Prime Cuts

Looking to capitalize on the opportunity to recreate the fine dining experience in our own kitchen, we decided to mix it up a little bit and make a childhood favorite but a little healthier. Coffee-rubbed turkey patties topped with melted mozzarella cheese and grilled onions with homemade coffee infused barbecue sauce, served next to boxed organic macaroni and cheese.

At first we were somewhat skeptical about putting coffee on meat, let alone turkey. Ground turkey is so hit and miss if you don’t cook it right or not long enough it is still raw, and if you cook it too long, it’s tough and dry. So, we initially tested one turkey patty to see what our results would yield, and to our surprise the coffee added amazing flavor and didn’t dry out the meat.  After our trial run, we finished making all of the patties, sprinkled on the rub and let them rest in the fridge for a bit before grilling to ensure better grilling and flavor.

As with any rub or almost anything culinary, we try to use the freshest ingredients possible in order to bring out the best flavor. Choosing the coffee was a big decision for us, how do we properly pair the right coffee with the rest of the ingredients in our rub? Since we were using freshly ground coriander which gives a warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavor we decided to go with a more earthy Ethiopian bean. Usually, Ethiopian beans will present a hint of lemon and a great floral aroma when brewed, but when mixed with our other spices and ground turkey, the citrus flavor shoulders its way to the front of your palate demanding attention then yields to the robust roast and garlic for a well rounded finish.

Once the turkey patties rested in the fridge for about an half hour we pulled them out and placed them on our pre-heated grill.  As the turkey cooked, the coffee began to create a crust on the meat, providing a slight crunch on the outside without affecting the moist, delicious meat on the inside. Generous slices of mozzarella cheese awaited our almost perfect turkey patties as we tended to the grilled onions. When the moment was just right, the cheese was added, melted, and the patties removed and plated with grilled onions as the crowning glory; it was perfect.

Because of the citrus flavors, darker roast, and garlic tones we decided to go middle of the road with our barbecue sauce, we made it a little sweet to balance the earthy, smoky flavor the coffee gives. As we began to eat, everyone was pleased and surprised by the taste. This was a complete one-eighty from when we told them that there was coffee on the turkey patties and in the barbecue sauce.

By the end of the meal, hungers were satisfied, childhood memories were recollected. Overall, the coffee rub was a big hit and we are looking forward to experimenting with different coffee flavors and meat combination in summer cookouts to come.

Coffee Rub Recipe

Ingredients

Note: I chose to use Newhall Coffee (client) but any freshly fine grounded coffee will work well.

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Make sure you do this ahead of time as it can be made 1 week ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.  Follow the instructions above with whatever either turkey patties or hamburger patties.

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Photos by: Justin and Eric Rasmussen