Coffee + Cocoa + Chile Rub

July 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

A pot of cowboy coffee and steaks on the campfire? Hmmmm…. maybe a backyard grill and icy margaritas instead. Whether you’re heading out West or out back, punch up your menu with this aromatic rub.

I love mixing this blend just to smell the seductive aromas of coffee, cocoa and chile – the three C’s. Plus, this rub radiates a warm kick from smoked paprika, mild and fruity ancho chile, allspice, and cinnamon. It’s richly seasoned, but not tongue-burning hot.

Tips:

Try the rub with the marinade below for the perfect combination of flavors.
This makes enough for 2-3 steaks, but you can double or triple the recipe.
I’ve included measurements by weight, so it’s easier to whip up a large batch.
Coffee, cocoa and chile are all rich in antioxidants.
Use an arabica coffee bean here; it’s less bitter than robusta.

Coffee + Cocoa + Chile Rub

By Kate Heyhoe

Makes 1/3 cup (2-1/4 ounces or 63 grams)

1 tablespoon finely ground coffee (3g)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (22g)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (10g)
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (8g)
1-1/2 teaspoons allspice (4g)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (3g)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (3g)
1 teaspoon sea salt (6g)
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (4g)

Combine all ingredients. Rub about 1 tablespoon on each steak (both sides). Leave on as a dry rub or marinate before grilling.

Kate’s All-Purpose Steak Marinade

Pat on about 1 tablespoon spice rub on both sides of each steak. Marinate 2 sirloin or other steaks in 1 tablespoon each of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight before grilling.

Other uses for the rub: Kick up chili con carne for a boost of flavor, not heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons rub to a pot of chili, slow-cooker pork, or taco meat. Sprinkle on halved winter squash before baking, or mix into mashed sweet potatoes.

Espresso-Flavored Char Shu with Java Marmalade

June 17, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Espresso is the secret ingredient in this pork recipe

You know those glazed pieces of pork hanging in Chinatown restaurant windows? This is my coffee-spiked version. It’s simple: You marinate the pork, broil it until almost done, baste with the reduced marinade, finish under the broiler, and slice when cool. Serve with hot mustard and the reduced “java marmalade.”

Espresso-Flavored Char Shu Pork with Java Marmalade

Traditional Chinese “barbecued” pork gets kicked up with coffee in the marinade.

By Kate Heyhoe

1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon triple sec, or dry sherry (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 finely chopped scallions (green and white parts)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Hot Mustard, for serving (below; optional)

1. Cut the tenderloin into 2 equal-sized, short, plump pieces. Dissolve the espresso powder in the soy sauce (it’s okay if a few granules remain). In a shallow baking dish or a resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce mixture, molasses, hoisin, triple sec or sherry (if using), garlic, scallion, ginger, and sesame oil. Add the pork and coat completely. Marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours to overnight, turning the pork occasionally in the marinade.

2. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil, or spritz regular foil with nonstick spray. Place the pork on the foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil, stirring often, until it reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 5 minutes. When it cools slightly, the sauce will resemble marmalade, dense and sweet with bits of scallion, garlic, and ginger.

3. Broil the pork 5 to 7 minutes, until the top takes on color and starts to look cooked. Turn the pieces over and broil another 5 minutes. Spoon some of the thickened sauce over the pork, coating the top and all sides. Broil for another 3 to 6 minutes, until the glaze caramelizes and turns a deep mahogany color, and the pork is just cooked through. (Pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. At this temperature, the interior will still be pale pink but safe to eat.)

4. Let the pork rest 10 minutes (or up to 1 hour at room temperature) before slicing. Slice the pork at an angle and overlap the slices on a plate. Accompany with dishes of the reduced “marmalade” and hot mustard, if using. (Sliced char shu is meant to be enjoyed at room temperature, and can be made a day or two before slicing and serving.)

Serves 4 as appetizers, or 2 as a meal.

Hot Mustard: Mix together 2 teaspoons each dry mustard (or Chinese powdered mustard) and water until smooth. Let the mixture rest 10 to 30 minutes before serving.

Iced Coffee Syrup, for Sparkling Coffee Spritzer

June 14, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Coffee Spritzers, here we come!

Think coffee with cool, bubbly carbonation. These babies go down way too easy… Sweet, concentrated coffee syrup pops with iced sparkling water. Velvety vanilla undertones smooth out the drink. Are you thirsty yet?

Then let’s make coffee syrup. With the syrup and cans of carbonated water on hand, you can mix sparkling iced coffee spritzers in a snap. Tweak the flavors: add some ground cardamom, cinnamon, or cocoa powder before boiling. Serve with a twist of lemon or orange rind for an elegant mocktail, or add alcohol of choice for an iced coffee cocktail. And, if you’re not already drooling…

Iced Coffee Float: vanilla ice cream + whipped cream put this drink over the top, in all the right ways.

Tips:

Turbinado sugar adds hints of molasses and honey, similar to a mild brown sugar. But you can substitute with white sugar.
I prefer fine white sugar; the crystals are smaller and dissolve more easily in beverages than regular sugar, but either is fine as long as the sugar completely dissolves.
Sea salt in a syrup? Yup. It makes the other flavors shine (it’s why sea salted-caramels taste outrageously good). Use just a pinch.
You’ll need a paper coffee filter and a strainer of some kind. A damp filter works best: just wet with water, squeeze out excess, and place in sieve over a quart measuring cup or other large container.

Katie Caffeine’s Iced Coffee Syrup

By Kate Heyhoe

1/2 cup turbinado sugar (4 oz/112 gr)
1 cup granulated white sugar (7 oz/198 gr)
1/2 cup ground coffee (1.3 oz/38 gr)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Combine both sugars, the coffee, vanilla, and salt with 1-1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 1 minute (WARNING: Don’t stop watching the mixture: it can boil over in a flash). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a dampened coffee filter set in a sieve; this may take as long as 30 minutes. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1-3/4 cups syrup.

Sparkling Iced Coffee Spritzer:

Combine 1 part syrup to 3 parts carbonated water, or to taste. Serve over ice. Slurp it down and make another.

Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Biscotti

May 15, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Whoa! These babies are like cappuccinos that crunch. Each bite is rich and dreamy with cinnamon, almonds, coffee, and tiny chocolate chips. Dunk into coffee or nibble on them as you sip. Butter and eggs make them crisp yet tender. They’re good for dunking, and hold their shape nicely. And unlike liquid cappuccino, they don’t spill.

Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Biscotti

By Kate Heyhoe

2 teaspoons warm water
1-1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12-3/4 ounces (2-3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 ounce (2 tablespoons) coarsely ground coffee beans
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
5 ounces (2/3 cup) fine or regular granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4-1/2 ounces (1 cup) chopped slivered blanched almonds
4 ounces (2/3 cup) mini-chocolate chips (like Nestle semisweet mini), or chopped bittersweet chocolate
Turbinado or demerara sugar as garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheetpan with parchment. Place a second sheetpan under the first to prevent scorching.

2. In a small bowl, microwave the water to warm it if it’s not already warm. Stir in the espresso until dissolved. Add the vanilla extract. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground coffee beans.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium until smooth and slightly shiny, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the espresso mixture and scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well (15 seconds) and scraping the sides after each addition.

5. Set the mixer to low and blend the flour mixture into the eggs, just until there are no more patches of flour. Scrape down the sides.

6. Add the almonds and chocolate chips. Mix on low just until blended and all ingredients are evenly incorporated. The mixture will be thick and stiff, in large clumps – good! That’s what you want.

7. Dump the dough onto a floured surface, and with floured hands, shape into 2 logs, each about 13 inches long. Press down on the top and flatten to 2-inches across.

8. Place the loaves 4 inches apart on the sheetpan. Dampen them with wet hands to add sheen. Press some turbinado or demerara sugar into the top. Bake 30-35 minutes until firm but not too hard. (Rotate the pan halfway through.) The tops should have a slight give when pressed. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely, so the chocolate doesn’t smear during slicing. You can turn off the oven now and let them cool for an hour or several hours; or reduce the heat to 275 degrees F. and bake the second time as soon as they’re cool enough to cut.

9. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs into 3/8- to 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices evenly on the same sheet pan and parchment; the slices should be standing upright, with some space between them.

10. Make sure the oven is preheated to 275 degrees F. Bake 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Biscotti should be slightly soft in the center when touched, and will crisp up on cooling. Cool on the pan on a rack. Biscotti may be wrapped well and frozen for up to 3 months. Makes about 40 biscotti.

Coffee Recipes at Global Gourmet

April 29, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Drink your coffee – and eat it too! My other website, GlobalGourmet.com, spotlights coffee as a flavor ingredient in everything from steak marinades to sweet treats. Check out the recipes here:

Coffee Recipes at Global Gourmet