Food: Ancho-Rubbed Pork with Cuban Espresso Sauce

Clearly Memorial Day began a whirlwind of busy workweeks and jet-setting weekends.  Today is the first day that I actually feel like I can catch up on my long list of "to-do's" and not feel too entirely guilty sitting on my couch in my pajamas watching MSNBC with a cup of coffee.  

Since I just peaked in my refrigerator to see left overs, I figure I can start this string of morning blogs with a delicious recipe that I adapted from my brother.  It's Ancho-Rubbed Pork Loin with Cuban Espresso Sauce & Avocado, over spicy black beans and plantains. Yum, Yum!  The original recipe is from Havana Blue, a restaurant in St Thomas.  They use filet mignons, which my brother also made during my last visit to North Carolina.  Both versions are delicious!  But be ready for a food coma in need of a lomi-lomi massage!  

Original Recipe:

Ancho-Rubbed Filets Mignons with Cuban Espresso Sauce
(original printed in October 2007 Gourmet)

Ingredients:
For Filets:
6 (1 1/2 inch thick) center-cut beef tenderloin steaks (filets mingons; 8 to 10 oz each)
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

For sauce:
10 whole cloves
2 cups veal stock (NOTE: I just used beef stock here)
1/2 cup water
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon instant-coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoons

Method:
MARINATE STEAKS: Pat steaks dry. Stir together spices, sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and rub on top and bottom of steaks, then rub oil over spices. Cover with plastic wrap and chill, 3 hours.

MAKE SAUCE: Finely grind cloves in a spice grinder until finely ground. Combine with remaining ingredients except butter in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer briskly, stirring occassionally, until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Straigh through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and discarding solids, then return to cleaned saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter until incorporated, then season with salt and keep warm, covered, off heat.

COOK STEAKS: Preheat oven to 400 F with rack in middle.

Heat grill pan over medium heat until hot, then lightly oil. Grill steaks, turning once, 10 minutes or until grill marks form (NOTE: 5 minutes per side), then transfer to a shallow baking pan and roast in over 10 minutes for medium-rare (NOTE: I roasted mine for 8 because I like a rarer steak). Remove steaks from overn and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.

Transfer steaks to plates. Top with some sauce and serve remaincing sauce on the side.