A steak in the future

Chicken breasts are today’s skinny meat of choice. And the shadow they cast puts the bird’s darker meat in a bad light. Thighs in particular are perceived as fatty and slow to cook. But my own experience cries, “Not so!” Well-trimmed thighs offer two genuine bonuses: juicy texture and rich flavor. Much of the fat is on the skin or in pockets that are easy to find and remove.

Start with boned, skinned chicken thighs (most supermarkets carry them) or just pull the skin off boned thighs. Then snip out the lumps of fat in the meat. Pound the meat thin ― it only takes seconds ― and behold: a chicken-thigh steak. Flipped on a hot grill, it cooks in less than five minutes. Chicken steaks are just fine solo, but teamed with meaty portabella mushrooms, a bit of beef flank, and a few sausages (reduced-fat, if you like), they make a trim mixed grill for the 21st century.