Add sirloin to polenta for a grilled delicacy

This highly flavorful steak is versatile enough to work for family-style dining, as well as a party-worthy appetizer.

It all comes down to the polenta.

The dish starts by marinating thinly sliced sirloin in a potent blend of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Because the steak is so thinly sliced, it thoroughly absorbs the marinade and cooks almost instantly on the grill.

The steak then gets served over polenta. This recipe calls for slicing a tube of prepared polenta into rounds, then brushing them with oil and briefly grilling them. Strips of steak then are piled onto each round and topped with sour cream blended with chives and shallots.

But for an alternative, cut that same tube of polenta into bite-size chunks. Toss the chunks in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of milk and a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.

Heat and stir until smooth and creamy. Spoon some of the soft polenta onto serving plates, then top with steak and a dollop of sour cream.

Grilled Sirloin with Polenta and Sour Cream

For the steak:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 cloves garlic

1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and very thinly sliced

For the polenta:

18-ounce tube prepared polenta

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

Garlic powder

For the sour cream:

1 cup sour cream

1 shallot, finely minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, peppercorns and garlic. Puree until smooth, then pour into a stainless steel or other non-reactive bowl. Add the steak, mixing gently to coat, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into 8 slices. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of each slice with oil.

Sprinkle both sides of each slice with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside until the steak is ready to grill.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, shallot and chives. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium-high. Coat the racks with cooking spray or oil.

Grill the polenta slices for 3 minutes per side, or until bold grill marks appear. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the slices to serving plates.

Grill the steak for 1 minute per side. Mound 1 or 2 slices on top of each polenta round. Top each with a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 925 calories, 45 grams fat (18 grams saturated), 40 grams protein, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams dietary fiber, 216 milligrams sodium.