Although prime rib, loin and sirloin make the most tender steaks, bottom round broils into tender, juicy steak with the right preparation. Bottom round steaks come from the hindquarters of the animal, a well-exercised muscle that comprises the bottom round primal cut. Bottom round needs to marinate for six to 24 hours for maximum tenderness and flavor before slapping it onto a broiler pan in your oven.
Don a pair of plastic food service gloves and place a 2-lb. bottom round steak in a gallon-size plastic zipper bag. Combine the juice or red wine, olive oil, black pepper and hot sauce in a small mixing bowl and pour it into the bag with the steak. Push all the air out of the bag before zipping it shut.
Use a chef's knife to cut a large Bermuda or Vidalia onion in half and remove the brown layer of skin. Lay each half of the onion flat-side down on a disposable cutting sheet. Slice the onion halves into 1/8-inch thicknesses. Add all the sliced onion to the bag with the steak.
Smash one clove of garlic at a time with the flat side of the chef's knife to split the skin. Remove the skin and add the peeled garlic cloves to the bag with the steak and onions. Turn the bag several times to mix all the ingredients together.
Shake the bag so that the steak moves into one corner of the bag. Lay the bag flat and press the steak with both hands, using as much pressure as possible. Release pressure so that the marinade draws into the meat.
Place the bag in a large mixing bowl in the refrigerator and allow the meat to marinate for six to 24 hours. Turn the bag every three hours, pressing and releasing the meat to ensure that it absorbs as much marinade as possible.
Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil. Remove the steak from the zipper bag and place it on the top half of the broiler pan.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit before switching to the "broil" setting. Place the broiler pan in the oven and broil the steaks for five minutes. Turn the steak and broil for an additional four minutes.
Stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the steak without touching the bone. If it registers at least 145 degrees, remove the steaks from the oven. If it does not, cook for one additional minute and test again.
Pour the marinade into a 2-qt. saucepan, add the pan juices from the broiler. Stir in 1 tbsp. flour and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Serve the resulting gravy over mashed potatoes, along with a mixed-green salad and the steak.