Red Meat and Caffeine

By Katherine

Black and yellow, black and yellow

On Valentine’s Day, I had planned to make this fantastic stuffed beef tenderloin that She Cooks He Cleans shared. But the butcher was only selling whole tenderloins about as long as my arm, and doing the math gave me heart palpitations. Instead I took home two New York strip steaks. They were so big we actually ate them on different nights, but the rub will cover two large steaks. We paired this with the lemony asparagus, since we’d already had a nice starch.

Coffee and Peppercorn Crusted Steaks

• 4 tbsp peppercorns, all black is fine or use a mix of colors
• 1 tbsp whole espresso beans
• 1 star anise
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• salt

Place espresso beans, peppercorns and anise in coffee grinder and grind until incorporated. You’ll want a nice even coating on the steaks, so try to make sure all the peppercorns are blended. Set two tablespoons of butter out in a bowl on the counter to soften. Add a pinch of the coffee mix and the parsley to the bowl. Mix to incorporate when softened. Put the other tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron pan set over medium heat on the stove. Preheat oven to 375. Salt both sides of the steaks. Then coat each side with the peppercorn mixture, making sure the coat is fairly even. When the pan is hot, sear the steaks on each side until a crust forms. About three-four minutes per side, depending on the size. Ours was more than a pound. Transfer to oven. Cook for about another five minutes, or until the temperature measures 120 for rare or about 130 for medium. Let rest for about five minutes. Top each steak with a tablespoon of the herb butter before serving.