Putting together a good steak rub is like putting together a good steak marinade; you need to find the right ingredients for your cut of meat, season it properly to get the best end result and leave your beef to marinate for about 40 minutes. It might sound a little intimidating at first if you’ve never actually done it before, but ultimately the decision for which seasoning to use is in your hands. What makes a steak rub so great is that you can alter recipes to fit your tastes and make it your own. This just happens to be the steak rub that we like best and we’re going to teach it to you.
There are a few things to remember, though, before you get into the seasoning. When it comes to seasoning your steak properly, you need to select a proper cut of beef, make preparations, and decide when you’d like to apply your ingredients.
Choosing A Steak
Deciding which cut of beef you’d like isn’t too difficult as most people like to gravitate towards what is offered prepackaged in the stores. Some prefer to choose their beef from a butcher, which has its advantages like being able to select fresh meat and having a professional there to answer any of your questions. When it comes to steak, you’ll most likely run into short loin cuts, rib cuts, and beef from the flank of a cow.
Once you have your selection of beef, remember that there are ways to cook your meat to perfection without it losing all its flavor from the steak rub. Your beef will take on various shades of pink and red depending on the doneness. If you’re unfamiliar with the levels of doneness just remember that the more red/pink it is on the inside, the rarer the steak will be. The longer you keep your meat on the grill or pan, the tougher and drier it gets.
Letting Your Meat Sit
One of the most important things you can do is to let your meat sit out for a little bit before you season it. This step is often debated among people in regards to a simple steak seasoning, but for marinades or a steak rub, you need to let your meat sit out after you season it so that it soaks in all the flavor.
When It’s Time To Season
People have been on the fence about when to season for a little while, and the end result is that the decision is up to you. Some people prefer to season their steaks right before they cook them to cut down prep time and ensure that the seasoning, like pepper, doesn’t burn on the grill. Other people like to season them and then wait for a little bit. A simple steak rub (salt, pepper, olive oil) is one that you can play around with, but we recommend that you let your seasoned meat sit if you’re applying something a little more complicated.
Steak Rub Recipe
This is a recipe that we tend to lean towards and like the best. You don’t need too many ingredients or much manpower and you’ll have a delicious steak ready to be grilled by the end of it.
What You’ll Need
- 3 tablespoons of kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of onion powder
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 1 tablespoon of dry mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Steps
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Pat your steaks dry with a paper towel before you season them.
- Apply a generous amount of the mixture onto your meat.
- Let the meat sit for 40-50 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
- Once the allotted time has passed, baste your seasoned beef with the olive oil and begin cooking.
Of course, there are other recipes out there that you can try. There are lots of lists out there compiled of different steak rubs for you to try your hand at and if you’re wondering what additional spices go well with beef then you can always try cumin, chili powder, or variations of the mentioned seasoning, like sweet paprika.
There are many different steak rubs and marinades for you to try at home that don’t require too many ingredients or appliances. Seasoning a steak is much easier than you may have previously thought and what makes it even better is that you’re in total control of when to season and what to season with.
