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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Everyone makes their steaks differently, and significant differences exist between countries, states and cities. Of course, people love steaks in a certain way, most commonly cooked as they cook them in their hometown.
And that’s where the Chicago steak comes in. The windy city is not known for its grilling traditions, but there’s a famous steak rub named after the city, the Chicago steak seasoning.
Today, many seasoning brands sell this spice mix, and they keep their recipes secret. That’s why I attempted to make my own Chicago steak seasoning.
After a few grilling sessions and some hits and misses, I ended with a spice mix or steak rub that does the trick. It tastes like the store-bought seasoning, but it’s better in many ways.
This one is fairly easy. After all, seasonings and dry rubs are just a bunch of tasty things that go well together in the proper proportions. Of course, this might mean different things for different people. Please, taste and adjust to your liking.
For me, the Chicago steak seasoning has garlic, and although the store-bought stuff has dehydrated garlic bits, I use garlic powder. Then I add salt, black pepper, powdered onion, sweet paprika and sugar. The brown sugar caramelizes nicely on the steak’s crust.
You’ll notice I don’t use dried herbs in this one, which for me is being faithful to the original Chicago seasonings. If you want to, add dried oregano, thyme or rosemary for a more fragrant rub.
What I do is that if I feel the food needs herbal scents, I’ll add them later, but they have nothing to do with my Chicago steak rub. Besides, herbs burn in the grill when rubbed into a steak. Why bother?
I love this spice blend in steaks, sure, but I like it most in grilled veggies tossed with olive oil.
The seasoning will also do wonders for chicken and fish, thanks to its subtle sweetness. What are your favorite ways of cooking with the Chicago steak seasoning? Let me know!
In a mixing bowl, combine the salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic and onion powder.
Pat dry two steaks and dry rub them with the Chicago steak seasoning mix before grilling.
Use the seasonings to flavor fish, grilled veggies, chicken and seafood.
