Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort.
Back in the 1800s, trail driving cowboys — some of the world's foremost experts at putting whatever was at hand to good use — made the first red-eye gravy by swirling some coffee, mixed with a little flour, in a skillet full of juices from pan-fried steaks. This concoction, along with pinto beans and Dutch oven biscuits, filled many a belly between Texas and the stockyards in Kansas City. Today, most of us are punching clocks instead of cattle, but a sizzling steak with red-eye gravy can still be mighty tasty. The dry rub for the steaks, made with ground coffee beans, doesn't taste anything like it sounds. Give it a try, lest folks take you for a complete greenhorn, podnah.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings1/2 cup ground coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (4-ounce) all-natural sirloin steaks, trimmed
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup jalapeño jelly
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a little additional coffee
Combine 1/2 cup ground coffee, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a flat-bottom soup bowl or pie plate. Dredge the steaks in the mixture, coating both sides. Heat the canola oil in a cast-iron skillet with an ovenproof handle over high heat. Spray the steaks with nonstick cooking spray. Sear the steaks in the skillet, turning to sear both sides. Transfer the skillet to a 450°F oven to finish cooking the steaks to the desired doneness. Remove the skillet from the oven; transfer the steaks to a plate and keep warm. Combine 1 cup brewed coffee and the stock in the hot skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the brown bits. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Add the jelly, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch mixture and any accumulated juices from the steaks; mix well. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
Nutrition Per Serving
Nutrients Per Serving: Cal 236; Prot 27 g; Carbo 22 g; Fat 6 g; 23% Cal from Fat; Sod 518 mg#### Nutritional analysis provided by Epicurious