Rubbing coffee on my meat is not the sort of thing I'm into, but who doesn’t love a sweet little rub now and then? I ain’t no master chef, or know much about cooking in general, but when I saw that I could spice up my meals with some coffee, I jumped at the opportunity. You may have read my previous review of a coffee mug by Rampage coffee. As it turns out, coffee is not the only product they sell. They also sell four different rubs that are a blend of coffee and spices. My curiosity was piqued.
So far, I’ve used two of them: Sweet Canadian Maple and The Original Blend. I was skeptical at first because the idea of rubbing coffee on my meat sounded like funny business. What kind of sorcery is this? I asked myself, as I embarked in this voyage of culinary discovery.
As per the label, the Sweet Canadian Maple blend contains kosher salt, pure Canadian maple sugar, demerara sugar, garlic, onion, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, and coffee. The suggested critters for this rub are pork & chicken. As it so happens, I had some locally sourced pork in the freezer, so without further ado, I took that sucker out and slapped some spices on it.
Working it gently, I covered both sides, being somewhat generous with the rub but careful not to overwhelm the meat. Once I put it on the heat, it didn’t take long for the rub to burn, but inside, the meat remain juicy and tender. When I took the first bite, my eyes lit up and my mouth watered. It was a revelation. Angels sang. I had put just the right amount of rub, which was sweet and delicious without attracting too much attention to itself. The coffee flavor was noticeable but not overwhelming either. The rub let the meat be meat. Which is as it should be in a good rub, though I'm no expert in the matter.
The second blend I used was the Original blend. It contains the same ingredients as the Canadian maple coffee rub without the maple sugar, demerara sugar, and cinnamon. The animal icons on the label suggests using this rub on cows, chickens, fishes, and pigs. I had a piece of sirloin and top sirloin, also locally sourced, so I decided to get all fancy with the rub.
I followed the same procedure as before; why mess with a good thing? I sprinkled and rubbed until both sides were covered and then cooked the two pieces. Just like before, the spice burned, but the meat remained ever so tender in the middle. Both tasted heavenly. This rub was more salty and spicy that the maple one, but it was just as delicious. Juices ran down the side of my mouth. It was stupendously decadent.
As you can see, I really enjoyed myself. The two coffee rubs added a great flavor to the meat, and even though the spices burned in the heat, the meat remained ever so juicy and tender. I was a bit wired after eating and didn't sleep until two in the morning. Whether it was the effects of the coffee or the other spices arousing my senses, I don’t know, but it was certainly a delicious touch.
I still have two other coffee blends left: The World's Hottest and poultry perfection. Who knows what gustatory delights await me, but my mouth is already watering.