Tenderize Meat With Coffee Grounds For Juicy, Flavorful Results Every Time

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Is there anything worse than a bite of bland steak, dry chicken, or tough piece of pork? Whatever protein you're digging into, you want it to be so tender it's like biting into a stick of butter, and there are a lot of different hacks for achieving that — like using baking soda or marinating it in salad dressing. But tenderizing your meat with coffee grounds is one of the most effective methods, according to Chef Thomas Odermatt, founder of Butcher's Bone Broth, with whom Food Republic had the opportunity to consult. And don't worry — this hack won't make your protein of choice taste like a cup of brewed java, but it will subtly enhance the flavors and texture.

"Coffee pairs beautifully to tenderize meat because both share deep, roasted, and bitter notes that amplify each other," he said. Not only does the rich, slightly acidic character of coffee help break down the meat's proteins, it also "cuts through fatty meats, while its bitter edge brings out the smokiness and umami" flavors, especially when your beef, chicken, or pork are grilled or smoked. Odermatt was quick to clear up some confusion people might have between coffee and cacao, telling us that the latter is used mainly in Latin cuisine and also brings richness to meat, but ultimately, he felt that "coffee deserves just as much respect as a cooking ingredient, especially in BBQ." 

Beef is one of the more popular meats you can use in conjunction with coffee, typically by creating a rub. Chef Thomas Odermatt invited us to start by thinking of the classic brisket. He enjoys a thick-cut with a nice fat cap (the thick deposit of fat that surrounds the meat), "rubbed with a mix of finely ground espresso, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and just a touch of cumin." He explained that the coffee deepens the umami flavor, while also helping to form that rich, caramelized bark that everyone so enjoys on a well-made brisket.

"You can also crust a steak with coffee — especially a reverse-seared ribeye," Odermatt told Food Republic. He continued, saying that he uses coarsely ground coffee beans with salt and freshly cracked pepper to form a toasted outer layer "that plays perfectly with the richness of the meat," while it also helps soften the steak. If you're interested in trying both types of grind that Odermatt suggested with various cuts of beef, we suggest grinding your own beans using an electric, adjustable coffee grinder, like this one from Cuisinart; the flavor of freshly ground beans is unbeatable, especially when used as a meat tenderizer.

If you thought coffee was purely for beef, think again. "Bringing chicken in with coffee? Absolutely," Chef Thomas Odermatt confirmed. He calls his coffee-chicken dish "Pollo Ristretto," and he actually uses brewed coffee to make it. The expert cools down a light roast, mixes it with salt, sugar, bay leaves, and sometimes a whole Calabrian chili, then lets the chicken rest overnight in the blend. "The result is juicy, subtly nutty, and full of personality without overpowering the bird," Odermatt informed us.

Now, pork is technically a red meat, but it wasn't called "The Other White Meat" in the 1980s for nothing, so we'll call it white meat-adjacent. One of Odermatt's favorite applications for coffee is with porchetta, that traditional dish from Italy where a boneless skin-on pork belly roast is seasoned with herbs and spices before getting rolled up and cooked for hours. "Toward the end of the roast, I glaze the herb-stuffed pork with a reduction of espresso, balsamic vinegar, and a bit of honey," he instructed, adding that it provides a dark, lacquered finish with sweet bitterness that cuts beautifully through the fat — and that crispy skin that forms when the porchetta is done roasting is worth the wait.