Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks, and for good reason. We all know and love the taste of a classic cup of coffee, with some milk thrown in here or syrup there, perhaps. But have you ever thought about bringing it into your recipes, especially savory ones? Yes, cooking with coffee. Take a look at–and try–these three recipes that incorporate coffee.
With distinct acidic and bitter notes, coffee has the ability to cut through rich flavors and its earthy flavor is just delicious in so many savory dishes, as well as helping to cut through sweetness. Coffee can help to balance so many dishes, and we’re here to introduce a few of the best ways that you can transform your cooking and take it to the next level with small hints of this iconic flavor.
(Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com)
Three Wonderful Coffee-Infused Recipes:
Steak Coffee Rub
First up is one of our personal favorites, which is using coffee in a rub on your steak. The reasons to use coffee in your steak rub is three fold; it tenderizes the meat as the acidity helps to break down the protein fibers, it helps to create a great seer and the flavor of the coffee helps to cut through the richness of the steak in the best way.
So, to make the rub for 2-4 steaks, combine:
- 2 tablespoons medium to fine coffee grounds
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Pat your steaks dry then generously apply the rub. To get the most out of the flavor and also the tenderization of the meat, allow it to sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes. Cook your steak as you usually would, allow it to rest for as long as you’d cook it for and enjoy! You won’t look back once you’ve tried this recipe, trust us.
(Photo by Pixabay on Pixbay.com)
Japanese Style Coffee-Infused Chicken
Another delicious way to introduce more coffee into your savory dishes is with a Japanese style coffee-infused chicken. It’s sweet and salty, then the acidity of the chicken is just ridiculously good, living up to the incredible food reputation that Japan has. Plus, it’s so simple and can be prepped in advance, making it even better.
Ingredients (Combine all ingredients):
- 500g chicken breast (poke holes in the chicken with a fork to help the flavor to absorb)
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- A double espresso shot
Leave the chicken to marinade for at least an hour, ideally 8 hours or overnight. Then, preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Also heat up a pan, then when it’s hot, sear the chicken in a pan to get color on either side, then place on a baking tray and finish in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy! This is great served with a simple side of sticky rice, bok choi with a drizzle of sesame oil and sesame seeds.
(Photo by Alleksana on Pixabay)
Espresso Black Bean Tacos With Feta
Make a real difference to your black bean tacos with a hint of coffee! The earthy tones in both black beans and the espresso work fantastically together, so definitely give this a go. Making your own tortillas takes this recipe to a new level if you have the time!
Here’s the ingredients you need to serve 2 people:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 tin of black beans
- 200ml vegetable stock
- A double shot of espresso
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
- 6 small tortilla wraps
- Feta cheese and limes to finish
The method is really simple, as you just need to heat the oil in a pan and fry your onions for a few minutes until they start to soften and gain some color. Add your red pepper and cook for a couple more minutes. Next, add all of your spices, herbs, garlic, tomato puree and cook out for another minute. Add the black beans, veg stock and espresso, then finish with the brown sugar or honey. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes whilst the sauce thickens, then enjoy in your tortilla wraps, topped with crumbled feta and a squeeze of lime!
(Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com)
What Coffee Shall I Use In Cooking?
Typically, most recipes that require coffee, both savory and sweet, are best suited to a medium-fine grind, either kept as coffee grounds or made into an espresso. You get a smooth end result through the espresso and usually the best flavor profile can be extracted from finer grinds.
Our personal favorite combination is the DF54 grinder with an Ascaso espresso machine, as the DF54 is one of the more affordable electric grinders that helps you to achieve an excellent home brewing experience. Fresh coffee really is best when it comes to these recipes, so if you don’t have an espresso machine, French press will be better than using instant coffee.
(Photo by Nao Triponez on Pexels.com)
Final Thoughts on Cooking with Coffee
We hope we’ve inspired you to mix up your culinary skills and add some coffee into the mix! It can completely change the flavor of your savory dishes in the most wonderful way, so give one of these recipes a go and we’re sure you’ll be hooked.
For More:
- On our site: We love coffee–drinking it, making it, cooking with it, traveling for it, and more: Take a look at these coffee stories on our site!
-All photos as credited. Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay.
