I’m still excited to experiment with my new sous vide machine, so I figured I’d whip up a spice blend that would go really well with meat. The coffee and cocoa in this mixture give the meat an extraordinary depth of flavor, which is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the brown sugar and smokiness of the paprika. Cooked to perfection and tossed into a salad… A new favorite has been born!

Directions

Prepare the Mocha Spice Blend

1. Combine all spice blend ingredients in a small bowl and store with your spices.

Prepare the Salad

1. Preheat oven to 400 degres Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and place sweet potato cubes on the sheet.

2. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.

3. Roast for 25–30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients together until emulsified. Set aside.

5. While potatoes are roasting, wash oyster steak and pat dry. Place in a baking pan and drizzle with two teaspoons olive oil. Rub three tablespoons of the mocha spice blend all over the steak to coat. Once the sweet potatoes are done, switch oven heat to broil. Place the steak in the oven and broil for six to seven minutes per side.

6. While the steak is broiling, place salad greens on a large serving platter. Arrange tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and sweet potatoes on top of the lettuce.

7. Remove steak from oven and cover loosely with foil; allow to rest several minutes. (Do not slice until ready to plate and serve.) Slice thinly and arrange on top of salad. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with pepitas. Serve immediately.

Tips:

I tried this rub on salmon with equally delicious results.

Notes:

If you prefer to sous vide the steak, cook at 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) for two and a half to three hours for medium doneness. Once it’s finished cooking, sear in hot oil in a cast-iron pan for two to three minutes per side. Remove steak from pan and cover loosely with foil; allow to rest for several minutes before slicing.