Soaking Your Steak in Coffee? Why Yes, You Should!
Yes, coffee is most definitely a must-have for most of us in the morning. In fact, some of us are downright scary without our cup of java. But, coffee has a lot more uses than just perking you up in the morning. In fact, you can use coffee to tenderize your favorite cuts of steak instead of those premade high-sodium and preservative-ridden marinades you find in the store.
The Purpose of the Meat Marinade
Plenty of people scoff at the idea of marinating a fine piece of steak, but let’s be real – is there another meat out there that couldn’t benefit from a good ole marinade? Steaks easily dry out and the wrong cut mixed with the wrong type of heat means dry, tough chews.
Besides, meat marinades are a great way to add flavor as well as tenderize. You don’t have to be on a diet either to want to skip the excess salt and calories. Using coffee adds incredible flavor and even adds a hint of smoke-like taste to the meat – even if you’re cooking it indoors.
How To Do It
An hour before you grill your steak, soak it in a batch of brewed black coffee. You’ll get tender, flavorful, delicious meat.
No salt or pepper needed. Just enough fresh (and cooled) black coffee to fully cover the meat.
Don’t forget to take care of those coffee grounds too! We have a few ideas to get you started on where you can toss those used coffee grounds. You can also mix them up with some olive oil and scrub it on your face to remove dead skin cells – imagine doing a mini facial while waiting for your steak to tenderize?
Not just any coffee will do. You want something bold and flavorful and with the right balance of acidity. If you want your pantry always stocked with the best beans (and grounds), we recommend checking out our highest rated coffee of the month clubs.