“Butter Up” Your Steaks for an AMAZING Taste Experience

Restaurant Chefs have a whole arsenal of ways to entice your palate, especially when it comes to grilled meats, and particularly beef steaks.

From “secret seasonings” to the increasingly popular sous vide cooking method, every Chef worth their “salt” has one or more “signature” techniques up their Chef’s coat sleeves.

Prepare to be “buttered up”…

Among the most popular of these techniques is the use of butter as a finishing touch just after the steak is plated and before it is presented to you at the table.

But not just plain ole butter.

The Chefs call it a “Compound Butter”.

The idea is for the butter to melt over the hot steak, bathing it in a flavorful, buttery, juicy fat.

Beef,…perfected.

There are dozens of different things you can add to a stick of softened, whipped butter, including fresh herbs, sauteed onions or shallots, fresh garlic, cracked pepper, spices, and sauces, such as soy sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, or even A-1.

Even a few drops of a natural, liquid, hickory-smoke is a nice addition.

You start with stick of salted butter. Let it soften until you can mash it in a small bowl with a fork then mash in the flavoring ingredients. Whisking, or using a food processor to do this, is even better.

Below are some buttery combinations to try.

Start with 1 stick of butter,

then add;

 

BASIC BUTTER

2 tablespoons           Freshly Chopped Tarragon or Basil,

1 tablespoon             Chopped, Sauteed Shallots

1 teaspoon                Minced, Sauteed Garlic,

1 teaspoon                Dijon mustard

1 pinch                       Ground Black Pepper

 

ZIPPY BUTTER

½ teaspoon               Any Granulated Beef Base

1 tablespoon             Sauteed Minced Onions

½ teaspoon               Kitchen Bouquet Seasoning

1 teaspoon                Soy Sauce

¼ teaspoon               Granulated Garlic

Pinch                          Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon                Parsley Flakes

MUSHROOM BUTTER

½ Cup                        Sauteed Mushrooms (Minced)

1 teaspoon                Roasted Garlic, Minced

1 teaspoon                Parsley Flakes

1 tablespoon             Roasted Onion, Minced

¼ teaspoon               Ground Black Pepper

Once your butter mixture is made, and still soft and fluffy, you can add a dollop of it over your finished steak or, you can roll up your finished butter up in waxed paper to make a log, 1” to 1 ½” in diameter and refrigerate it for later use.

If twisted at both ends and kept within a small zip lock plastic bag, it will certainly last throughout your summer grilling season.

Put a dollop of one of these delicious flavored butters over your next grilled steak and let it melt into a juicy sauce that you’ll absolutely love.