The BEST Compound Butter For Steak (Herb Butter)
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This delicious compound butter for steak is herby, citrusy, and the perfect complement to any steak meal. I love creating this garlic herb butter when I want to elevate the flavour of a steak (or impress dinner guests!). Try this simple herby butter recipe for a comforting, decadent flavour.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
This compound butter for steak recipe is so easy (it only requires a handful of ingredients). Since you’re using store-bought (or pre-made) butter, it should take less than 45 minutes. If you forego the roasted garlic for this steak butter, you can reduce the time to about 10 minutes.
I’ve noted fresh rosemary, chives, parsley and roasted garlic for this steak butter recipe. However, it’s easy to swap these out for your chosen fresh herbs. You can also double the recipe, so you can create two different steak compound butter flavours.
What is compound butter?
Simply put, compound butter is butter which has been softened and then flavoured with seasoning or fresh herbs. While this compound butter for steak is savoury, you can also create a sweet compound butter recipe using honey and fruit.
Ingredients
Salted Butter
I prefer using salted butter for this homemade compound butter for steak recipe, since it saves me a step. However, you can also use unsalted butter to make it easier to adjust the sodium content.
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh rosemary helps make this the best compound butter for steak since it adds a delicious flavour. You can use other fresh herbs like cilantro or basil to create a butter that meets your taste preferences.
Lemon Zest
Using lemon zest helps provide a tangy flavour to compound garlic butter. It also creates a fresh taste and balances out the heaviness of the steak. You can use lime zest to create a similar taste in a pinch.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, so you won’t need to alter it for a gluten-free diet. To turn this compound butter for steak into a vegan version, simply swap regular salted butter with a non-dairy or plant-based alternative. The remaining ingredients are already vegan/vegetarian.
Can you freeze compound butter?
Yes, you can freeze compound butter! Regardless of the herbs you add to this compound butter for steak, you can keep it in the freezer for several months. Before placing it in the freezer, you’ll need to wrap it in plastic wrap and an airtight bag. For easier defrosting, consider freezing the butter in smaller portions.
What is compound butter good for?
Besides using compound butter for steak, you can use garlic herb compound butter for seasoning other protein types, veggies, and even baked goods. It enhances the flavour of various recipes.
How to make compound butter
Preheat the oven to 180°C FAN.
- Slice the garlic in half widthways to expose the garlic cloves. Place the two halves on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden. Let it cool (Image 1).
- Prepare the herbs by finely slicing the rosemary, chives and the parsley and using a hand grater, remove the zest of the lemon (Image 2).
3. Remove the foil from the roasted garlic (Image 3).
4. Add the room temperature salted butter to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the butter along with the rosemary, chives, fresh parsley and lemon zest (Image 4).
5. Use a fork or a potato masher, or spatula to mash all of the components into the butter. Optionally add a crack of black pepper (Image 5).
6. Add dollops of butter to the spreadout parchment paper (Image 6).
7. Roll the compound butter into a log shape (Image 7).
8. Seal by twisting the ends, and refrigerate for a few hours before use to enhance flavours (Image 8).
9. Once the compound butter is firm and unwrap it (Image 9).
10. Slice off rounds as needed (Image 10).
I like to either brown my steak over a high heat on both sides. Then add the butter to melt over the charred steak and then slice the steak in strips.
Tips for best results
Use butter that is softened
Creating compound butter for steak with cold/hard butter is much more challenging than using softened butter. Instead, it’s best to use room-temperature butter. The mix-ins will combine with the butter much more easily. See my Homemade Butter recipe.
Start with a small amount of salt
You can always add more salt to this butter, but you can never remove salt from it. With this in mind, consider starting with less salt and slowly adding more to taste.
Fresh herbs are best
Fresh herbs will help you create the best butter for steak. While you can use dried herbs to create compound butter, it’s best to use fresh herbs for a brighter flavour.
Get creative with the compound butter
This compound butter can also be used to season vegetable sides like Crispy Roasted Sweet Potato, Wedges, Creamed Cabbage and Air Fryer Green Beans. Simply melt the butter and drizzle it over the vegetables before or after cooking them for extra flavour.
FAQs
Yes, you can use any fresh herbs you prefer for this compound butter for steak. Feel free to experiment to find combos that you enjoy.
If you use lemon juice, it will break the emulsion of the butter. Meaning your compound butter recipes for steak will have their liquids and fats separated. You can easily avoid this by using citrus zest instead of juice.
You can store roasted garlic compound butter in the fridge for about five days (depending on what you mix into the butter). If you’re not using it quickly enough, it can also be frozen for up to three months.
If you’re craving a sweet treat after making steak with compound butter, consider pairing your meal with one of the following desserts: Kinder Bueno Chocolate Mug Cake, Overnight Weetabix Cheesecake with Nutella, or Steamed Lemon Cake.
If you tried this Compund Butter for steak recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
The BEST Compound Butter For Steak (Herb Butter)
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic (£0.40)
- 250 g salted butter, stored at room temp (£1.89)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, removed from stem and finely chopped (£0.55)
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely sliced (£0.55)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (£0.55)
- Zest of 1 lemon (£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 350° F or 180°C FAN.
- Slice the garlic in half widthways to expose the garlic cloves. Place the two halves on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden. Let it cool.
- Add the room temp salted butter to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the butter along with the rosemary, chives, fresh parsley and lemon zest.
- Use a fork or a potato masher to mash all of the components into the butter. Optionally add a crack of black pepper.
- Spread plastic wrap or parchment paper on your work surface, roll the compound butter into a log shape, seal by twisting the ends, and refrigerate for a few hours before use to enhance flavours.
- Once the compound butter is firm, unwrap it and slice off rounds as needed. I like to either brown my steak over a high heat on both sides, and then add the compound butter to baste for the last minute of cook time. Or add on top of the steak to serve.
Notes
- Softened butter is crucial for making compound butter for steak.
- Begin with a small amount of salt and adjust to taste.
- Opt for fresh herbs for a vibrant flavor in the butter.
- Experiment by using the compound butter on various dishes, like vegetable sides.
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