Rich, aromatic spices add depth to beef, even before it’s cooked. The smoky, savory taste of chile powder, cumin, and paprika penetrate the meat for an intensely flavored steak. Searing the beef in a hot cast-iron skillet with very little oil seals in the flavor and fragrance of the spices-and results in tender, juicy, flavor-packed meat. And, of course, less oil means less fat.
I seared a 1-1/4-inch-thick top sirloin steak that had very little noticeable fat. You can use a different cut, such as New York strip or boneless rib-eye, but make sure it’s trimmed and fairly thick.
Sweet potatoes are naturally high in nutrition and low in fat, and they need nothing more than a little oil and seasoning to bring out their creamy, caramelized goodness when roasted.
Spice-Rubbed Steak With Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Author: Pamela Steed Hill
- For the Potatoes
- 1 medium, rounded sweet potato (about ¾ lb), scrubbed and cut into 8 wedges
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- For the Steaks
- ¼ tsp ground chile powder
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 10-oz top sirloin steak, about 1-1/4-inch thick
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil, for brushing
- For the Potatoes
- Preheat the oven the 400° F.
- Place the potato wedges in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper and toss well to coat.
- Place a wire rack in a shallow baking pan (line the pan first with parchment paper or foil, if desired). Spread the potato wedges skin-side down on the rack.
- Roast until tender and browned, 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more salt before serving.
- For the Steaks
- Combine the chile powder, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl. Trim any side fat from the steaks and rub the spice mixture all over them. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
- Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat and brush with oil.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear until lightly charred, 5-6 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 3 minutes.
- To serve, cut the steaks across the grain into thin strips. Divide between 2 plates and serve potato wedges alongside.
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