Asides

I have declared this the “Summer of Coffee-Crusted Steak” with all apologies to George Constanza. I have fixed steak a few times this year and every time, I used this rub. This Sunday, we made what has become the Souza Grill staple; Coffee-crusted steak and grilled veggies. Both are so simple to make, I thought I would share.

Coffee-Crusted Steak
Here’s the rub recipe:
1 tablespoon finely ground dark-roasted coffee (don’t make this too hard, Folgers works fine)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, optional

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together with your hands. I usually double the recipe for 4 steaks so that I have enough to cover every inch of them. If you have extra, store it in an airtight container, because you will use it again. Lightly coat the steaks with oil. Put the rub on the steaks, coating evenly. You can stop reading now, if you feel comfortable grilling steak. If you want a tip or two, read on. I would suggest that you set your grill up so that all the coals are on one side (we call this indirect or 2-zone in the grilling biz). Start with the steak directly over the coals to get the rub crusted on, about 3 minutes each side, keeping the lid on as much as possible. Then, move the steak to the side without the coals to cook the rest of the way. Use an instant-read thermometer and look for an internal temperature of 130-135 for medium rare. Note that your steak will continue to cook after you pull it off the grill for a few degrees. I put some foil over my steaks and let them sit for 5 minutes or so to rest before serving.

Grilled Vegetables
1 or 2 Vidalia Onions
1 or 2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Package of mushrooms
3 cloves of pressed garlic (or as many as you want, I was trying to be nice, I usually use 5 or so)

Here is the scoop. Cut up some onions, red peppers, mushrooms in chunks and add some fresh garlic in a bowl. Lightly coat with oil and add some salt & pepper and mix together. If you want to use any other spices, here’s the time to do it. I usually throw on some vegetable magic or one of the other many spices that I have on the shelf. One grilling item worth its weight in gold is my Weber vegetable basket. It’s about $20, but we use it all the time. Put the veggies in the basket and put directly over the coals. Grill them until they are done. I usually look for a little char on the red peppers as my gauge. Keep your spatula handy to keep mixing them up. Pull them off the grill and serve as a side or throw them on top the steak.

ADDED BONUS:
Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño peppers

12 jalapeño peppers (look for the larger ones, they are easier to fill)
1 brick of cream cheese softened
6 strips of bacon, cut in 1/2 (you need a 1/2 strip for each jalapeño)
Some spices (mix in what you want, what you like, try different stuff)
24 toothpicks

Mix your brick of cream cheese in a bowl with your spices. I like using soul food seasoning, but any rub, garlic salt, anything will work. You want to get that mixed up, so that the spice has time to release and mix in with the cheese. You may want to wear gloves when handling the jalapeños. I don’t, but almost always rub my eyes at some point and burn the hell out of them. Stupid is as stupid does. Cut the tops (part with the stem) off the jalapeños far enough down so it makes a cap (about 1/4”). Using a thin knife, cut all the guts out of the jalapeños, be careful not to pierce the outside from within. Make it easy on yourself and put the cream cheese/spice mix in a baggie and cut a small corner off the bag to use as an icing tube. Stick the corner down in the jalapeño and fill it with the mix. Put one of the 1/2 slices of bacon over the opening and wrap it around the pepper. Put the top back on and secure it with some toothpicks. Put them on the grill, but be cautious because they will char up easily. I would try to near the coals, but not directly over.

This is a great summer meal, leave your comments, suggestions & questions below.  I took some more pictures: