Marinated Chuck Steak with Mushroom Sauce

I'm all about a cheap cut of meat being turned into something tender and mouth-watering. So when I saw that chuck steak was on sale at Stop and Shop (inexpensive and on sale?), I had to try this Taste of Home recipe out. And when I saw that I had a leftover container of mushrooms, I thought you can't get a better accompaniment to steak than mushrooms sautéed in butter.

Marinated Chuck Steak

1/2 cup red wine vingear

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp onion powder

2 lbs boneless chuck steak

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Add the beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Refridgerate for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Drain and discard marinade. Pat dry and let meat start to come to room temperature. Grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doness. Otherwise, broil meat on high in the oven. If using an electric oven, set rack to approximately 3 inches from heating element and broil steak on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet with rolled sides. Broil for about 6 minutes per side for medium. After grilling or broiling, let meat rest for 10 minutes.

Mushroom Sauce

1 small container sliced white mushrooms

1 tbsp butter

1 shallot, finely diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

1 tbsp cornstarch whisked into 3 tbsp fat-free half-and-half

1 tsp Herbes de Provence

1. Heat butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. When foaming, add mushrooms. Cook to golden; add shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add wine and half-and-half to pan and scrape up any bits of mushrooms and shallots left in the pan. Whisk together, then slowly whisk in the half-and-half/cornstarch mixture. Let thicken, about 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and shallots back to the pan. Serve over beef.

The Verdict: Everyone's opinion differed.

Amir was no help. I think he liked it a lot; he hadn't napped that day and was exhausted by dinner time. He was literally falling alseep while eating, but wouldn't stop even though I told him he could eat later. (I finally made him get down from the table before he choked, where he promptly crawled up on the couch and fell asleep. At 6:20 p.m.)

Noyan gave it a very good. Not everything gets a "very", so I think he was a fan.

I was not happy with the marinade. There was something too sharp in the meat's flavor and I'm guessing that it was the red wine vinegar. I was, however, blown away with how tender the meat was. It was literally prime rib tender. I ate a few bites and only then remembered the mushroom sauce. Holy smokes! That's some good stuff right there. That seemed to negate that taste I didn't like in the beef and turned the dish into something spectacular.

I served this with carottes glacées (glazed carrots), another Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipe. They make a nice compliment to the steak.