Coffee, in all its forms, is a wonderful addition to chilis, rubs, marinades and of course, desserts. Recipes call for beans, grounds, instant, and brewed...but no matter how you start, coffee adds quite a punch to dishes. It has a natural acidity that makes coffee good for tenderizing meat as well. Marinating the meat in something with acidity will cause the meat to break down and be moist and succulent once cooked. Incorporating ground coffee into a dry rub for burgers, steak and short ribs brings a lot of smokiness to a dish, and you'll instantly find the difference between using it and not. You can also brew coffee to use in a wet marinade. Try Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce for an example of spice and the smoky flavor of coffee combining in this southwestern-inspired dish. Plan ahead, you need to cook short ribs for a good 3-4 hours to get the meat really soft and falling off the bone.
Many chili recipes use brewed coffee as an ingredient. Coffee goes well with spice, as we've already seen, and adds smokiness to a dish that's well, supposed to be smoky and spicy! :) Here's a recipe for a Chocolate Stout Chili. Chocolate and coffee go well together as well, and chocolate is one of my favorite things to throw in chili, it adds a richness without even knowing that it's chocolate that you're eating!
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the BEST coffee dessert ever. Affogato (Italian for "drowned") is an italian dessert made with scoops of gelato, or ice cream. Hot coffee, or espresso, is then poured over the ice cream, and it is DELICIOUS! The ice cream melts a bit, the coffee cools down a bit, the flavors mix, and it's like a very sophisticated version of an ice cream float! Here, Giada De Laurentiis shows us one way to make Affogato.
I hope this posting left your mouth watering with a craving to try coffee in ways other than in a cup first thing in the morning! Expand your horizons, and put those ingredients to use in unexpected ways!
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