How Gordon Ramsay Uses Aleppo Pepper To Spice Up His Air Fryer Steak

Before you turn your nose up at the thought of air fryer steak, just know that even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has made it this way. The restauranteur's steak features a kick of heat from the inclusion of Aleppo pepper in his dry rub, which is a red chile flake that's excellent at bringing out the other flavors in your dish. His dry rub also features espresso, brown sugar, mustard, ginger, and a slew of other flavor bombs. However, Ramsay explained in a YouTube video that it's the Aleppo pepper that ultimately "takes the dish to another level."

The "Hell's Kitchen" host also recommended keeping the rub on the meat as long as possible, which allows the flavor from the spices to better infuse into the steak. If you plan on using Ramsay's approved choice of Aleppo pepper in your own dry rub, you can find it at your local Middle-Eastern grocery store or international market. Don't be intimidated by the word pepper either, as the heat is considered moderately spicy like that of red pepper flakes. The real magic of this ingredient is how it enhances the taste of your dish as a whole. 

While air-frying steak is not a traditional way to cook one, it can have its own unique benefits. Ramsay mentions the top benefits of using an air fryer are locking in flavors and keeping the juice in the steak. This is because it's a more contained cooking device, so you don't risk losing your seasoning. The famous chef also recommends preheating the air fryer, which helps ensure your steak cooks evenly.

Another advantage of using this method is that this cooking device circulates hot air, which creates a delicious crust on the meat. This gives you differing textures on the steak making it a more satisfying bite. And let's be honest, one of the best benefits of using the air fryer is how easy it is and how much time it saves. For this recipe you only have to worry about flipping the steak after 10 minutes of cooking, other than that you can leave it alone and focus on cleaning or making side dishes.