Coffee-Rubbed Steak with Peppers and Onions

Today is Monday.

I can’t believe I have been at this for at least nine days and I haven’t discussed my very favorite food yet: coffee! Oh, the joy of drinking coffee is something nothing else gives me. Throw in a pastry and my kids being anywhere else, and I am happy as a kitten in a ray of sunshine. I don’t often have the chance to incorporate God’s gift to humanity into my dinners, so this short, easy recipe caught my attention. My kids all LOVE steak- far more than either Steve or I care for it. I did not make cornbread because carbs, but I did have a huge side of leftover potato wedges from our weekend of caloric debauchery that I just couldn’t let go to waste. Potatoes are a rarity around here. Like the soldier that I am, I abstained from the fries. (Well I didn't put any on my plate at least.).

Reprinted with permission from Leah Brickley, Food Network Kitchen.

Coffee-Rubbed Steak with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

2 T. plus 1 tsp. packed light or dark brown sugar, separated

1 T. instant coffee OK I understand this isn’t a pantry staple. If you are someone who likes to make a lot of chocolate desserts, it’s worth spending a few dollars on a jar that will last a really long time. Many chocolate cakes and such call for instant coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. Plus, then you can make this bomb recipe. If you don’t have it, I think this dish could still be good honestly.

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. mustard powder

½ tsp. ancho chili powder Or just chili powder.

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Kosher salt

1 1 ¼ -1 ½ pound skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces Ideally, you want red meat at room temp for one hour before cooking.

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 large onion, cut into wedges Onions are also on my Favorite Foods List, so I threw in a red onion as well. She says in her notes that the onions make the dish so I was really excited.

Freshly ground pepper

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips I decided what the heck and doubled this too.

Juice of ½ lime, plus lime wedges for serving

Cornbread, for serving (optional) This would also be great in taco form. I wish I had some guacamole to go with it. That would have been out of this world. Basically anything with guac is out of this world I suppose.

Instructions

1) Combine 2 T. brown sugar and next five ingredients into a small bowl. Rub the mixture between your fingers until fine. Season the steak with salt, then generously rub both sides with the coffee-spice mixture. I do not recommend waiting too long to cook your steaks after using the rub. I did and mine started to run all over. 

2) Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, sear the steak, 3 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare. That’s a big range! I did 5 minutes on each side. I would have liked it cooked maybe one minute less than that, but it was still pink. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest; reserve the juices in the skillet. Cover with foil or your husband will whine that his food is cold.

3) Add the remaining 1 tsp. brown sugar and the onion to the skillet. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt, and pepper to taste; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and ¼ cup water; cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. I doubled the water since I doubled the veggies.

4) Slice the steak against the grain. Divide the steak, bell pepper, onion and the juices from the skillet among plates. Serve with lime wedges and cornbread or left-over fries.

This was delicious. We could really taste the chocolate and the sugar and the coffee- and with the lime it was the perfect combination of bitter, sweet, and sour- plus a crunch with the peppers. I bet it would be great with a bit of spice added too. Since I doubled the vegetables, there were a lot leftover. I cannot wait to make an omelet with them for lunch tomorrow.