Aside from overcooking, it's hard to mess up a steak. Which means the trick to taking it over the top mostly is a matter of finding the flavors that best play up its savory, somewhat salty notes.

In this recipe, that boost is provided by a quick marinade of lime juice, soy sauce, garlic and MSG. Don't shy away from that last item. It's already in nearly everything you eat and has long-since lived down its Chinese food-syndrome days.

MSG adds an intense jolt of savoriness that is accented by the lime — both juice and zest. For added flavor, some of the marinade is reserved for making an avocado salsa for topping the steak.

To keep the recipe speedy, the steak is sliced into thin strips, which grill in just a couple minutes. They can be topped with the salsa and served as is, wrapped in a flour tortilla or placed over a bed of baby spinach for a warm steak salad.

GARLIC LIME BEEF WITH AVOCADO SALSA

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Juice and zest of 1 lime

• 1/4 cup seasoned rice or cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Accent or other MSG product

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pound flank steak, cut against the grain into 1/2-inch strips

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Salt, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, vinegar, Accent, soy sauce, garlic powder and black pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Add the steak to the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, gently toss together the avocado, cilantro, garlic and reserved 2 tablespoons of the lime marinade. Mix well, then season with salt. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium-high and coat the racks with oil or cooking spray.

Grill the steak slices just until grill marks appear, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Arrange the steak on a serving platter and serve topped with the avocado salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

• Per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 309 calories; 181 calories from fat; 20 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 39 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 26 g protein; 4 g fiber; 660 mg sodium