I’m riding solo for a few days again as Eric is travelling for work.  This could definitely be an opportunity to lay low and minimize efforts in the kitchen – but what the heck, I’m worth it!  A stop at the local grocer and I was inspired for a Sunday evening meal.  Having purchased a boneless rib steak for tonight and some pork side ribs for another round of Bone Dust BBQ spice, I headed home to image the remainder of my dinner.

I guess my morning coffee was a bit weak – I decided the steak spice blend needed to include a healthy dose of coffee or espresso.

Coffee Rubbed Rib-Eye

1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1/4 cup finely ground espresso
2 tablespoons each Spanish paprika, dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon each dry mustard, kosher salt, ground black pepper, ground coriander, dried oregano
2 teaspoons each ground ginger, chili de arbol powder

A quick survey of the pantry and the remainder of the meal was set: Mediterranean-inspired white bean salad and crispy, smashed baby potatoes.

The salad comprised of rinsed canned white kidney beans, a handful of torn and pitted black olives, cubed feta cheese, a small bunch of chopped parsley, halved cherry tomatoes and slivered green onions.  A vinaigrette consisting of tarragon Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil along with a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper marinated the salad while the rest of the meal was prepared.

Baby potatoes were boiled until easily pierced with a knife, then drained, slightly cooled and smashed before being mixed with a few glugs of olive oil, finely chopped rosemary, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  All were mixed and poured onto a baking sheet and placed into a hot oven until the potatoes crisped up on the edges – about 10 minutes.

The steak was grilled – I tried to get some great grill marks but the heavy marbling caused a few extra flare-ups and the steak was a less impressive sight than I had hoped.  After resting for five minutes, the steak was sliced and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt.

The meal was hearty and satisfying – though the spice blend was light on espresso flavour for my liking.  That being said, I expect to try this blend once more before moving on to another, joltier espresso rub!

Coffee based beef rub featuring ancho chill powder and finely ground espresso

Boneless rib steak with coffee spice rub

Sliced rib steak, Mediterranean inspired white bean salad and smashed baby potatoes with rosemary

Sliced rib steak, Mediterranean inspired white bean salad and smashed baby potatoes with rosemary