No time to marinate steak? Try a rub for flavor

Don't have time to marinate that steak? No problem! What you need is a good rub. We're not talking about a back rub — we're talking a steak rub.

A steak rub is nothing more than a few dry spices or herbs mixed together and then literally rubbed into the meat just before grilling. Mix a teaspoon of this and a teaspoon of that, and you're ready to go.

While a rub will not tenderize the meat as a 12-hour marinade might, it will impart unbelievable flavor. That's one reason we like to use a tender cut of steak, as in today's recipe for Spicy Rubbed Rib-eyes, which originally appeared in our "Desperation Dinners!" cookbook (Workman, 1997).

Using thin-cut rib-eyes means the steaks cook in 5 minutes. And that means dinner is on the table in a flash.

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Menu suggestion: Spicy Rubbed Rib-eyes

Baked potatoes

SPICY RUBBED RIB-EYES

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

4 boneless rib-eye beef steaks (each about 1/2-inch thick and about 5 ounces), defrosted if frozen

1. Prepare a gas grill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Preheat the grill to high.

2. Combine the garlic, onion and chili powders with the cumin in a small bowl. Sprinkle salt to taste on both sides of each steak. Place a scant teaspoon of the seasoning mix on just 1 side of each steak, then rub the spices into the meat with your fingertips.

Place the steaks on the grill (spiced side down) and grill to the desired doneness. For steaks done to medium, grill them, covered, for 3 minutes on the first side. Turn and grill, uncovered 2 minutes on the second side. For medium rare, cook 2 minutes on each side. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

Approximate Values Per Serving: 177 calories (40 percent from fat), 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 76 mg cholesterol, 24 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, trace dietary fiber, 57 mg sodium

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Beverly Mills is a former food editor of the Miami Herald food section and a mother of two; Alicia Ross, a former food columnist for The Raleigh News and Observer, also has two children. They have been living the desperate life for years and years. Send desperate tales of woe or everyday success stories and your favorite quick recipes to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. You can e-mail Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at desperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.