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A grilled cowboy steak with coffee rub on a wooden cutting board.
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5 / 4 votes

Cowboy Steak with Coffee Rub

This cowboy steak is essentially a grilled ribeye that benefits from a truly exceptional and simple spice rub made with ground coffee and tossed on the grill. One of our most favorite steak recipes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 485

Equipment

  • Hickory, oak, or mesquite wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Four (16-ounce) bone-in rib eye steaks (preferably bone-in and 1 1/4 inches or 3 cm thick)
  • 1/2 cup Coffee Rub
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat a charcoal grill to 500°F (260°C). Prepare it for indirect grilling by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty. A little before you're ready to grill, toss the wood on the coals.
  • Season the steaks liberally with the coffee rub, rubbing it on both sides.
  • Place the steaks directly over the heat and grill for 4 1/2 minutes on each side. If you prefer your steak rare, they'll be perfectly done at this point.If you prefer your steak medium-rare, after cooking on each side for 4 1/2 minutes, move the steaks over indirect heat, away from the coals, close the grill lid, and cook for 2 more minutes. If you prefer your steak medium, do as you would for medium-rare, but then flip the steak, close the grill lid, and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Let the steaks rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes prior to serving to guests. Use your most gracious thank you when accolades come your way.
    Humbleness optional.

Notes

What You Need To Know About Cowboy Steak

What is a cowboy steak? It’s essentially a rib eye steak with a slight modification.
The author of this explains that “a cowboy-style rib eye is created by cutting between the bones of a rib eye roast. It differs from a standard rib eye because the bone is left on the steak and not trimmed. It’s 1 1/4 inches thick and more often considered steak for two.
When it comes to cooking extra-thick steaks, oftentimes the outside of the meat gets perfectly charred while the inside remains underdone. This is why it’s important to build a two-zone fire when cooking steaks. When they are perfect on the outside, shift them away from the coals and shut the grill lid. This little maneuver will protect the exterior while allowing the inside of the meat to cook to perfection.”
There you have it. Cowboy steak.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 485kcal | Protein: 46g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 1660mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g