A Smaller, Thinner Steak for the ‘90s

Until recently, the kind of steak served on many tables was a thick slab of meat that nearly covered the plate. Several years ago the pendulum swung the other way and people began to avoid steak completely. We Americans seem to favor extremes.

In Europe, steak’s popularity has been more constant, probably because servings are small. When a friend of mine from Colorado purchased six portions of steak at a butcher shop in Provence, his wife insisted it was barely enough for two.

Today, our own markets also feature smaller, thinner steaks. By serving less extravagant portions, we can still enjoy steak’s superb flavor, ease of preparation and short cooking time.

For summer, when most of us prefer light dinners, an ideal main course is the paillarde (pronounced “pie-yard”), a thin version of steak. Basically, a paillarde is a boneless slice of fine-quality meat that is flattened and grilled or sauteed. The classic choices for paillardes are beef and veal steaks.

To make paillardes , briefly pound the steaks with a meat mallet or rolling pin. This makes them uniformly thin and ensures that they cook evenly. Paillardes give us the satisfaction of being served a steak that appears generous in size but actually weighs relatively little.

Most steaks cook quickly but paillardes are done in record time. Once the paillardes have been seared on both sides, the meat is usually cooked through.

Grilling these thin steaks gives delicious results with almost no added fat. Paillardes can be grilled over charcoal, but a ridged stove-top grill-pan saves time and is simpler to use. The ridges mark the steaks with an attractive pattern and elevate them, enabling them to cook in dry heat and preventing them from boiling in any juices that escape.

Sauteing is also a perfect method for cooking these light steaks. Because beef is rich and does not tend to stick to the pan, just a small amount of oil--or a mixture of oil and butter--is required. You need a heavy skillet so the fat heats evenly and the steak cooks at high heat without scorching.

As the meat is sauteed, some of its juices collect in the pan. These can provide the base for a pan sauce that is made in minutes by adding wine or broth to the skillet then boiling the liquid until it reduces. Once the sauce has absorbed the taste of the pan juices and has become concentrated, it is spooned over the steak.

You can flavor the sauce with any seasonings you fancy, from herbs such as tarragon or chives to Oriental flavorings such as soy sauce and rice wine to Mexican favorites such as cilantro and chiles. Sliced mushrooms, diced peppers and other fast-cooking vegetables can be cooked in the sauce or sauteed separately and spooned over the steak. Prepared this way, the succulent beef paillarde can become the center of a quick, fresh and delectable menu that should appeal even to nutrition zealots.

Sauteed or oven-fried potatoes are a fine accompaniment for this quick entree, and so are cooked asparagus spears or green beans.

GRILLED BEEF PAILLARDES WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

4 (6-ounce) rib-eye steaks, cut about 1/3-inch thick

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, such as chanterelles or shiitake mushrooms, gently rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons oil plus about 1 teaspoon for brushing steaks

2 tablespoons butter or additional oil

1 large shallot, minced

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound white mushrooms, halved and cut into thin slices

1/3 cup Madeira

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Pound steaks, 1 at time, between 2 pieces plastic wrap to thickness of 1/4 inch, using flat meat pounder or rolling pin. If using shiitake mushrooms, discard stems. Slice shiitake caps. Quarter chanterelles if large.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallot, then mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute, tossing often, 4 minutes or until mushrooms are just tender. Remove from pan.

In same pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add white mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute 3 minutes or until light brown. Return other mushrooms to skillet and heat. Add Madeira. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, until absorbed by mushrooms. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Heat ridged stove-top grill over high heat until very hot (when 1 end of steak is touched to grill, it should make loud sizzling noise). Pat steaks dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper and brush lightly with oil. Grill in batches 30 to 45 seconds per side for rare meat, brushing steaks lightly with oil before turning. If steak begins to curl, press against ridges with wide spatula. Transfer steaks to plates, cover and keep warm while grilling remaining steaks. Reheat mushroom mixture and add parsley. Spoon over paillardes. Makes 4 servings.

A lavish amount of vegetables is part of this quick Mediterranean-style entree, so that the only accompaniment this colorful dish needs is crusty French or Italian bread. Diced uncooked tomatoes, garlic and plenty of basil give a fresh finishing touch. The basil is cut in chiffonnade or thin strips--this is faster and easier than chopping and the basil stays bright green.

BEEF PAILLARDES WITH BASIL, GARLIC AND SUMMER VEGETABLES

4 (6-ounce) rib-eye steaks, cut about 1/3-inch thick

1 green pepper

1 sweet red pepper

1 pound green or yellow zucchini or crookneck squash or mixture

1 large tomato (about 3/4 pound), peeled and seeded

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup beef broth

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup thin strips basil leaves

1 large clove garlic, minced

Pound steaks, 1 at time, between 2 pieces plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness, using flat meat pounder or rolling pin. Cut peppers, squash and tomato in 1/2-inch dice.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large, heavy deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add peppers and saute 2 minutes. Add squash and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat.

Pat steaks dry. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy skillet over high heat. Add steaks in batches and saute until brown, 30 to 45 seconds per side. Keep steaks warm in low-temperature oven. Pour off oil from skillet. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add 1/2 basil.

Quickly reheat vegetables over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, then tomato and remaining basil. Season steaks to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over and surround with vegetables. Makes 4 servings.