The Steelhead Grill is landing a new menu. Seafood used to be the focus of the upscale restaurant at the Marriott Pittsburgh City Center, Uptown. However, hotel guests and regular patrons soon will see a wider variety of choices. The restaurant always has offered other types of items, but management anticipates the changes will redefine Steelhead Grill's identity as a broader-based dining destination. The expansion is a work in progress, although management won't discuss the details. Case in point: 2004 Lamb Roulade Brasserie Style, this week's Cooking Class selection, is on the menu as a special. It is made from Elysian Fields Farm lambs from Waynesburg, which executive chef Donato Coluccio calls some of the world's finest. "What we are is a from-scratch restaurant serving the highest quality, freshest ingredients from both home and abroad," says Coluccio, who came on board three months ago at the restaurant, which opened about eight years ago. "We've got a good group of guys here." Chefs are what drive the Steelhead Grill, he says, and his opinion is authoritative. In February, Coluccio's peers in the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation named him chef of the year, noting his many charity projects and a success record with mentoring, among other reasons. "I want the staff to know that this is our place, and we make it what it is," says Coluccio, 32, a McKeesport resident and 1991 graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. An inclusive, nurturing environment is Coluccio's goal for the Steelhead Grill's patrons as well as its kitchen staff. "I want everyone to feel like they're in my house personally," says Coluccio, who cooks from an open kitchen in full view from some parts of the dining room, which seats 165. "Everybody has to be at their best all the time." Steelhead Grill won't forget its seafood roots, however, nor does Coluccio wish to devalue ocean cuisine, known for its freshness and flavor. The restaurant flies in a daily supply of seafood from places producing fish in season. For instance, Alaskan halibut, Florida red snapper, Massachusetts scallops and several Hawaiian fish are popular choices now. "The food speaks for itself, the presentation speaks for itself," says Coluccio, who describes Steelhead Grill's ambience as simple elegance. "If you order salmon, you know you're getting salmon."

If you like a cooking challenge, ask the butcher to remove and save the bone from the loin, and make the lamb reduction sauce. Otherwise, for a simpler recipe, executive chef Donato Coluccio recommends substituting a reduced mixture of meat stocks. To make it, combine chicken and beef broth, then heat and simmer until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. You'll need 1 cup. If possible, use organically raised lamb from Elysian Fields Farm in Waynesburg. The lamb can be purchased at Brilliant Market, Aspinwall; Ruggeri's Food Shoppe, Squirrel Hill; North Star Market, Richland; and John McGinnis & Co., Castle Shannon. 2004 Lamb Roulade Brasserie Style with Risotto and Asparagus 1 (8 ounces) piece short loin lamb, boned Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste Olive oil, for searing and sauteing 1 sweet red pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups fresh leaf spinach Salt, to taste Butcher's twine (about 1 foot), to tie meat 2 tablespoons minced shallots 3 tablespoons dry red wine 1 cup Lamb Reduction (recipe follows) 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard Risotto (recipe follows) Sauteed Asparagus (recipe follows) Lay the strip loin on a cutting board and slice into it lengthwise (as if you are making a pocket) until it opens all the way, like a butterfly. Place plastic wrap over the meat and pound until it is 1/4-inch thick across and all the way open. Season with black pepper. Coat the bottom of a medium pan with olive oil and heat until just before the oil smokes. Sear the meat on both sides until brown on the outside and rare inside, which will take a few minutes on each side. Let stand until ready to use. Using a grill or over a flame on the stovetop, roast the sweet pepper until blistered and charred. Place it in a paper bag to steam for 20 minutes, then seed and peel it. Let the pepper cool, then dice it. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in another medium pan, then add the garlic and spinach. Saute until just soft, then add the diced sweet pepper and season with salt and black pepper. Continue cooking for about a minute. Set aside to cool. Lay the butterflied loin on a work surface and lightly season with salt and black pepper. On the bottom part of the loin facing you, spread with the spinach and place the sweet pepper pieces on top. Roll up the loin like a jellyroll and tie it off with the twine in several places crosswise. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil, heat it and sear the roulade on all sides. Place it on a rack in a baking tray, and finish cooking in the hot oven to desired doneness (about 5 minutes for medium-rare, 10 minutes for well-done.) In the same pan in which the roulade cooked, drain excess oil and turn the heat to medium. Saute the shallots quickly, add your favorite red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping off the residue. Add the Lamb Reduction and the mustard. Reduce this by half, simmering very lightly, allowing bubbles to just break on the surface. Remove the roulade from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Untie the roulade and slice into 1/4-inch-thick medallions. Put a scoop of risotto on the center of a dinner plate. Place the asparagus stalks, standing straight up, in the front of the scoop. Arrange the medallions around the scoop, and drizzle the sauce around it. Makes 1 serving. Lamb Reduction Bone from lamb loin (plus a veal bone, if desired) 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped carrot 1 bay leaf 1 to 2 whole black peppercorns 1/4 cup tomato paste Water Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the lamb bone and veal bone, if desired, in a casserole and put it in the oven. When the bone begins to brown, add the celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns and tomato paste. When the bone turns fully brown -- after about 45 minutes -- remove everything from the casserole and place in a stock pot. Add just enough water to cover the bone, and let the mixture simmer on the stovetop for 2 to 4 hours. Plugra-brand European butter is available at Giant Eagle. Look for other brands at large supermarkets and food specialty stores. If you are using canned broth, Coluccio recommends Heinz or College Inn. Risotto 5 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cups arborio rice, uncooked 1/4 pound ( 1/2 cup, 1 stick) whole European butter, such as Plugra, at room temperature 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste In a pot, heat the broth to a simmer. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan or shallow pot. Begin slowly sauteing the onion in the olive oil before it reaches the smoking level. When the onion is turning transparent, add the rice and stir until it is coated with oil. Add a 2-ounce ( 1/4 cup) ladle of the simmering stock to the rice and stir constantly until the stock is absorbed. Continue this process until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is plump. Add the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir until the butter and cheese are melted and the rice is al dente (fully cooked, but slightly firm and not too soft.) Season with salt and black pepper. Makes about 4 servings. Sauteed Asparagus Butter, for sauteing 6 stalks fresh asparagus, cut about in half, hard stems discarded Melt enough butter in a pan to coat the bottom and heat until the butter is brown but not burned. Watch carefully. Saute the asparagus until it is tender-crisp, which takes about 3 minutes. Additional Information:

Details

Send requests for your favorite restaurant recipes to Cooking Class, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, D.L. Clark Building, 503 Martindale St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Fax: (412) 320-7966. Steelhead Grill, in the Marriott City Center Hotel, 112 Washington Place, Uptown, is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays; 5 to 11 p.m. Saturdays; and 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant also offers breakfast from 6:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 6:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends and whenever events are scheduled at Mellon Arena. Details: (412) 394-3474.

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