Okay, so I’ve been seeing “tri tip coffee rub” all over the internet lately, and I finally decided to give it a shot. I mean, coffee and steak? It sounded weird, but intriguing enough to try.
Getting Started
First, I needed to gather my ingredients. I already had most of the spices, but I did have to make a quick run to the store for the tri-tip itself. I wanted to make sure I got a good cut.
Here’s what I ended up using:
- About 2 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee (I used a dark roast, because, why not?)
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (light or dark, your call)
- 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika (this stuff is amazing)
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- 1 teaspoons of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- A 2-3 pound tri-tip roast
Mixing the Magic
I grabbed a bowl and just tossed all the dry ingredients in. I used my hands to mix everything really well, making sure there were no clumps of coffee or sugar. It smelled…interesting. Kind of smoky, kind of sweet, and definitely coffee-ish.
Prepping the Tri-Tip
Next up, the meat. I patted the tri-tip dry with some paper towels. This is important to get a good crust when you cook it. Then came the fun part – applying the rub. I literally just dumped the coffee mixture all over the tri-tip and rubbed it in. I made sure to cover every inch of the meat, top, bottom, sides, everything.
The Cook
I decided to grill this bad boy. I preheated my grill to medium-high heat. I oiled the grates, then threw the tri-tip on. I seared it for about 5-7 minutes per side, just to get those nice grill marks and a bit of a crust. Then I moved it to a cooler part of the grill, closed the lid, and let it cook for another 20 minutes I flipped every 5 minutes to make sure all sides cooked. The internal temperature I aimed to reach to 135°F(medium-rare).
Rest and Enjoy
Once it was done, I took the tri-tip off the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. This is super important, don’t skip this step! It lets the juices redistribute, so you end up with a much more tender and flavorful steak.
Finally, I sliced the tri-tip against the grain (this is also important for tenderness) and…wow. It was actually really good! The coffee flavor wasn’t overpowering, but it added this subtle richness and depth that I wasn’t expecting. The smoked paprika and brown sugar gave it a nice smoky-sweet thing, and the other spices just rounded everything out.
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I’d definitely make this again. It’s a pretty easy way to make a tri-tip feel a little bit fancy, and it’s a great conversation starter. If you’re on the fence, just try it! You might be surprised.
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