David Joachim

David Joachim has authored, edited or collaborated on more than 25 cookbooks, including Fresh Choices, Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks, and the New York Times bestseller, A Man A Can A Grill. His “A Man, A Can…” series of books has sold more than 800,000 copies. His latest books are The Tailgater’s Cookbook and The Food Substitutions Bible. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Find David's books at: http://www.campusi.com/author_David_Joachim.htm

David Joachim’s Beer and Coffee Steaks

from “The Tailgater’s Cookbook” (Broadway Books)

Want to get fired up for the game? Have some coffee with your grilled steak. Better yet, on your grilled steak. Wait, let’s go one better and marinate the steaks in beer first! Coffee-rubbed steaks have been getting popular all over the Unites States. This is my spicy, Texas-style version with dark beer and dark coffee.

 12 ounces dark beer, such as Negro Modelo
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco
4 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), trimmed of fat
3 tablespoons finely ground espresso or dark roast coffee
1 tablespoon pure chile powder (such as ancho)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Before You Go: The night before, mix beer, Worcestershire, and Tabasco in large freezer-weight zipper-lock bag. Put steaks in bag, seal, and chill in refrigerator or cooler overnight.

The next morning, mix remaining ingredients (espresso through black pepper) in small bowl. Remove steaks from marinade and discard marinade. Pat steaks dry with paper towels then scatter spice mix over steaks, patting it in with your fingers. Slip into clean zipper-lock bags, seal, and chill in cooler.

When You Get There: Remove steaks from cooler about 20 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to high and let rack get good and hot. Brush and oil rack, then grill steaks until darkly crusted and done the way you like, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (about 145ºF on an instant-read thermometer) or 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium (about 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer). Let meat rest off heat 5 minutes to redistribute juices.

Makes 4 big steaks.

Neighborly Tips:

o      Most grocery stores carry espresso or dark roast coffee beans. Grind them in the store’s grinder or at home for even better freshness. You could also get the beans ground at your favorite coffee shop.

o      Look for pure ancho chile powder in the spice aisle of your grocery store. It’s usually kept with the fancy spices in the glass bottles. If you can’t find it, use commercial chili powder and omit the cumin (commercial chili powder usually contains cumin).

o      A small chunk of butter finishes this steak off nicely. Toss it on just before eating and let it melt all over the steak. Or serve with your favorite steak sauce.