Impress your guests or the love of your life with a decadent Coffee & Cocoa Rubbed Steak in Peppercorn Bourbon Cream Sauce. Bursting with flavor & easy to make, it’s the perfect recipe for a date night or dinner party at home.
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Today I’m sharing my new favorite way to cook steak. Not only is it easy to make on a weeknight, it requires very little hands-on time. Doesn’t that sound great?
Seared in a pan and then finished in the oven, this recipe for Coffee & Cocoa Rubbed Steak takes all of 40 minutes, including the time the meat takes to rest before carving. That leaves you time to do other things – like make side dishes, a dessert, or just sip some wine and relax. The perfectly seasoned and tender steaks are full of deep coffee and cocoa flavors, and finished with a drizzle of rich Peppercorn Bourbon Cream Sauce built from the pan drippings. According to friends and family, it’s probably one of the most delicious meals I’ve made to date and I can’t disagree.
Even better – this Coffee & Cocoa Rubbed Steak was specifically designed as an easy introductory recipe for a friend who isn’t, shall we say, inclined to spend time in the kitchen. As decadent as the recipe sounds, the steps are simple enough for even the inexperienced home cook. What could be better than that?
Jump to Recipe
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Valentine’s Day & Romantic Meals
I love making romantic dinners. Valentine’s Day and birthdays are good reasons to spend a little time in the kitchen, and as you know, I love any excuse to celebrate with food. Holidays are also a good excuse to splurge a bit on special ingredients. A beautifully cooked New York Strip Steak is a reasonable luxury, and with a recipe this simple, you’re sure to serve a dish to impress.
Make this meal with your loved one as an activity together, or surprise someone special with a fabulous meal. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
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Making a Complete Meal
This Coffee & Cocoa Rubbed Steak could be paired with a number of sides. Roasted vegetables are an excellent choice, especially this season, and there are a lot of options. My blogger friends suggest Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables with Parmesan, or Roasted Delicata Squash & Brussels Sprouts, but a creamy Rainbow Chard & Shallot Gratin also sounds incredible!
Add a bottle of wine or a lovely cocktail – like my Ginger Jungle Bird or Cranberry Whiskey Smash – and you are all set for a beautiful evening meal.
Coffee & Cocoa Rubbed Steak with Peppercorn Bourbon Cream Sauce
Adapted from recipes by Vintage Kitty & Culinary Tea
Ingredients
- 2 pounds New York Strip Steak
- 2 tablespoons salt (more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Coffee & Cocoa Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons dark roast coffee grounds
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Peppercorn Bourbon Cream Sauce
- 5 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Pull the steaks out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry rub ingredients. Pat the steaks dry and season liberally with salt. Lay each steak in the bowl of dry rub, thoroughly coating both sides and all the edges with the mixture.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, sear the steaks for 5 minutes without moving them, until slightly charred on one side. Flip the steaks over and sear for another 3 minutes.
- Transfer the steaks to the foil-lined sheet, and leave the pan uncleaned (you will use this to make the sauce). Place the sheet in the oven and cook until medium rare (125°F), or to your desired temperature (about 10-20 minutes). Check the temperature after 10 minutes, and then every 5 minutes until done.
- When cooked to the desired temperature, remove the tray from the oven and transfer the steaks to a cutting board to rest. Remember that the steak will continue to cook a bit once removed from the oven, so always err on under-cooking the steak rather than over-cooking. You can always through the meat back in the pan if you need to, but you can't do the reverse!
- Once the steak has rested, slice it short ways about ¼ inch thick. Fan the cut slices of steak out on half of each plate, drizzling them with the cream sauce. Make sure to include a few peppercorns with each serving. Plate with a side dish of your choice.
As the steak is in the oven, make the Cream Sauce:
- Pour the bourbon into the same pan used to cooked the steaks - there should be some nice bits and fat left over to help flavor the sauce. Carefully ignite with a long match and let the liquor burn off. Return the pan to medium high heat and add the stock, bringing it back to a simmer and stirring the browned bits into the liquid. Add the peppercorns, and allow the sauce to reduce slightly (2-3 minutes). Add the cream and let the mixture thicken until it can coat the back of a spoon (5-7 minutes). Stir in the butter and salt. Let the pan simmer on low heat for another 2-3 minutes and then keep warm until needed.
Notes
