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Braai day 24 September 2024
“Are we making an espresso or a rub for meat? “
Those were the first words that popped into my head when I first heard about using coffee in a rub.
So let’s get this out of the way now, your meat will not taste like coffee.
Not at all.
Unless you have crazy sensitive taste buds, you won’t really be able to taste a specific coffee flavour. Coffee is used to tenderise the meat and enhance the savoury flavours. When smoking your meat with low temps for a long time will help you create that much sort of after the “bark or crust” on the outer of your meat.
Does the type of coffee bean affect the rubs? I have tried many, and I could not tell any difference in flavours or strength, but I did find that using freshly ground coffee had more acidity and therefore helped tenderize the beef a lot more than coffee that wasn’t freshly ground.
So don’t be afraid of using coffee in your rubs, in fact, start experimenting today. Remembering that it is only going to enhance any sweet or savory flavors you already have, it is effectively a flavor booster.
At the very least, try applying the rub a couple of hours before hand and then placing the steak back in the fridge. The longer it sits on the surface, the more it will allow the acidity to penetrate into the meat.
While I love using this on beef, I have also used this on pork and chicken with great success. It just has a great balance of sweet, tangy flavour that has become a hit lately.
We have already touched on what coffee brings to the table in the way of a rub. It purely enhances what is already there.
What you’ll need is:
Mix it up thoroughly and transfer to a rub shaker to make applying it easier. Always apply any seasoning or rub from a height of around 12 inches, as this just helps the different sized particles to separate and you will end up with a more even coverage and therefore every bite from start to finish will taste the same.
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At Bloemfontein Coffee Roasting Co, we are dedicated to delivering perfection in a cup with the finest quality, exquisite flavour, and absolute freshness.
