Okay, we’ve seen the use of coffee in flavoring a steak before. But here’s a different twist on that, PLUS a recipe for barbecue steak fries!

Holy BBQ, Batman! Enjoy . . .

Coffee and Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee, preferably espresso roast

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

One 1 1/2 pound sirloin steak (or flank steak)

Salt to taste

Directions:

In medium bowl, stir together onions, vinegar, oil, molasses, coffee powder, pepper and mustard until completely blended.

With a sharp knife, make parallel 1/2 inch-deep slashes, about 2 inches apart, on both sides of steak. Transfer the steak to a zippered plastic bag and add the marinade, making sure steak is completely coated. Refrigerate for six hours or overnight.

Spray your grill with non-stick coating and heat to medium-high. Season both sides of the steak with salt. Grill the steak directly over the heat four to six minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer to suit your personal taste.

Set steak on a cutting board, cover with foil and let stand for about five minutes for juices to settle, before slicing diagonally. Transfer to serving plate and serve with a crisp salad and corn on the cob or your favorite vegetable. This recipe serves about 4.

If you’d like to barbecue a nice accompaniment for your steak, try these easy steak fries on the grill.

Barbecued Steak Fries

Directions:

Cut four medium russet potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut each half into four thick wedges. Bring about 2 cups of water to boiling in a medium sauce pan and add potatoes.

Lower heat to medium and cook potatoes, covered, for about eight to 10 minutes or until they are almost tender. Drain and cool.

Place cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of your favorite herbs and spices. For example, you could use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried rosemary or whatever else you like. Drizzle the mixture over the potato wedges, tossing gently and being careful not to break them.

Place the potato wedges on the upper rack of the barbecue while your steak is cooking, and grill the potatoes for six to 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of kitsapsun.com.

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

These pork ribs are welcome on my table any day.

They’re St. Louis-style ribs which means they’re pork and they aren’t slathered with BBQ sauce – yet. We took care of that ourselves after we cooked them.

They came to us (we had them delivered) cryo-vac sealed and packed in dry ice. I put them in the refrigerator to thaw overnight and then cooked them the next day. I took them out of the packaging, wrapped them up in foil and placed them in the oven on about 335 degrees F for a little over an hour.

They were already marinated in a mix of spices and the smell of those ribs in the oven was almost too much! My husband and I kept peeking our heads in there to get a bigger whiff.

These puppies were divine. Tender, flavorful and so, so easy.

This was as easy as making a frozen pizza. But I got much bigger props than I do for my $1.89 pepperoni special.

I got these ribs from my fave — KC Steaks. The quality is always unbeatable and they do all the hard work for me.

Seriously, that’s the kind of partner I need in my life.

THIS is way fun! A steak sub is a great way to combine all the flavors you love — just the way you like them.

Want cheese? Add it!

Want mayo? Spread it on!

Want a tomato? Put it in there!

The possibilities with a steak sub are endless. You can even change up the type of bread you use.

Here’s a recipe to get you started, but customize it to your liking — and have fun!!!

Summer Steak Subs

Ingredients

• 2 sub rolls or mini baguettes
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise or horseradish sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper , deseeded and finely sliced
• 2 thin frying steaks
• 2 slices gruyère cheese

1. Split the rolls down the middle, spread with the mayonnaise or horseradish, then set aside. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry onions and peppers together for 5-10 mins until soft and beginning to color, then spoon into the rolls.
2. Heat remaining oil in the same pan, season the steaks and cook for 1 min until browned. Flip steaks over, top with the cheese and continue to cook until the steak is cooked to your liking and the cheese has melted. Lift the steaks into the rolls and tuck in.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2006.

Thanks to BBCGoodFood.com for the photo and recipe.