Skirting Dinner

My wife had a baby five months ago, and I do all the cooking. I also work full time, so the 10-minute meal is perfect for us.

Skirt steak is well marbled, very flavorful and not out of whack price-wise. Be sure to spend a few moments cutting away the excess fat. Slice it thin and always cut against the grain for tender skirt steak.

The ingredients include the following: Skirt steak, olive oil, garlic, butter, vermouth, red wine (use the same wine to cook with that you will drink), salt and pepper, parsley, two bags of frozen spinach and Parmigiano-Reggiano. One can find most of these items in a good supermarket. The one place that I stop by on the way home is the bakery for really fresh bread.

* Heat a skillet, then add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper, then place it in the hot skillet and add 2 cloves chopped garlic.

* With the steak in the skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a separate saucepan, then add frozen spinach and 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced. Stir until warm. Then add 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover and heat through.

* The steak needs only about 2 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm and add 1/4 cup vermouth and 1/2 cup red wine to the hot pan (be careful, it could flame). With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan and let the sauce reduce for 1 minute.

* Return the steaks to the hot skillet for 1 more minute for medium rare. Toss a handful of chopped parsley into the skillet.

* Uncover the spinach and stir until smooth. For tender steak, cut against the grain and slice it very thin. Arrange steak and spinach on a plate, spoon the sauce over the steak and serve with fresh bread and a glass of red wine.

RUSSELL WILLIAMS

Corona del Mar