Cowboy Coffee Rubbed Sirloin Steak

Let's cook up some nice steak the way the old cowboys did. Amazingly good. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.

Introduction and My Rating

When I first saw this sort of recipe, I thought how strange and was thinking about coffee grounds. YUCK. But the idea grew on my and after much research, here is my version. (and it was not coffee ground like)

I must have read 30 recipes. I read Bobby Fray. I read Ellie Krieger, Emeril, Food Network, Epicurious, and lots of blogs. They were not even close to each other, and each was the best thing since sliced bread.  Amazing.

My Rating

You can taste some coffee. Give it a try, and you might just love it. The rating is mixed. I'm a high 3 to lower 4. My wife is at high 4. So the 4 average. (My wife initially asked me please not to do both steaks with this.  Now she is a big fan.) That is her thumb.

🐄Sirloin Steak

The sirloin is located between the short loin, which is where most of what we usually call "steak" comes and the round.  It is further divided into top and bottom sirloin.

The "top sirloin"  costs the most and is the most tender. It will be labeled as top to fetch the premium price.

The bottom sirloin is where the sirloin steaks come from (what I'm cooking here). Also, the tri-tip roast comes from the bottom sirloin. Under that will be the sirloin tip roast.

In other parts of the world, what we call the loin area is called the sirloin, and what we call the sirloin is called the rump.

♨️ The Grill

Beef is usually grilled over high heat, and that is the case here. Any grill, gas or charcoal, should work.

Grill surface temperature should be hot. Since it is beef, just turn it up to the max. My grill can get to almost 700 degrees, but almost all grills will be 550 plus, which is fine. For charcoal grills, also as hot as it goes.

⏰🌡️Time and Temperature

Sirloin steak is usually about ¾ to 1 inch thick, and on a very hot grill will usually take 12-15 minutes to get in the 140-145 range.

A sirloin is from a well-used muscle area of the cow, so it tends to be tougher. It is also leaner than many other cuts, so it is best cooked on the rarer side. If you like your beef well done, you should pick a different cut of meat.

☕Coffee Rub

Coffee rubbed steak is a classic American food. The Cowboys didn't have lots of ingredients. That's why they used coffee for flavor.

I wanted a simple version of a coffee steak rub. The simplest versions were coffee with salt and pepper and maybe one or two other ingredients.

The coffee should be a standard "non-flavored" coffee and finely ground. I do not suggest using a standard grind, but you can start with one of those and grind it more.

I like to cook our steaks with my 7:2:2 Seasoning, which is a coarse salt with garlic, and pepper. I add a little brown sugar to help it crust. After a few trials,  I was good to go.

This rub can be used on any steak.

📖Grilled Steaks Recipes

Grilled Marinated Sirloin Steak

How to Grill a Strip Steak on a Gas Grill

How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak - A Tutorial

How to Grill a Filet Mignon on a Gas Grill

🔪Instructions

Mix ingredient. 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and black pepper. My coffee was the whole bean, so I needed to grind it first. Very fine grind is best.

Pat dry the steak. Trim well.

Coat the steak with a moderate coat and rub it in well. Let meat rest at room temp for 15 minutes while grill preheats.

Clean and oil grill. Preheat on high.

Place meat over high heat and flip every 4-5 minutes. Cook until internal temp of about 140-145. About 12- 15 minutes, depending on the grill and thicken.

Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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📖 Recipe

Originally Published August 25, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos and a table of contents to help navigation.