Hot Sauce Recipes for Steak

The malagueta pepper is at the heart of Légal Hot Sauce. This Brazilian chili pepper has a spiciness rating of 60,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, putting it along the same lines as a Tabasco pepper. It’s spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.

Its taste is unique and hard to describe. It has a piney essence, similar to that of certain hops used in IPAs to give it the citrusy, bitter flavor. This makes it a fantastic addition to steak rubs and marinade for beef cuts.

The cuts of beef break into eight locations. Those locations on a steer are:

Chuck – Neck to shoulders
Brisket – Chest
Shank – Front legs
Rib – Front portion of the upper back area
Plate – Front portion of the underbelly
Loin – Rear area of the back area
Flank – Back portion of the underbelly
Round – Buttocks and back legs

Braise, Grill, Bake? How Do You Cook Your Beef?

How you cook the different beef cuts depends on where it came from and what it is. Some adapt to different cooking methods. Here are some of the most popular cuts.

Braising/Stewing:

Back ribs
Boneless country-style ribs
Brisket
Chuck arm/chuck roast
Chuck eye roast
Rump roast
Top round

Grilling:

Bone-in ribeye
Boneless strip steak
Filet mignon
Flank steak
Flat iron
Hanger steak
London broil
Porterhouse
T-bone

Pan Frying/Sautéing:

Filet mignon
Flat iron
Hanger steak
Porterhouse
Ribeye
Strip steak
T-bone
Top blade steak
Top sirloin steak
Tri-tip

Roasting:

Bone-in rib roast
Chuck eye roast
Eye of round
Ribeye roast
Tenderloin

Steak Recipes From Around the World

Those are popular beef cuts and the best way to cook them. It’s time to decide what rub or marinade to use. Here are some of Légal Hot Sauce’s favorite steak recipes from around the world.

Argentinian Chimichurri Steak

Chimichurri is one of our very favorite steak toppings. Sprinkle black pepper over a strip steak. Meanwhile, make a chimichurri but putting the following into a blender:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp Légal Hot Sauce
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Let the chimichurri sit while you grill the steak. Once the steak is where you like it, serve with the chimichurri drizzled over it.

Beef Braciole

This hearty Italian dish uses two pounds of top sirloin roast that’s sliced into filets and pounded thin. You should get 10 steaks from this roast. Once you have the steaks pounded to about ¼ inch thickness, lay them out on a board, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and make the filling.

Mix:

1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan
¼ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Légal Hot Sauce

Divide that mixture into 10 portions and spread it evenly over each steak. Roll them up and tie with butcher’s twine. Sear each roll in a hot skillet for about two minutes per side.

Add a ½ cup of white wine and two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes. Cover the skillet and let the rolls simmer over the lowest heat setting you have and cook for an hour. Serve it with fresh pasta. We love it with tagliatelle.

Beef Schnitzel

Most Bavarian schnitzel is made with pork, but you can make it with top round steak and use Légal Hot Sauce in place of the smoked paprika. You need four top-round steaks that are pounded to approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.

Make seasoned flour with salt, pepper, and parsley. Set that aside and whisk two eggs with a teaspoon of Légal Hot Sauce. Dip the steaks in flour, the egg mixture, and more flour. Set them aside while you heat a skillet.

Add half a stick of butter to the skillet, and once it’s melted, place the steaks in the pan. Saute until golden on each side.

Classic T-Bone

The T-bone is an American classic, and it’s one that benefits from Légal Hot Sauce. Use a brush to spread the hot sauce over both sides of a T-bone. Rub with a couple cloves of garlic and cook over hot coals to your preferred wellness. When it’s done, sprinkle it with salt and ground black pepper.

Steak au Poivre

The French are known for their steak au poivre, and it’s a delicious dish made even better with the addition of Légal Hot Sauce. Purchase two boneless strip steaks, looking for steaks that are about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick. Brush them with our hot sauce and spread each one one finely minced clove of garlic. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper

Heat a skillet, cast iron preferably, and cook the steaks for 8 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Move those steaks to a dish and place in the microwave or cover until needed.

Turn down the heat on the skillet and add:

½ cup beef broth
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons of cognac

Simmer the sauce until it starts to thicken. Drizzle that over the steaks and serve.

Ropa Vieja

You need two to three pounds of flank steak for Cuba’s ropa vieja. Place the steak in a large pot and sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt. Add:

1 large Spanish onion, chopped into larger pieces
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cover that with just enough water to reach the top of the steak. Boil for 90 minutes. Remove the steak and vegetables, and let the steak cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and set aside.

In a skillet, slowly cook the following in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil:

1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin
1 large green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small jar of drained diced pimentos
14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 tbsp Légal Hot Sauce
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

Once the vegetables are soft, add the shredded flank steak and stir until combined and the steak hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yakitori

Japanese yakitori is already an amazing dish, but Légal Hot Sauce adds a spicy kick to it. Sluice two pounds of steak into thin slices. Place that in a bowl and add:

1 cup of soy sauce
½ cup sake
1 tbsp Légal Hot Sauce
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons of honey

Let the steak sit in the marinade for several hours. Meanwhile, cut 12 green onions into inch-long sections and make some white rice. Thread the steak onto skewers, alternating with the green onions. Grill the meat skewers on a grill or electric skillet. Heat the remaining marinade to use as a dipping sauce for the yakitori and rice.

Recommended Cooking Temperatures for Beef

No matter which cut you have, USDA food safety recommendations are to cook beef to 145º F. Organ meats and ground beef need to be cooked to 160º F. Following these guidelines is important to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Légal Hot Sauce recommends that you keep a digital meat thermometer on hand when you’re cooking beef and steaks using your favorite marinade or spice rub. With a digital meat thermometer on hand, you can easily and quickly check temperatures to ensure your beef is cooked properly without being overdone.