When you're thinking about making something different for dinner tonight, one of the ingredients you should consider using is coffee. When paired with fresh proteins, coffee can be a great addition to your meal. Its rich, robust flavor adds depth to many savory dishes. If you're looking for a way to revolutionize your menu, stop by a local butcher, such as Deer Park Deli, for fresh-cut meats and try these recipes.
Spiced Coffee Chicken
If chicken dinners have gotten boring, you can liven them up with a chicken dish that's made with warm spices and ground coffee. Get some fresh, trimmed chicken from the local butcher shop. Start with a tablespoon or so of coffee grounds. Add two crushed garlic cloves along with a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Mix in about half a teaspoon each of spices like coriander, cinnamon, chili powder, and nutmeg. You can add a dash of clove as well, and then round it out with some salt and pepper. Rub the chicken, whole or pieces, then bake or grill it how you wish.
Coffee-Crusted Burgers
Crusting burgers seals in all of the juices in the meat, which in turn preserves the natural flavor of the meat. This is ideal for freshly ground beef from the local butcher shop. Blend a couple of teaspoons each of light brown sugar and cracked black pepper with a tablespoon of coffee grounds and a half-teaspoon each of coriander, oregano, and sea salt. Coat each patty in the rub, and then cook them in whatever manner you prefer. For medium-rare burgers, you can grill them for four to five minutes per side. Cook them an extra minute or so on each side for medium.
Coffee Marinade For Steak
If your trip to the butcher brings you the cravings for a perfectly cooked steak, you can use coffee for that, too. Start with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Add an equal amount of soy sauce and a little bit of white vinegar. A tablespoon or two should be enough. Add the same amount of Worcestershire sauce as you did white vinegar. Chop a tablespoon or so of onion and a couple of cloves of garlic. Add those to the marinade as well. You can even toast a handful of sesame seeds in butter and add those in.
Marinade the steaks for three or four hours at least, keeping them covered in marinade and keeping the container sealed. Then, cook the steaks to your liking, with 5 minutes per side on a hot grill typically turning out a medium-rare steak.
