A steak in the future - Brief Article

Sunset, Sept, 2000 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

Chicken thighs, pounded thin, lighten up a mixed grill

* Chicken breasts are today's skinny meat of choice. And the shadow they cast puts the bird's darker meat in a bad light. Thighs in particular are perceived as fatty and slow to cook. But my own experience cries, "Not so!" Well-trimmed thighs offer two genuine bonuses: juicy texture and rich flavor. Much of the fat is on the skin or in pockets that are easy to find and remove.

Start with boned, skinned chicken thighs (most supermarkets carry them) or just pull the skin off boned thighs. Then snip out the lumps of fat in the meat. Pound the meat thin-it only takes seconds-and behold: a chicken-thigh steak. Flipped on a hot grill, it cooks in less than five minutes. Chicken steaks are just fine solo, but teamed with meaty portabella mushrooms, a bit of beef flank, and a few sausages (reduced-fat, if you like), they make a trim mixed grill for the 21st century.

Mixed Grill with Chicken Steaks and Mushrooms

PREP AND COOK TIME: 25 to 35 minutes

NOTES: If you can't find portabella mushroom caps, buy whole portabellas and trim off stems to save for other uses.

MAKES: 6 servings

3 boned, skinned chicken thighs (3/4 to 1 lb. total)

3 Italian sausages (about 3/4 lb. total)

1 piece beef flank steak (about 1/2 lb.)

3 portabella mushroom caps (4 to 5 in. wide; see notes)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil

Pickle relish sauce (recipe follows) or Dijon mustard and prepared horseradish

Salt

1. Rinse chicken, sausages, beef, and mushrooms; pat dry. Put sausages in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan with 1/2 inch of water; bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until sausages are no longer pink in the center (cut to test), about 10 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, trim and discard fat from chicken thighs and flank steak. Put thighs between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a flat mallet until they're an even 1/4 inch thick. Rub Worcestershire over the flank steak. Lightly rub mushroom caps all over with olive oil.

3. Place mushroom caps, gills down, on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can bold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. When mushrooms start to drip juice, in about 4 minutes, turn over. Lay flank steak, chicken thigh steaks, and sausages on grill. Cook, turning meats to brown evenly until beef is rare to medium-rare in the center (cut to test), chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), sausages are lightly browned, and mushrooms are flexible, 3 to 5 minutes longer for all. As foods are cooked, transfer to a platter and keep warm.

4. Thinly slice beef across the grain; cut chicken and mushrooms into thick slices and sausages into chunks. Drain accumulated meat juices into pickle relish sauce, and mix. Serve grilled foods with sauce and salt to add to taste.

Per serving of chicken, steak, and mushrooms: 161 cal., 41% (66 cal.) from fat; 20 g protein; 7.3 g fat (2.3 g sat.); 3.4 g carbo (0.9 g fiber); 102 mg sodium; 66 mg chol.

Per serving of sausages: 134 cal., 74% (99 cal.) from fat; 8.3 g protein; 11 g fat (3.7 g sat.); 0.6 g carbo (0 g fiber); 382 mg sodium; 32 mg chol.

Pickle relish sauce. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, combine 3/4 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup each sweet pickle relish and dry vermouth or dry white wine, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir often until reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Let sauce stand while cooking mixed grill (preceding), then stir over high heat until simmering, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl. Makes about 1 cup.

Per tablespoon: 46 cal., 70% (32 cal.) from fat; 0.4 g protein; 3.5 g fat (2.2 g sat.); 2.1 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 120 mg sodium; 12 mg chol.