The Spices Behind Gordon Ramsay's Viral Air Fryer Steak

Anyone who has spent time with different cuts of steak and their various cooking methods will tell you that the seasoning or marinade makes all the difference. From the tenderizing potential of white wine vinegar to the welcome bark of black pepper after charring a New York strip on the grill; steaks are fickle. The specific ingredients depend on a person's tolerance but the sheer versatility of various steak cuts never fails to surprise. Some steaks demand a hefty, textured seasoning to line the fat as it grills while others are content surrounded by vegetables like squash or portabellos in a slow cooker or oven with nothing more than salt and water.

It's all about what you prefer at that moment but it's also about finding comfort in experimentation, too. Who better to trust with experimenting than a world-renowned chef? Gordon Ramsay (in a sponsored video for Phillips) demonstrated an air fryer-based recipe that seasons his steak in a few key ingredients you won't typically find at the local steakhouse. The chef is no stranger to different methods for utilizing steak like his classic steak sandwich using tenderloin (via YouTube), so a less traditional method for a different cut should prove interesting.

No this isn't going to end with a recipe promoting beef in your morning coffee, not to worry. Gordon Ramsay elected to use ground coffee as one of several spices to season his air-fried steak in a dry rub of sorts. Try asking for that at LongHorn. Ramsay describes it as a bitter and sweet addition in tandem with sugar, a welcome contrast with the spice also included in the rub. If the inclusion of coffee on meat fascinates he has also posted a pork recipe with a similar coffee rub inlcuding barbeque sauce via his Twitter.

Aleppo pepper is singled out as the game-changer here by Chef Ramsay as "a very powerful spice" in the YouTube video. He suggests letting the steak sit in its rub (season the plate first) for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking via your preferred method and temperature to let the flavors really sink in. The end result is a steak covered in a beautiful coffee/pepper bark with all those juices locked in for maximum flavor. Ramsay finished the dish off with a few slices of herb butter to melt on top to keep the steak moist and add a tame flavor to the mix. This is a recipe anyone would be wise to give a chance considering its famed maestro.