Amp Up Your Steak With This Winning Combination!

Here in the Midwest, we can get a little high-and-mighty on the subject of steak. I’m just saying, it’s true; most real beef lovers in the Midwest wouldn’t any more dare to smother a perfectly gorgeous and marbled piece of meat with steak sauce than we would cook it until it’s brown and chewy all the way through. 

We have high-quality beef in our area of the country (lucky us) and for those of us who adore this very thing, we tend to grill our steak with very little adornment. Salt. Pepper… Sometimes we’ll get “crazy” by substituting seasoned salt or garlic salt for the salt. But, most true steak lovers agree; let the flavor of the meat come through.

On rare occasion there is cause to dress beef with other flavors. Beef tenderloin is one such cut that (as I’ve covered in this blog before / see the recipe from my March 21, 2011 posting) pairs well with a sauce or filling. The flavor of beef tenderloin is delicate and less “meaty”. It’s also more of an “occasion” cut in terms of when you would serve it. For another great coffee and beef recipe combination see this link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/filet-of-beef-roasted-with-coffee-beans-in-pasilla-chile-broth-recipe/index.html . It’s a recipe my family has enjoyed for years. But steak; think ribeye or strip cuts, is VERY meaty and satisfying in that one complete-on-its-own flavor. 

I’m not sure my husband and I have ever marinated or rubbed a strip or ribeye steak before grilling it. However, the last Dinner Club, our coffee-focused meal, changed my mind on our firm “nothing but salt” stance on steak. The gent that prepared our entrée did rub the ribeye steaks for each of us in a delicate, yet delicious seasoning blend that enhanced and complimented the “beefiness” of a well-marbled ribeye steak. 

I could taste the meat through and through. I could detect the smokiness of the paprika and a barely-there hint of sweet from the brown sugar, but none of it turned me off. All of the flavors in their combined effort made me appreciate the effort and made me willing to give it a try myself in the future. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it here again: Dinner Club is a great way to expose yourself to new foods and new experiences in dining! Try it out! 

Our steak entrée was accompanied by a delightful potato side and I’ve included it below with the steak rub, straight from the man who prepared it for us. Barbecue this weekend and give this new-and-improved steak and potatoes a whirl! 

Jon’s Ribeye Rub (enough for two ribeye steaks)

2 T very finely ground Kona-blend coffee

1 T dark brown sugar

2 t. pink salt

1 t. smoked paprika

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

 Lightly oil the steaks with olive oil. Dust the steaks with freshly ground black pepper and the rub mixture about 4 hours before grilling to desired doneness.

Here’s the potato recipe as well. Enjoy!

 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/102498

Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses
3/4 cup (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled Danish blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/4 ounces)

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

3 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Mix cheddar cheese, blue cheese and Parmesan in small bowl.

Arrange half of potatoes in prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle onion over, then flour. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture over. Top with remaining potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons butter. Reserve remaining cheese.

Bring milk to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour milk over potatoes (milk will not cover potatoes completely). Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover dish (liquids in dish may look curdled); sprinkle potatoes with reserved cheese mixture. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and cheese is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover and rewarm in 375°F oven about 20 minutes.) Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Bon Appétit
November 1999
by Rick Rodgers