ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, August 14, 1996             TAG: 9608140071
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 8    EDITION: METRO 
COLUMN: Summer & Smoke
SOURCE: FOOD EDITOR ALMENA HUGHES AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE FOOL-PROOF SECRETS OF GREAT STEAK

For summertime meals, one of the very best cuts to grill is flank steak. But because it is so lean, flank steak can be tough and stringy.

For tender, flavorful flank steak, cookbook author Melanie Barnard offers these tips:

First, take a look at the raw steak and note the grain in the meat. Then, when the meat is cooked, slice thinly across the grain.

A second trick is to marinate the meat. A good marinade contains some acidic ingredient such as vinegar or citrus juice, which acts as a natural tenderizer to break down tough fibers in the meat.

In Barnard's recipe for Grilled Steakhouse Salad, beef flank steak and Portobello mushrooms are marinated in bottled Italian dressing. After grilling, the steak and mushrooms are served on a bed of spinach leaves with grilled garlic bread as an accompaniment.

The recipe is included in the ``Wish-Bone Year-Round Marinating and Grilling Cookbook,'' which you can obtain for free from Wish-Bone Dressing by sending your name and address to: Grilling Cookbook, P.O. Box 1100, Grand Rapids, Minn., 55745-1100.

Another factor in grilling success is the hotness of the fire. Charcoal briquettes supposedly give off about 25 percent less heat than lump charcoal, so they are not quite as effective for searing meats.

Finally, you want to achieve the right degree of doneness in the meat. The best way to tell if most steaks are done is to remove them from the grill and cut into them with a sharp knife as soon as the meat looks and feels done to your liking. Generally, you want the steak dark brown on the outside with grill marks, and suitably resistant to the touch - soft for rare, slightly resistant for medium and stiff for well done.

To make the following grilled rosemary flank steak, bring the steak, which is marinated in the refrigerator, to room temperature before grilling. When it's done, let the steak sit on a carving board for 5 to 10 minutes to settle the juices. Slice it thinly on the diagonal and serve with crusty bread and crisp slaw.

LENGTH: Medium:   54 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:      The recipe for Grilled Rosemary Flank Steak, which 
          is marinated, is on Page 5.  color
          
             Summer & Smoke  will run weekly in the Extra section throughout 
          the cookout season. If you have a great grilling recipe or other 
          grilling-related information that you'd like to share, send it, 
          along with your name and a phone number where you can be contacted, 
          to Summer & Smoke, c/o the Features Department, The Roanoke Times, 
          P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010.