Marinated Chuck with Chipotle and Sherry

I've been marinating chuck roasts again! This was fantastic. Truly, I'd rather have a well-marinated chuck than a sirloin or filet mignon. Much more flavor!

Marinated Chuck with Chipotle and Sherry

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Splenda -- or other sweetener to equal 2 teaspoons sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo, minced
2 teaspoons meat tenderizer
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck 1 1/2" thick

Easy! Mix together everything but the meat tenderizer and the chuck. Put your chuck in a flat, non-reactive container just big enough to hold it. Sprinkle on half the tenderizer, and use a fork to stab it ruthlessly, all over. I do every 1/2 inch, or even closer together. Flip the chuck, and repeat on the other side with the rest of the tenderizer. Now pour in the marinade, and flip a few times, to make sure it's well-coated. Now stash, and let it marinate for at least a few hours, and all day is great.

(You can also do this in a big zipper-lock bag, if you like. Just put the steak on a plate to do the whole serial-killer routine, then put it in the bag, pour in the marinade, and press out the air as you seal the bag. Turn the bag a few times to make sure it's well-coated. Throw the bag in the fridge.)

If you think of it, and have the chance, turn the steak a couple of times during the day.

When supper time rolls around, fire up the grill -- this is best charcoal-grilled. Set the grill close to the fire. When the coals are ashed over, throw the steak on -- we did ours for about 8-9 minutes per side, and it was medium-to-rare, and beautifully crusty on the outside. However well you like it done, baste it with the marinade when you flip it. (You can boil the marinade before you do this, if you're afraid of raw meat germs; I figured the fire was hot enough to kill 'em.)

Pull it off the grill and serve! Fabulous.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Assuming 6 servings, each will have: 503 Calories; 39g Fat; 31g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

Those numbers, however, assume that you'll eat all of the marinade, and actually you'll throw a fair amount of it away. So all those numbers are lower -- except the protein, of course.