CATTLEMAN'S GRILL: Original Cowboy Coffee Steak Rub – 283g

The rub that started the whole outfit

Cattleman's Grill was built on this one. Coarsely ground strong coffee was a chuck wagon staple long before anyone called it a steak rub, and Cattleman's put it back where it belongs: on beef, over fire. Raw cane sugar, kosher salt, coffee and paprika — four things, no filler, and a crust that tastes like a campfire breakfast in the best possible way.

The flavour

Coffee leads and stays: dark, roasted and faintly bitter in the way good espresso is. Raw cane sugar rounds the edges and helps the crust set, while kosher salt drives the beef flavour up rather than sitting on top of it. Paprika brings colour and a gentle sweetness at the back. There is no chilli heat here at all — it is depth, not fire.

How to cook with it

• Coat a thick ribeye the night before and leave it uncovered in the fridge, then sear it hard and finish it in indirect heat.
• Because of the sugar, keep it off the hottest part of the grill for long cooks — it will darken fast and can turn bitter if you push it.
• Use mustard as a binder on beef short rib, then two coats of rub with ten minutes between them for a serious bark.
• Season pork chops and finish them in a pan with butter, spooning it over as they rest.
• Rogue move: a heavy pinch through a beef chilli or a slow-braised cheek adds a roasted depth people cannot place.

In the shaker

Dark and coarse, closer to a coffee grind than a powder, with pale sugar and salt crystals visible through it. That coarseness is deliberate — it builds texture on a thick steak and survives a hard sear instead of burning off.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Raw cane sugar, kosher salt, coffee, paprika and spices.

Dietary: Cattleman's Grill state no MSG, no chemical preservatives and no anti-caking agents across the range. No gluten-containing ingredient appears in the statement above and no formal gluten-free certification is carried, so we list it as gluten friendly — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

The Smuggler reckons this is the one that earned the brand its name, and he is not arguing with it. Go light over direct flame — that raw sugar catches quicker than you think, so build the crust early and finish the steak off to the side. Pour Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce into the mix and scatter Hardcore Carnivore Texas Jalapeno Salt over the slices at the board.

Questions answered

Does a coffee rub make steak taste like coffee?
Not in the way a cup does. Coffee reads as roasted depth and a darker crust — most people taste richness and bitterness balance rather than an obvious coffee flavour.

Is Original Cowboy spicy?
No. It contains no chilli heat. The blend is raw cane sugar, kosher salt, coffee, paprika and spices.

Can I use it on long smokes?
Yes, but keep it off the hottest direct heat. The raw cane sugar will darken quickly, so indirect cooking gives the best bark.