Beef Dish An Antidote For The Heat

Saturday night dinner for two should be more than burgers on the grill, but a pull-out-all-the-stops meal can take the steam out of any romance if it’s 90 degrees in the kitchen.

A cold beef dish is my idea of an elegant, yet easy-to-prepare entree. I started serving it when I noted how much everyone enjoyed cold beef tenderloin with an herb dressing at a catered party I attended. Guests liked it because it wasn’t heavy tasting; the cooks liked it because they could prepare the meat up to 24 hours in advance, whenever it was cool, and assemble it at the last minute.

In the following recipe for Italian Beef Salad, I marinate strips of round steak in red wine and herbs, then broil them. Those who prefer grilling can marinate the whole piece of meat according to the recipe, grill it and then slice it into thin strips.

Just before serving, combine the beef strips with vinegar, olive oil, onions, tomato and basil and garnish with a shaving of Parmesan cheese.

Dessert is just as simple and just as delightful. Saute fresh peach slices in butter, brown sugar and rum, then choose one of several delicious options: top the peach slices with mint-flavored yogurt, top frozen yogurt with the peach slices, or just serve plain.

Italian Beef Salad

1/2 pound round or flank steak

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 green onion, diced (white and green parts)

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 cup basil, torn into bite-size pieces, optional

Salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lettuce leaves

4 thin shavings Parmesan cheese

Slice meat 1/4-inch thick, across grain (you can partially freeze meat to make slicing easier), and place in glass bowl. Add wine, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Marinate up to 3 hours in refrigerator or 30 minutes at room temperature.

Remove meat from marinade and arrange on rack set over broiler pan. Broil until browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Flip meat over and broil second side until browned, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

To serve, place meat in bowl with red onion, green onion, tomato and basil. Combine salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, remaining 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in cup and stir well. Pour over salad and toss gently but well.

Arrange lettuce leaves on 2 dinner plates. Top each with half of salad mixture. Arrange 2 cheese shavings over each salad. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 2 servings.

Peaches or Nectarines in Buttered Rum Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 large unpeeled peaches or nectarines, sliced and pitted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Yogurt Topping (recipe follows) or vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add fruit slices and saute until tender and slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and saute 1 minute longer.

Pour on rum and cook over high heat 1 minute. If desired, ignite rum instead of cooking and allow alcohol to burn off. Stir in lemon juice and salt.

To serve, spoon fruit and sauce into 2 bowls. Top each with Yogurt Topping, or place 2 scoops frozen yogurt into each of 2 bowls and spoon warm fruit slices and sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.

Yogurt Topping

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 to 2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon minced fresh mint

Combine yogurt, honey and mint in cup, stirring well.

Yield: About 1/4 cup.