3.04.2008

Cocoa-Cumin-Spice Rub



I made a great steak rub on Sunday night. We had a one-pound ribeye, my favorite, with gorgeous marbling that was just begging for a good rub. Right now Outback Steakhouse is featuring an espresso-rubbed ribeye special, and although I have yet to try it, that was my inspiration for this “Cocoa-Cumin-Spice Rub.” However, I decided to use MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate, the spicy version, rather than coffee as a base. MarieBelle uses pure Columbian cacao and the “spicy” version adds cinnamon, nutmeg and chipotle. It’s decadent as a drink, but also works well in pies. Great stuff. Moving on…In a small bowl I mixed 4 tablespoons of the hot chocolate powder, 4 teaspoons of ground cumin, 4 teaspoons ground black pepper, 3 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of allspice, then I gently rubbed/patted it onto the ribeye. C grilled it to a perfect medium rare. The spice was just subtle enough to let the flavor of the meat shine through, and that was my goal. I put the extra in a snack-size baggie for the next ribeye.

Chris made his famous carrots-and-onions as a side dish. Very simply, he sautes 1 medium chopped onion, 1 cup of cut carrots and 2 teaspoons of butter, until the vegetables cook down. Then right before serving, he adds another teaspoon of butter and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Here’s a good way to get your kids to eat vegetables! It was a buttery-sweet side dish that paired well with the smooth-spiciness of the steak.






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