Tasty marinades can turn a steak into gourmet dish

Grilling season can be a challenge for the home chef who wants to please hungry diners yet surprise them occasionally with variations on a familiar theme. Another challenge is to keep the experiment in the healthy range, avoiding overloads of fat and calories.

A lean steak is a good place to start. Glance at the recipes below with their choice of tasty topnotes to add by way of marinades, and declare the challenge met.

Remember to allow six hours or overnight for marinating time. The marinades themselves are quick to prepare: The basic starter is an olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette, accented with garlic and pepper. From that it's easy to switch to an Asian or Mexican variation by adding a few extra ingredients. With any variation, a 3-ounce cooked serving of the steak has only 8 or 9 grams of fat.

Grilled vegetables would make a fine accompaniment to any of the variations, once you have the grill going — try asparagus, mushrooms and/or tomatoes.

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THREE-WAY MARINATED BEEF STEAK

(Preparation and cooking time 35 minutes, plus 6 hours or overnight marinating time)

1 pound beef flank steak (see note)

For the basic marinade:

1/4 cup prepared olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette, or prepared Italian-style vinaigrette

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place beef steak and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 17 to 21 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Carve steak across the grain into slices. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (steak with basic marinade): 174 cal., 24 g pro., 1 g carbo., 8 g fat, 111 mg sodium, 42 mg chol.

Asian marinade variation: Prepare recipe as directed, adding the following marinade ingredients:

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds