A lot of people argue that all a steak needs is salt. I would argue that yes salt is all that’s needed for a great steak but I don’t want to eat steak only seasoned with salt for the rest of my life. I LOVE trying different rubs, sauces, marinades, finishing butters, etc. Right now, my go-to steak is salt, pepper and black garlic. Doesn’t mean I want every steak for the rest of my life to be that combo either. Easy Coffee Rubbed Steak with Chimichurri is for those that want to try something new. To go on a culinary adventure, if you will. The steak in this recipe could be your go-to but for this one you want to try something new to complement that steak. And this steak recipe is indeed easy. Tracking down the ingredients is probably the hardest part and most of them are probably in your spice rack/drawer. A food processor is almost a necessity but that also makes this easy. Alright, buckle up and scroll down for the full step by step, picture by picture, foolproof steak recipe:
Easy Coffee Rubbed Steak with Chimichurri Ingredients
Coffee Rub:
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh pepper
- 1 tablespoon crushed coriander
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
Steaks:
- 2 thick ribeye/NY strip or porterhouse steaks (or your favorite cut), minimum of 1.25 inches thick
Chimichurri:
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 4 sprigs rosemary, stems removed
- 1 bunch green onion
- 1 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
Before we go to far into this steak recipe, let me say that this is not the first foray into cooking with coffee. We have a number of recipes using coffee including Ancho Coffee Wings (that was featured in a Coke commercial on NBC during a NASCAR race), Coffee Brined Ribs, and this Coffee Teres Major (Teres Major is an amazing steak and cheap), but don’t forget these Pumpkin Spice Ribs. It’s OK to admit you dig the pumpkin flavors in the Fall.
Also, this isn’t our first foray into the chimichurri sauce. Here’s another steak with chimichurri and here’s a tri tip sando with chimi as a condiment.
But back to the coffee. Some of you have to be asking this question:
Why Put Coffee on Steak?
Coffee is similar to wine in terms of tannins which can amplify flavor. Coffee can also tenderize meat and enhance the flavor crust when properly seared.
How to Make Easy Coffee Rubbed Steak with Chimichurri
Time to get after this steak recipe.
Pre-heat grill on high. In this case we used a gas grill. Turn on the burners on one side to high and leave the other burners off. On a traditional charcoal grill, pile the charcoal to one side and leave the other side cool.
As the grill gets hot, combine all rub ingredients in small bowl:
Blend the spices together until combined completely.
Thoroughly coat each steak with the coffee rub and set aside to come up to room temp:
While the coffee rubbed steaks come up to temp, place all the chimichurri ingredients, except oil, in that food processor. Pulse the food processor and slowly add olive oil until liquid runs smooth. Set aside:
Place rubbed steak on the hot side of the grill and cook for around 2 minutes, then flip for 2 more minutes. Once the steaks have single hatch grill marks on each side, flip over and do a quarter turn and to get the cross hatch on the first side which means searing for another 2 minutes. Then flip over and do another quarter turn to get those diamond grill marks on the other side of the steaks.
At this point the steaks are rare. If you like them more done than that, then slide them over to the side of the grill with no burners on or no coals and close the lid. Bake the steaks until they are your preferred doneness.
Remove the rubbed steak from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.
For the best presentation, slice the steak into long thin, evenly sized pieces, lay them over and spoon the chimichurri over the beef:
Have a little bowl of chimi on the side for dunking because this stuff is addictive!
Easy Coffee Rubbed Steak with Chimichurri Summary
The coffee really does a wonderful job of raising the savory flavor profile of the rubbed steak and add in the creamy chimi with it’s fresh herb deliciousness and this is a winner. Additionally, the presentation of that green sauce on a nice rare or medium rare coffee rubbed steak is phenomenal.
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Easy Coffee Rubbed Steak with Chimichurri
Ingredients
Coffee Rub
- 2 tablespoons Coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons Instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Fresh pepper
- 1 tablespoon Crushed coriander
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne
Steaks
- 2 Thick ribeye/NY strip or porterhouse steaks(or your favorite cut) Minimum of 1.25 inches thick
Chimichurri
- 1 bunch Flat leaf parsley
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 4 sprigs Rosemary Stems removed
- 1 bunch Green onion
- 1 tablespoon Red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup Fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup Olive oil
Instructions
Coffee Rub
- Combine the coffee rub ingredients in a bowl and blend completely
- Coat the outside of the steaks with the rub and leave on the counter to come up to room temperature
Chimichurri Sauce
- Add all the chimi ingredients except the oil into a food processor
- Pulse the food processor while slowly drizzling the olive oil in
- When the chimichurri runs smooth remove from the food processor and set asside
Grilling the Steaks
- Start the grill and set the burners on one side to high and leave the other burners off
- For a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side and leave the other side empty for two zone grilling
- When the hot side of the grill is north of 500F, it's time to grill
- Place coffee rubbed steaks on the hot side of the grill and cook for around 2 minutes, then flip for 2 more minutes. Once the steaks have single hatch grill marks on each side, flip over and do a quarter turn and to get the cross hatch on the first side which means searing for another 2 minutes. Then flip over and do another quarter turn to get those diamond grill marks on the other side of the steaks.
- After getting cross hatch grill marks on both sides, the steaks are rare. If you would like them cooked more than that, slide them over to the side with no burners on or no hot coals on a charcoal grill and close the lid to bake until they reach your desired doneness
- Once they are cooked to your liking, remove from the grill and let rest for a couple minutes
- For best presentation, slice into thin strips, fan the strips out on the plate and drizzle with the chimichurri
- Place more chimi in a small bowl for dunking