 was for the lemon-basil garlic marinade he uses with the Turkey London Broil, not the broil itself. But any way you slice it, Sal's Turkey London Broil is so outrageous, his customers cross state lines to stock up on the stuff.

I have not yet solved the mystery of the inventor of the Turkey London Broil, and in a state that still claims Edison invented the light bulb (the Wizard of Menlo Park never was awarded that particular patent), I don't think I'm going to. What I am going to do is spend a lot more time at Rosario's, and make this delicious, simple dinner as much as I can.

Allison Fishman is a cooking teacher, TV host and author of You Can Trust A Skinny Cook You-Can-Trust-Skinny-Cook. For delicious humor & recipes, visit allisonfishman.com or follow @allisonfishman on Twitter.

Tags: Food