Gordon Ramsay’s coffee rub steak from Uncharted coats bone-in rib eyes in espresso, ancho chili, smoked paprika, brown sugar and Aleppo pepper. The rub goes on 30 minutes to an hour before grilling, and the whole dish takes under 20 minutes to cook. It comes with a nopales chimichurri he picked up while foraging cactus paddles in Texas.
Most coffee rub recipes online use just coffee and chili. Ramsay’s version has seven spices including mustard powder and dried ginger, which nobody else mentions. The 3 tablespoons of brown sugar is what creates that thick dark sticky bark that caramelises on the grill.
The recipe comes from the Texas chapter of Uncharted, inspired by barbecue traditions shaped by African American, German and Spanish cooking. “Finely ground” is critical because coarse coffee grounds burn before the steak is cooked. He uses the same rub on baby back ribs in the next recipe, so one spice mix gives you two dishes.
Cooked this recipe? Send a photo or tell me what you changed at fans@gordonramsayrecipes.uk and I’ll share your experience live on this page.
Gordon Ramsay’s Coffee and Ancho Chili-Rubbed Rib Eye
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, BritishDifficulty: Easy4
10
minutes10
minutes870
kcal20
minutesFrom the Texas chapter of Uncharted, a 7-spice dry rub built around finely ground espresso and ancho chili. Served with grilled cactus paddle chimichurri. The same rub works on baby back ribs for a weekend barbecue.
Ingredients
- For the rub:
2 tbsp finely ground coffee or espresso
1 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp Aleppo pepper
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the steak:
2 bone-in rib eye steaks, 450-570g (16-20 oz) each, about 4cm (1½ in) thick
Extra-virgin olive oil
- For the nopales chimichurri:
2 fresh nopales (cactus paddles) or jarred equivalent
Small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
80ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the rub: Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
- Coat the steaks: Rub 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture onto each rib eye, pressing it into the meat. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or up to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Grill the nopales: Heat a grill to high (200-230°C/400-450°F). Brush lightly with oil. Grill the nopales until tender and charred, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool, then dice.
- Make the chimichurri: Combine the diced nopales with the coriander, parsley, spring onions, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season to taste.
- Grill the steaks: Drizzle the rib eyes lightly with olive oil. Grill 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare (57°C/135°F internal). Rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve: Slice the steak off the bone and cut against the grain into thick strips. Serve with a generous spoonful of nopales chimichurri.
FAQs
What does coffee-rubbed steak actually taste like?
It doesn’t taste like coffee the way your morning cup does. The espresso acts more like dark chocolate: it deepens the beef’s richness without adding any breakfast flavour. The ancho chili and smoked paprika do most of the talking.
What you actually taste is the bark. The brown sugar caramelises into a crunchy charred crust, and the coffee adds a dark roasted depth underneath. Think of it as the steak equivalent of a dark chocolate brownie: bitter, sweet and smoky at once.
Why does Ramsay use Aleppo pepper instead of regular chili flakes?
Aleppo pepper is fruitier and oilier than standard red pepper flakes, with a fraction of the heat. It adds warmth without overpowering the coffee and brown sugar that should lead the flavour.
You can find it in most supermarket spice aisles now. If you’re stuck, a mix of sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne gets you close. His basic steak seasoning is the simpler salt-pepper-garlic option if you want something without the coffee.
What is the nopales chimichurri?
Nopales are cactus paddles from the prickly pear plant, and they taste like green beans with a slight tartness. Ramsay grills them until charred, then dices them into a chimichurri with coriander, parsley, spring onion, garlic and lemon. This is the part nobody online replicates because nopales aren’t common in British shops.
Jarred nopales from the world food aisle work fine if fresh ones aren’t available. His classic chimichurri is a good substitute if you skip the nopales entirely.
Can you use this rub on other meats?
The Uncharted cookbook has the identical rub on baby back ribs in the very next recipe. Those get wrapped in foil and indirect grilled for 2-3 hours at 120°C (250°F), then glazed with a homemade BBQ sauce.
The ribs version comes with a tangy yogurt coleslaw made with honey, apple cider vinegar, grated apple and toasted pecans. One batch of rub gives you a weeknight steak dinner and a weekend barbecue project. His BBQ sauce would pair well with the ribs version.
Can you cook this in a pan instead of on a grill?
The recipe is designed for the grill because the open flame chars the sugar into that dark bark. In a pan, the sugar can burn if the heat is too high and you lose the smoke flavour.
Use a cast iron pan or griddle on the highest heat your hob can manage. Sear about 4 minutes per side and don’t move the steak until a dark crust forms. His cast iron steak page has the full indoor method, or try his steak marinade if you’d rather soak than rub.
