Versatile and simple; flavoured butters are a natural choice for steak
With steak as good as ours, we like to keep things simple when cooking and let the flavour shine. However, there's one ingredient that pairs with steak like vinegar with chips or jam with scones: butter. We could argue that most things are improved with butter, but there is something special about the alchemy of melted butter and seared meat that is hard to beat.
Great steak deserves the best butter. Forget your spreadable butter mixed with vegetable oils, you need a rich, creamy pure butter. Our organic butter, sourced from our friends at Berkeley Farm Dairy and made in small batches from the milk of their organic, pasture raised Guernsey cows is the perfect choice.
Whilst steak needs only butter, salt and pepper to be delicious, we like to add interest by making flavoured butters. These can be made in advance and kept in the fridge or frozen for convenience.
Start by softening regular unsalted butter to a spreadable consistency. Then, mix in your desired flavourings, such as herbs, garlic, lemon zest, or spices..
Once the flavourings are mixed in evenly, transfer the butter onto a piece of cling film or baking paper. Shape it into a roll, wrap it tightly and twist the ends to seal. Leave it in the fridge to firm up, or freeze (it can be frozen for up to three months). You can then slice off what you need for cooking.
Some delicious flavour combinations to try are:
Herb Butter: Mix softened organic butter with finely chopped fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, or chives. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Garlic Butter: Combine softened organic butter with a crushed garlic clove, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Blue Cheese Butter: Add crumbled blue cheese and parsley to your softened organic butter. Our smooth and creamy Cropwell Bishop stilton makes a great choice.
Cooking your steak with butter
Cooking steak is not difficult but it is all about timing, so a little preparation is key.
Take the steak out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. When ready to cook, ensure that your griddle pan is hot before you start cooking - you need that sizzle to caramelise the meat and render the fat. Brush the pan with butter and season the steak to start and turn the steak regularly to ensure an even cook.
The way you like your steak is down to personal preference. We like ours medium rare, but if you prefer yours well done, then that is perfectly fine (don’t let steak purists make you feel bad), just be careful not to overcook the steak and let it get tough.
Aim for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare and 4-5 minutes for medium-well, adjusting for steak thickness.
Add the flavoured butter at this final stage to allow the flavours to mingle with the steak juices. Once the steak is cooked to your liking, allow it to rest before serving.
