BEEFING UP THE MENU

If you`re cooking for two, choosing a piece of beef can be challenging. You want something delicious, savory and succulent, and nothing fits that description like a steak. But a typical 16- to 24-ounce steak is more meat than you probably want, and certainly more than you need for a healthy diet.

Consider skirt steak instead of a sirloin or porterhouse. Skirt steak is the diaphragm of a steer, explains Bruce Aidells in ``The Complete Meat Cookbook`` (Houghton Mifflin, 1998). It`s a small piece of meat, weighing in at about eight ounces, and it`s as flavorful as the bigger hunks of meat.

``It has a coarse texture and a rich, beefy taste only matched by hanger steak,`` writes Aidells, who suggests you marinate skirt steak first. Its loose grain soaks in flavor.

You can get the same effect faster if you rub skirt steak with seasonings before cooking. Broil the meat just to medium doneness. Overcooking makes it tough.

Try the following recipe when you crave beef. Season the meat with garlic and cumin and add a Nectarine Relish for a juicy finish.

SKIRT STEAK WITH NECTARINE RELISH

Nectarine Relish (recipe follows)

1 (8-ounce) skirt steak

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Prepare Nectarine Relish. Set aside.

Trim fat off skirt steak. Combine garlic, ground pepper, salt and cumin and press mixture into both sides of steak.

Place steak on broiler pan. Broil 3 inches from heat 6 to 8 minutes for medium doneness, turning over halfway through.

To serve, cut skirt steak into thin strips. Top with Nectarine Relish. Makes 2 servings.

Nectarine Relish

1 cup diced fresh nectarine (2 large nectarines)

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno chile

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

In bowl, combine nectarine, jalapeno chile, honey, vinegar and salt. Set aside 10 minutes for flavors to blend. Makes 2 servings.

(Bev Bennett is the author of four cookbooks including the award-winning ``Dinner for Two,`` Barron`s.)

(c) 2000, Bev Bennett. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

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Author: Bev Bennett