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A sliced grilled steak with coffee spice rub and a carving knife lying beside it
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4.85 / 19 votes

Grilled Steak with Coffee Spice Rub

This grilled steak with coffee spice rub is made by rubbing skirt steak with coffee, paprika, pepper, and cumin, and letting it rest before grilling. A simple easy way to make an outstanding steak from a less expensive cut.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 317

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, depending on personal preference
  • 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee, the more robust the coffee the better
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, preferably Spanish or Hungarian
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 1/2 pounds skirt steak*, or substitute flank steak
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Whisk the salt, coffee, paprika, pepper, cumin, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
  • Lightly coat the steaks on both sides with oil. Generously sprinkle the steaks all over with the coffee spice rub and gently massage it in. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
  • Brush the grill grate clean. Cook the steaks directly over the flame, with the lid closed as much as possible, flipping the steaks halfway through cooking, until well browned, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a carving board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. With the knife held on a slight diagonal, carve the steaks across the grain. Transfer the slices and juices to a platter and serve hot.

Notes

*What is a good substitution for skirt steak?

This recipe is written specifically for skirt steak and, obviously, will be the best with that delish steak. However…if you can’t manage it, then a slab of flank steak will also make the cut. Both are leaner cuts that need to be prepared in the same way. Finally, chuck steak is another option that will come pretty close as long as you slice it thinly, across the grain.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1871mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g