Spice rubs are a great way to bring interest and depth to your steak dishes. When it comes to spice rub ingredients the options are endless and quite possibly what is in your cupboard. I do recommend brown sugar being in the mix; in small amounts it creates a fantastic caramelized crust. However, it will burn quite easily; you may have to wash out the pan when cooking multiple steaks. I have ended up with steaks tasting bitter because the sugar over caramelized which is not the effect I was going for. As long as you brown the steaks for a short period of time and finish them in the oven the sugar will caramelize perfectly. The corn relish in this recipe pairs well with grilled chicken and can be made as a side salad. Using fresh corn off the cob is a bit of extra work but very well worth the effort. I have tried using frozen corn before but the results were not as desirable, in this recipe “fresh is best.” This fresh corn relish embodies summer time and I have found myself hovering in front of the refrigerator, spoon in hand, munching this enchanting summer relish/salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Spice Rub
4 6-8oz steaks 1 inch thick (Sirloin is a nice lean steak with good flavor)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Corn Relish
4 fresh corn on the cob
3 scallions thinly sliced about 1/2 cup
3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Corn Relish
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add corn cobs and cook 15 minutes. Drain corn, run under cold water.
When corn cobs are cool, hold over medium sized bowl using a sharp knife cut down the length of each cob, collecting the kernels in the bowl. Add scallions, tomatoes and chopped basil.
In a small bowl whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, pour over corn mixture, stir to combine.
Steaks
In a small bowl combine all of spice rub ingredients. Your hands are the best tools to rub spice mixture onto both sides of steaks.
Heat skillet over medium high heat, cook steaks for 3 minuets on each side, any longer and the brown sugar will burn, making it taste bitter. Finish cooking steaks in 450 degrees oven for ten minutes or until temperature probe reads 135 degrees for medium doneness. Let rest five minutes before serving with corn relish.