My infatuation with Cowboy Seasoning Rub started about five years ago. There was this old-school neighborhood butcher shop in Westmont, NJ called The Butcher Bloc (which, unfortunately, has since closed) that was amazing. It was right down the street from the epic Severino Pasta, the best Cannoli I have ever had from Cipolli, and about a half of a mile from the Collingswood Farmers Market. Did I mention there was a wine store across the street? Hmmm, all that weight gain is starting to make some sense now. lol
Anyway, the owner of The Butcher Bloc developed his own line of rubs and seasonings and after tasting a bunch of them, I quickly decided that his Cowboy Rub was the best I’d ever had. I have to admit that I stockpiled a couple of jars before we moved out of the area and only recently ran out.
When I was reading the Whole30 and got to the recipe section, their Mocha & Coffee Steak Rub immediately stuck out and reminded me of my good old Cowboy Rub that I love so much. After making it a couple of times, changing some ratios and adding a couple more ingredients, it’s pretty close. Not exactly like The Butcher Bloc’s but still really good!
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Cowboy Steak Rub Recipe.
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons ground coffee
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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It doesn't get easier than this. If using pre-ground spices, measure and combine all of them in a glass jar. Cover and shake until well combined. Alternately, if you have whole spices, measure and grind each individually in spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle then combine in glass container and store.
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Lightly spray raw meat with a tiny bit of olive oil. Sprinkle rub (start out with just a little - say 1 teaspoon per steak or 1 tablespoon for a 1 pound London Broil) and then rub in with your fingers. Allow to sit 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
Serving size varies. Makes 1/4 Cup
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Adapted From: Mocha Steak Rub, It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways
Interesting combination of spices. I definitely wanna try it once I get all of the ingredients. But I have a few ?’s. Do you mean instant coffee? Never heard of ancho chili powder, where can I find it? I don’t see an amount for the cayenne, how much should I use? Oh, and can I use this rub for pan-fried steak? Thank you so much for all your help.
Yes, instant coffee will work perfectly. Ancho Chili Powder is pretty common – you should be able to find it at any large supermarket. The cayenne is 1/8 teaspoon and yes, this would be GREAT on a pan-fried steak!
Hi fellow steak enthusiasts!:)
Me and my steak associate Hugo found this rub online in an attempt to spice up our steak nights, we love the idea of cocoa powder to give a deeper taste to the soft succulent loin.
Would highly recommend to any other lovers of the loin and remember, you can tell a true cowboy by the horse he rides, and in this case it’s a rub-tastic horse! Lol
Just made this. Was really tasty but the cloves were a bit overpowing to me. I didn’t even use the full amount. I think I’ll try this again without the cloves and I think it will be awesome.
Hi Jeremy,
Cloves can be a strong flavor – glad you found a way to make it work for you 🙂
LOVE the coffee in this rub recipe. Need to give it a try!!
The ground coffee in this is really interesting. Love the recipe – heck, I love all rub recipes! But this one looks particularly good. Thanks for this.
I too am a huge fan of rubs for beef, chicken and seafood. Such an easy way to add a ton of flavor!
OK: I DO use rubs at least 2-3 x a week. This will be a hugely useful to me as I have never used coffee or cocoa before! Talking about interesting ‘fusion’ cooking, some parts of this recipe actually sound like a Swedish way to cook lamb!!!!!!
I can’t wait to hear you feedback Eha! 🙂
What a great mix of spices for this rub!! Will definitely try it out!
Hope you like it! 🙂
Love this rub, I’m going to have to try it out the next time we’re having steak!
Definitely Laura – it really adds a punch of flavor without losing the steak taste.
This sounds amazing, Alyssa! I love coffee rub for beef…gives it such a complex flavor!
Me too – coffee and beef go so well together!
I can see why this seasoning rub is a favorite, Alyssa! My taste buds are tingling just from reading all the spices you include. I love the addition of coffee and cocoa, which I can imagine adds some deep, rich flavor. I’ll definitely be mixing up a batch soon. Good spices make healthy eating so much more tasty and fun!
I really like using it on London Broil Hannah!