FOR CHOPSHOPGROCER.COM

 The Whole Tailgate, One Stop on Manatee Av A five-ingredient coffee rub and a corn salad that never sees a grill — the two recipes we’re taking to Channel 7 Suncoast, and everything you need for both is behind our counter

You don’t need a smoker, a marinade you started on Thursday, or a cooler full of things nobody eats. You need one good steak and one side that travels. That’s the whole tailgate, and it’s two recipes long.

The first is a dry rub made from twenty coffee beans. Whole beans, not grounds — the oils are still in there, and that’s what makes it stick to the meat and what gives you that dark, almost-bitter crust people assume came off a wood fire. Cumin seed, peppercorns, kosher salt, garlic powder, and a mortar and pestle. Thirty seconds of grinding gets you enough for a month of steaks.

The second is a Mexican street corn salad that never touches the grill. Three ears go in the microwave in their husks, three minutes each. Cut the stem end off and the cob slides right out — the silk stays behind. Kernels off, red onion, a whole bunch of cilantro, lime zest and juice, chili powder, cumin, queso fresco crumbled over the top. No mayo and no sour cream, which means it sits in a parking lot in September and nobody has to think about it.

Bring us the game and we’ll cut the steak. Come see us on Manatee Avenue and we’ll tell you what to put the rub on this week.

COFFEE & CUMIN STEAK  RUB
Makes about ¼ cup · 5 minutes · Keeps a month in a sealed jar

• 20 whole coffee beans
• 1½ tablespoons cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine everything in a mortar and pestle.
2. Grind to a fine, even rub — about the texture of coarse sand.
3. Press it on hard, both sides, and let the meat sit while the grill comes up to heat.

Use whole beans, not pre-ground coffee. The oil in a whole bean is what carries the flavor and helps the rub grab on.

MEXICAN STREET CORN SALAD
Serves 4 as a side · 15 minutes · Microwave only, travels well

• 3 ears of corn, microwaved in the husk 3 minutes each
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 4 oz queso fresco or feta, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ tablespoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Microwave each ear in its husk for 3 minutes. Cut off the stem end and slide the ear out — the silk stays behind.
2. Stand each cob in a bowl and cut the kernels off.
3. Add everything else and mix well.
4. Taste for salt and lime. Serve warm or cold.

The Chop Shop · 5906 Manatee Ave, Bradenton · chopshopgrocer.com