Chili Steak

Here’s a Tex-Mex braise that’ll make you look twice at that ingredient list. Coffee? In steak? Trust the process.

Round steak gets rubbed down with crushed garlic, salt, and pepper, then rests for an hour so those flavors sink deep into the meat.

After a hard sear in a hot skillet, the steaks braise for 45 minutes in a sauce built from canned chili, green pepper, onion, and half a cup of strong black coffee that adds a smoky bitterness you can’t get any other way.

The coffee doesn’t make it taste like breakfast. It rounds out the chili and deepens every other flavor in the pan. Serve it over rice and let the sauce do the talking.

Chef Tips

• Use a tough, cheap cut like round or rump steak. This recipe is designed to break down connective tissue through braising, so don’t waste a good ribeye here.
• Let the garlic-rubbed steak rest the full hour at room temperature. The seasoning penetrates better on meat that isn’t fridge-cold.
• Use actual brewed coffee, not instant. The real stuff has oils and depth that instant powder just can’t match.