Compound Herb Butter for Steak
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter Softened – I used salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter as well. Just salt to taste.
- 1 tbsp Chives Fresh finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley Fresh finely chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic Fresh finely minced
- 1 tsp Rosemary Fresh finely chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Salt Salt to taste. Use more if you use unsalted butter. Use less if you use salted butter
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper Just a dash
- 1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes Just a dash
Instructions
- Finely chop and I mean finely chop the fresh herbs. (Chives, Parsley & Rosemary)
- Combine all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and mix them together.
- Make sure to get all the ingredients of the herb butter mixed together.
- Once the ingredients are mixed, spoon the compound butter into the center of a piece of plastic wrap and try to form a small log. Wrap the plastic over the butter and begin to roll it into a round log shape.
- Once you have it in the shape you want, just twist the ends of the plastic wrap to tighten it up and then let it cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until it is solid.
- Place the compound herb butter log into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until it is solid
- Once the compound butter is cold and solid you can cut into 1 tbsp servings and place it on top of the steaks.
- Allow the butter to melt on the steaks while they are resting to form a sauce.
- Slice the steaks as you would normally and allow the compound butter to get all over the meat.
Nutrition
Expert Tip: Finely dice your fresh herbs
Make sure to finely dice the chives, parsley and rosemary. You want the compound butter to have all the flavors encorporated into the butter, but you don’t want large pieces of fresh herbs floating around when the compound butter melts over your meat.
I got these Certified Piedmontese brand steaks from Nebraska and figured they would be even better with a pat of compound herb butter on top of them. So I’ll show you the recipe I used to make the compound butter but first, let me tell you about these grass-fed, grass-finished steaks. Piedmontese beef is an Italian-heritage cattle breed with less fat and marbling than most beef but is some of the most tender and flavorful beef I have ever had. It goes against everything I thought I knew about beef. Less marbling and fat usually means less flavor and tough meat, but that is not the case here.
Now, let’s get into that compound butter recipe.
What is compound butter and why do I need it on my steaks?
Compound butter is butter that has been mixed with other ingredients. You can make sweet or savory variations of compound butter depending on the ingredients used. Some might call this savory compound herb butter that I am making “cowboy butter”, but I prefer to call it compound butter. Why is compound butter good on steaks? The answer is flavor… It’s butter mixed with garlic, herbs and spices. If you have never had it before, it’s close to a chimichurri sauce, but it’s made from butter instead of olive oil and is a bit more subtle in flavor.
How Much Should I Use?
I sliced the cold compound butter into about 1 tablespoon pats. They were about 1″ round and 1/4″ thick. You can use as much or as little as you prefer.
When Do I Add Compound Butter?
I added the compound butter to the steaks during the resting stage. This allowed the cold compound butter to melt all over the steak creating a nice sauce. As it melted I spread it evenly over the steaks.
How Did it Taste?
I know what you’re thinking… Seems easy to make, but how did it taste? The compound butter melts over the steak and makes a great little sauce. It did not overpower the beef taste at all, but it added a great fresh silky flavor. Also, remember these were premium grass-fed and grass-finished steaks, so they were going to be amazing with or without the compound butter, but I think the compound butter enhanced the entire steak experience and introduced some really great flavors.
What Meats Can You Use Compound Butter On?
I have some leftover compound butter that I want to try on my reverse-seared smoked tri-tip or steak. I also think compound butter would be amazing on smoked chicken or turkey.
Let me know in the comments below if you make compound butter and what ingredients you decide to use.
This adds great flavor to the meats.