The allure of a grilled steak in summer is irresistible. Plus, when you have an amazing cut of grass-fed organic beef you don’t need to do much to it to have a delicious dinner. Just slap it on the grill, don’t overcook it and you’re good to go. Well, as we discovered, add a few hickory wood chips to the situation and quite frankly it’s heavenly.
I’m no expert but, to me, the key to a good dry rub is bold flavors. You can’t be afraid to go big. Fresh ground espresso and ancho chili powder gave this rub a solid one, two punch. If spicy isn’t your thing, then by all means reduce the amount of chili powder.
The combination of this rub, a 24 oz. 3 inch thick NY strip steak from our friend at Rocky Mountain Organic Meats and a batch of hickory chips on a charcoal grill made this steak taste reminiscent of BBQ. Along side some garden fresh vegetables and a cold beer, this meal was the epitome of summer lovin’.
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| Photo by Renato Ghio |
Espresso Ancho Steak Rub
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ground espresso
- 1/2 Tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Applewood smoked salt
- 1, 24 oz., 3″ NY strip steak
- 1 disposable Hickory Wood Chips smoker box
Directions
- Unwrap the disposable smoker box, soak in water for 30 minutes.
- Mix together the espresso, ancho, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in the small bowl.
- Coat the all sides of the steak with the rub.
- Heat the grill to 350-400 degrees.
- Drain the smoker box and place on the grill and cover until you see smoke.
- Place the steak on the grill next to the smoker box and cover.
- Cook for 5 minutes and check. If there’s a nice sear (looks crusty with clearly defined grill marks) then flip and continue cooking until desired doneness. For rare, the internal temp should be between 125-130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.