- 1/4 cup finely ground espresso beans
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Sift ground espresso beans, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Generously coat all sides of each steak with espresso mixture. Place steaks on a plate and refrigerate for flavors to blend, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; add canola oil. Place steaks in the hot oil and cook until bottom of each steak is browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip steaks and place skillet in the preheated oven.
- Cook the steaks in the preheated oven to your desired degree of doneness, 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Cover skillet with a tented piece of aluminum foil and let steaks rest for at least 5 minutes.