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    🏠Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Cowboy Coffee Rubbed Sirloin Steak

    Aug 25, 2011 · Modified: Apr 16, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 9 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.17 from 31 votes

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

    coffee rubbed steak on a fork

    Jump To:
    • 🐄Sirloin Steak
    • ♨️ The Grill
    • ⏰🌡️Time and Temperature
    • ☕Coffee Rub
    • 📖Grilled Steaks Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    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

    My rating system of a 4 out of 5 so very nice.

    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.

    thumbs up

    🐄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.

    Chart with Location of Sirloin steak vs other steaks - Image licensed May 16, 2017, from Fotolia. Copyright by foxysgraphic - Fotolia. Image modified in accordance with the license.
    Image licensed from Fotolia. Copyright by foxysgraphic - Fotolia. Image modified in accordance with the license.

    ♨️ 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.

    Beef final temperatures chart

    ☕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

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Beef Recipes, Grill Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    ingredients for coffee rub

    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.

    trimmed sirloin n white board

    Pat dry the steak. Trim well.

    coffee rubbed steak on board

    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 crates

    Clean and oil grill. Preheat on high.

    placing sirloin on grill

    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.

    coffee rubbed sirloin on white plate

    Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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    📝Recipe

    coffee rubbed steak on a fork

    Cowboy Coffee Rubbed Sirloin Steak

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Let's cook up some nice steak the way the old cowboys did. Amazingly good. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.17 from 31 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 2

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 sirloin steaks - 8-10 oz each well timed
    • 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee
    • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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 of rub 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.
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. The coffee needs to be finely ground.
    2. Use a coffee that you love.
    3. If you have my All Purpose Seasoning – 7:2:1 and 7:2:2 , just use equal amounts of coffee and the seasoning.
    4. Cooking time will vary a lot due to thickness of the steak but more due to grill variations.
    5. This is relatively high in sodium. The rub is assumed to be ⅔ used. If you are concerned by the sodium, cut the salt in half.
     
     

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Cowboy Coffee Rubbed Sirloin Steak
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 314 Calories from Fat 90
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 10g15%
    Saturated Fat 3g15%
    Cholesterol 137mg46%
    Sodium 1256mg52%
    Potassium 772mg22%
    Carbohydrates 2g1%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 49g98%
    Calcium 63mg6%
    Iron 3.7mg21%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

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

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    1. Gail

      May 13, 2022 at 8:09 am

      I don't have a bbq. Could I make this in a cast iron frying pan?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        May 13, 2022 at 9:22 am

        I doubt it would be a good idea. I'm concerned about burning the coffee grounds although I'm sure the cowboys used cast iron. So if you do it, use medium to medium high heat, not high and pay attention.
        Dan

    2. Cath Brink

      July 04, 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Retired butcher here. The steaks aren't spoiled. The green you see is oxidation that occurs when beef hits the air. We butchers used to fight over steaks left in the meat case long enough to lose their bright red color. If the meat has a bad odor, of course you wouldn't buy it, but the steaks he's using look perfect.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        July 04, 2016 at 2:07 pm

        Thanks for the note and support.

        Dan

    3. Miss Grill

      August 29, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      "An internal temp of 150? Either you like to chew and chew and chew your steak or the Feds are watching your barbecue. Props to our government for trying to protect us, but seriously, 150?? That means that your beautiful rib eye will become your next barbecue fuel. The concern lies on the outside of the meat, that's where the germs are going to be. Unless you like your steak dry...
      I mean medium-well....just say in'...

      Reply
    4. Dr Dan

      July 24, 2012 at 1:16 pm

      Hummm a little color touch up many have helped on the photo. I'm a strict food safety guy... I watch dates and storage recommendations. It is never worth getting sick for a few dollars. Some oxidation on the surface does not bother me if the other things are ok. This goes for whole meat like steak. NEVER for ground meats which harbor nasty bugs

      Reply
    5. Chris

      August 31, 2011 at 12:34 pm

      I hate coffee, don't drink the stuff, but found last year that I really enjoy a coffee and chile based rub for beef. Seems like such a weird combo to me but the taste is there.

      Reply
    6. Jess

      August 30, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      This looks and sounds amazing! I am a huge coffee lover but have yet to try it in a food recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
    7. Inspired by eRecipeCards

      August 26, 2011 at 10:29 am

      Oh a huge thumbs up indeed from me on coffee rubs... ads just a tiny hint of chocolate to the taste! Mouthwatering!

      Reply

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