Cowboy Steak and Addictive Asparagus

Food52, the first online community cookbook, shares two of their winning dinner recipes with us!

-Recipes courtesy  of food52.com

Food52, the first online community cookbook, celebrates the home cook by giving them a place to show off their work. The cite was created by Amanda Hesser (New York Times columnist and author) and Merrill Stubbs (Le Cordon Bleu graduate and food writer), who sponsor bi-weekly recipe contests. The winners will soon be published in a Food52 Cookbook, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at two winning dinner recipes.

Cowboy Rubbed Rib Eye with Chocolate Stout Pan Sauce
-By Aliwaks

“Ground coffee, smoked paprika, cumin, ancho chile and brown sugar form an earthy, flinty rub that smells appealingly of wood smoke,” says Amanda and Merrill. “Aliwaks borrows a smart technique from Indian cooking and has you toast the spices over low heat before rubbing them on the steak. Then, it’s just a matter of searing it in a very hot iron pan and finishing the sauce with some chocolate brown stout, beef stock and a lump of butter. We recommend some corn pudding on the side.”

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 nice, thick rib eye, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, big enough for two
1 tablespoon ground coffee
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (preferably Ancho chile)
1 cup chocolate stout (you’ll have to drink the rest)
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 sprig thyme
1 tablespoon vegetable oil ( if you are the type to save bacon fat, by all means use it!)

Preparation:

1. Mix the coffee, salt, paprika, peppers & cumin together and toast lightly in pan until fragrant (alternatively you can toast whole spices then grind). Mix the spices with the sugar to make the rub.

2. Spread the rub all over the steak and let sit for awhile, if you do it the night before you’ll have stronger flavor but if you do it right before serving it’ll be good, too. (If you pre-rub and set it in the fridge, be sure to bring it up to room temperature before searing, so you do not shock the meat.)

3. Heat a cast iron pan until it’s really really hot — a drop of water flicked into the pan should sizzle and bounce. Add vegetable oil, wait a few seconds until the oil heats up, then place the steak in the pan. It should sizzle; leave it there, do not touch it at all for 3-4 minutes. It should be browning on the bottom. Then place it under a hot broiler and broil to medium rare or desired doneness.

4. Remove the steak and let rest on a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil.

5. Add the thyme sprig to the pan and let it saute a bit till it gets nice and fragrant. Pour in the chocolate stout and deglaze the pan. Add the beef broth, whisk together and reduce by half over medium heat.

6. Remove the thyme sprig and whisk in the butter. Season to taste.

7. Slice the steak on the bias and drizzle the sauce over top. This is YUMMY with creamed spinach and hash browns or baked potato and a nice big salad.

Go to the next page for the winning recipe for Absurdly Addictive Asparagus…