Every cook should have one of those recipes in her back pocket that she can just whip out, whip up and impress.

Oh you must have cooked all day!

Actually. It took me about thirty minutes to throw this all together, but of course, I’m not going to tell you that.

This is something my mom always made, that I loved and found somewhat magical. It’s one of those dishes that look and taste and just seem like they took a ton of effort and some secret concoction of seasonings.

Come in close. Closer. Okay. This is just between us.

All it is, is a good bottle of red wine.

Most of life’s great things begin with a good bottle of red wine, n’es-ce pas?

To make this London Broil you will need, 1 pound of London Broil ( for 2 people, adjust accordingly), black pepper, salt and good red wine. London Broil is a fairly cheap cut of meat, so it’s something that can be an everyday dress, but jazzed up with the right shoes and necklace, can be a real showstopper.

Pick a fairly hearty red wine. A chianti or a merlot will work just lovely. As always, pick something you would drink.

Place your hunk of London Broil in a baking dish with fairly deep sides.

Season liberally with salt and pepper, and glug glug glug, pour in the wine, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, plus a little more.

The wine is one trick. Here’s the second. Stick the tray in the fridge for a few hours. Better yet, put it in the fridge in the morning before you go to work and then come home to a wonderful red wine smell that has escaped from your fridge and permeated the kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 400 and bake the London Broil for about 30 minutes. Cooking time will depend on thickness and desired doneness.

The smell of wine will waft down the halls of your building.

This side dish, which pairs so nicely with the London Broil, is brought to you courtesy of my fiance. I believe it’s a variation on something his mom made.

In a frying pan, toss in fresh green beans (washed and trimmed), a diced tomato, 2 cloves of minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Sautee the mixture until the beans are cooked, but still crisp.

Plate the London Broil and the green beans, pouring the red wine sauce from the pan liberally over both.

Everything has the taste of a meal that has been lovingly and painstakingly prepared over hours in the kitchen.

Only you and I will know that it’s just the wine talking!