Raptor Rubs - Cowboy Steak Rub product reviews

Having first come across Raptor Rubs at the food show in Hamilton I had fallen in love with all of the range I had managed to try while there that I ended up buying both the Vegetable Sprinkle and one of the chicken sprinkles, I had really wanted to try the Cowboy Steak while there but a new batch of steak using this seasoning was being cooked up while I was waiting with an impatient 5year old in tow that I didn't get the chance to try it. So when I saw that KIWIreviews had been given some to review I jumped at the chance of trying this product out for myself as I was pretty sure it would taste amazing and live up to the high standard of the other herb and spice rubs in the range I'd tried previously.

The name Cowboy steak suggested to me that this may have a little bit of a kick to it so I kept this in mind when I used it the first time as my family and I are not the biggest eaters of spicy foods, though we don't mind a bit of a spice in amongst other ingredients when it is done the right way. I thought it was only fair for my first test of the Cowboy steak to use it on steak, so I got out a pack of Scotch Fillet steak from the freezer and shook a small amount over each of the steaks which I then rubbed in, I turned the steak over and did the same on the other sides and left it to rest for about 10 minutes or so while I prepped the vegetables to go with our dinner so that the flavours could develop, as suggested on the package. As I cooked the steak in a non-stick fry pan without adding any oil the smells that were released were amazing, there was an amazing aroma of paprika, chillis, and garlic that filled the air and I had comments of "yum what's for dinner?" from my partner. The flavour of the Cowboy Steak rub was delightful and full of lot's of yummy flavours with the paprika being the most dominant of them all, it went down a treat.

A few days later I decided to cook up a steak, cheese and bacon pie, I prepared the meat in a gravy which I cooked in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours to make the steak as tender as possible. When it came to testing it out I felt that the gravy needed a bit more flavour so as I rummaged around through my pantry deciding what I was going to use to add to the taste I came across my Cowboy Steak mix which would be just what I needed. I added 2 tablespoons of the mix and it was perfect it took the gravy mix from good to incredible, my partner said it was the best pie I'd made in a long time and Miss 5 also asked me to make it again, which is saying something as she doesn't like meat apparently.

I will without a doubt be buying the Cowboy Steak mix again as it is just so versatile. I have recently discovered that my local Mad Butcher stocks the Raptor Rubs range so am happy to be able to source it when I need to, last week my Vege Sprinkle ran out so I went to replace it, unfortunately, it was out of stock (I can see why), so I grabbed the Lamb and Vegetable Rub instead which is delightful also, I can't wait to try more of your products soon thanks Raptor Rubs.

Having already tried other blends in this range and found them completely different from one another, I was keen to try this one. The ingredients suggested that it might be a combination designed for use with Texan or Mexican food in particular; the name (Cowboy Steak) and the vivid red of the label further indicated what the rub might be used for. I tasted it and found that paprika was the flavour that first jumped out at me, with chilli lurking in the background - although it was not as fiery as many mixes I have tried.

Since it was described as a steak rub, I decided to use it on some beef as my first experiment. I had some lean chuck steak in the freezer; I put this in a slow cooker with some garlic and two small red onions and cooked it for several hours. I then added two teaspoons of the rub and cooked the dish for another two hours. Half an hour before it was finished, I added plain dumplings on top as the weather was cold and this combination makes a warming winter meal. As we were planning to share it with the children I did restrict the amount of spices, with the intention of putting the jar on the table so that the adults could add more if they wished.

The children were great, finishing up everything on their plates. They loved the meat cooked like that and although Mr Eight said he thought he could taste something spicy, we feigned innocence and asked how that could be if he had not added any at the table! The adults, however, all added a sprinkle to their meal as it was not quite strong enough for us. We kept the trimmings simple - fresh bread rolls and sliced tomatoes, with a garnish of sprouts. Miss Six ate everything on her plate and even had an extra bread roll, but Mr Eight carefully picked all the onions out of his meat before he would eat it!

There were still some rolls left, and we were all still hungry as the children had eaten more that we had expected, so my daughter got a small bowl of olive oil and we dipped bread chunks into it and then into the rub - just the same way as we would use dukkah. The adult all loved it this way, although the children found it a little hot for their liking. When I went home later that evening I emptied part of my jar into another, smaller one as neither my daughter nor my son-in-law wanted to let it go; they had some other ideas for using it, like rubbing it into the skin of a chicken before roasting, or adding it to venison or game fish. A fair compromise; I still had a goodly amount remaining to try out on other dishes myself, and I have a feeling that both my daughter and I will be buying this product again.

A final word about the appearance: when the adults sprinkled a top-up on their dumplings, the rich red colour made them look most attractive. Miss Six said she might try it next time when her mouth was a bit older and would not find the spice so hot. She also insisted on being the person who added some to a small plate to serve as "dukkah". We were a bit concerned that she might tip out too much, given that there is no protective perforated layer to control the dispensing, but she was very careful and tipped out just the right amount. She even licked her finger and dipped it in, just in case it was not so strong on its own, but did not pursue it. Never mind, all the more for the grown-ups!

I had already tried the Vegetable Salt rub and loved it so was really looking forward to trying this one. Opening the jar, the smell of the paprika was the first thing I noticed and it smelt amazing! It smelt like it might have a bit of spicy kick to it and I was pretty excited and impatient to get into it.

We went simple and tried this one out on some beef steak, we rubbed it on both sides, let it sit for around half an hour then cooked it up in the frying pan. We went a little light on the seasoning not being sure how much of a kick it would have if any once cooked, and I think we could have added more. That said, the flavour was enough to give the steak a nice lift, it added that "something" to the meat but without taking away from the flavour of the beef. I'm very keen to try this out on the venison we have in our fridge now that I know that the seasoning is complementary rather than overpowering.

Overall this is another winner in our house. It's a convenient product and you don't have to use a lot to have an amazing tasting meal so it makes it cost effective. I will definitely be getting this in the future!

I adore medium rare steaks with baked potatoes, corn on the cob and some salad - there is something deeply satisfying as you cut into the succulent meat. I usually have it with garlic butter as I have never been able to find a nice seasoning that compliments the meat and does not detract from the taste. Well that is until now - the taste of this is divine and gives the steak another element.

Earlier this year we were watching the Food Channel on a Saturday night and most times it was with a Brisket or an American Steak or another kind of barbecue meat and it gave me major cravings to have that right 'smokey cowboy' taste. The steaks over in the states look massive and they always rub something into them - so when I saw this up for review, I jumped at the opportunity to try it. Once we win lotto we are flying over to Texas and trying that meat but until that happens I am more than happy to keep using this seasoning.

The back of the jar gives some variations on how to use the seasoning but for me I just rubbed it directly into both sides of our steak and then placed into the fridge for half an hour. It does suggest at least six hours but I think this was ample time. I cooked our steak like normal and I have to say, unlike other seasonings out there it did not come off the steak and cover my pan. I did like the tip of wrapping it in foil for 2 - 10 minutes after you have cooked it so that it retains its juices but as time was of the essence I did not have that luxury (next time).

All four of us all agreed it was a great addition to the steak and gave it that extra flavour. It is definitely something I will be using again and am keen to explore this with other meat. I did find the jar is taller than most of my spices and I had trouble putting it into my spice rack so instead I had to place it in the pantry. I do think this has the potential to last quite a while as I covered all four of the steaks with the seasoning, (both sides) and I hardly used any of the jar. Definitely a winner in my eyes.