Cuban Flavored Steaks

Posted on February 26th, 2009

Hello!

Recently we have been buying steaks from the Onega meat processing store in Onega, Kansas. I’ve been wanting to try a Cuban styled steak for a while and while these weren’t skirt or flank steaks, I couldn’t resist.

I marinated the steaks in a mixture of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and Dale’s Steak Seasoning. Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum is smooth rum with a hint of vanilla at the end. Dale’s Steak Seasoning is a soy based steak marinade that is very strong. I don’t marinade in it very long, it just takes over the food. I used one cup of marinade for the steaks, measuring half a cup of each liquid. I placed everything in a Ziploc bag, let the steaks set for 90 minutes in the fridge, turned them over and let sit for another 90 minutes.

I then used a rub I’ve been tinkering with for a few months. It’s a strong pepper flavored rub that I use for everything from pizza to bbq. It’s replaced the salt and pepper shakers on the table, at least for me.  I’ll give the recipe at the bottom of this page.

I cooked the steaks for about 20 minutes, getting them to around 145 degrees F internally. I know some people swear by the touch method, but I find it easier to just use a thermometer. I’m grilling at home, so I don’t mind a small hole in the meat. I turned them every five minutes trying to get a nice cross-cut pattern on the steaks.

After letting the meat set for about 10 minutes, wrapped in foil, we sat down to dinner. Alas, the Cuban flavored steaks were good, but weren’t great. The marinade was way too overpowering and the rub’s flavor was lost in the intense flavor. I was disappointed, but it was an worthy experiment.

So, what did I learn:

The rum and soy-based marinade was too strong. I wanted a touch of Cuban flavors, I got a fistful of Pesos . Next time I’ll tone down the Dale’s and add some Orange or Lime juice.

Table Rub:

4 Tablespoons Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Jane’s Krazy Mixed up Salt
1 Tablespoon Cayenne Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

Happy cooking!

Jer