Zippy Coffee Rub is the latest spice mix in the Glover Gardens repertoire. It is the magic behind our new Coffee Rub Steak Bites recipe, which is super-simple.
Zippy Coffee Rub Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. high-quality sirloin (I used tri-tip), cut in 1½” chunks (see note)
- 3 tbsp Zippy Coffee Rub (recipe here) or your favorite coffee spice rub
- 2-3 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Cooking Instructions
Add the spice mix to the sirloin and stir to coat. Heat a cast iron skillet on high and get it smoking hot (best to do this outside if you can). Add the oil. Working with batches, sear the steak cubes for about one minute per side on two sides only, then remove to a pan and cover, letting them sit and rest while the rest of the meal is being completed. Put in the oven at 200 degrees if it will be ten minutes or more until serving.
Note: the steak bites are sized for a main course with the use of a knife and fork the first night, and then to cut up as leftovers for use in appetizers or other dishes. If you want to serve them as appetizers initially, cut them into smaller cubes and cook for slightly less time, so they’ll be “one-bite wonders”.
Join Me in the Kitchen
On the night we made this dish, which was a final test to validate test kitchen experiments earlier in the week, this was my plate (snapped in a hurry right before consuming the deliciousness).
But the next day, I had time to treat these dishes right and give them the photo shoot they deserved.
But That’s Not All: The Duchess of Leftovers Strikes Again!
Obviously, two lbs. of sirloin is waaaay more than two empty-nesters can put away in a night or two, so leftovers are a given with this dish. With the first batch that I made in the test kitchen phase, empanadas were the obvious choice for leftover steak bites. I ground up the steak in the food processor with red onion, carrots and celery, added more Zippy Coffee Rub and some pepper jack cheese, and voila! A delicious next-day meal was born.
With this latest batch of steak bites, I made tacos one night. All they needed was a bit of our Glover Gardens homemade pico de gallo (yum!) and cheese, with a serrano ranch dip on the side.
Another night, I made the steak bites the centerpiece of an appetizer platter, putting together little skewers with that delectable medium-rare Zippy Coffee-Rubbed beef with mozzarella and slices of jalapeno and green onion, and condiments of chimichurri and salsa macha from our local farmers’ market, alongside fresh cherries and crisp crackers.
We enjoyed the appetizer platter during “Happy Cocktail” at the Tree House. A good time was had by all two of us!
Let us know if you try the Zippy Coffee Rub Steak Bites, and what you do with YOUR leftovers.
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