posted July 29, 2020

Resting Steak Butter

Name: Resting Steak Butter
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (softened); 2 cloves minced garlic; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves); ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper

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This Resting Steak Butter is the ultimate way to finish your steak. Steak butter can be customized to just about any flavor profile to give you a mouth-watering finish to your perfectly cooked steak.

Cooked steak with a dollop of herbed butter on top of the steak. Text overlay reads "Resting Steak Butter."

Steak Butter

Topping steaks with butter is nothing new, but the concept of using a delicious compound butter as a bottom to top steak flavor bomb is (I like to believe) a Hey Grill Hey original. I first introduced it to my Instagram family, and then sent it off into the world on my Food Network special, Grill Power. Commonly referred to as #restingbutter, this butter is a glorious way to add a punch of flavor to a nice, hot steak coming off the grill.

And don’t let the name fool you. This resting butter works on more than just steak. Pretty much any meat coming off of the grill will benefit from a little seasoned butter to jazz up the flavor and moisture.

After you mix all ingredients for your resting steak butter in a small bowl, simply “paint” the cutting board with the back of a spoon and place your cooked meat on the butter while it rests. The heat from the freshly grilled or seared meat will melt the butter and activate all of the aromatic and herby flavors and smells within the butter. There are many different ways to make resting butter, and it’ll taste great on chicken breasts or thighs, pork tenderloin, pork chops, grilled vegetables, fish, and so much more.

A stick of butter in a wooden bowl with brown liquid sauce and various herbs and seasonings.

Resting Butter for Steak

All resting butter needs the following 5 components. You can play around with these to make a butter that includes all your favorite flavors or to compliment the rest of your meal.

Butter. Obviously steak butter needs to start with some good butter. You can choose salted or unsalted, based on your preference. Make sure your butter is nice and soft or else everything won’t incorporate well. Higher fat content European butters like Kerrygold can amp up the richness, but you can also use whatever you have in your fridge.
Acidity. Once you have your butter selected you need to add some acidity to add a pop of flavor that balances the richness of the steak and the butter.
Aromatics. Aromatics give your senses a jump start before you even start eating. As the heat from the steak melts the butter, it releases the savory smells of garlic (or shallots or onions) that make you want to dive in to that juicy steak.
Herbs. These round out the overall flavor of your butter and bring freshness to an otherwise heavy recipe.
Extra umami. This last component is optional, but really adds a unique flavor and flair to your butter. Umami is that lip smacking, unctious, can’t-wait-for-another-bite flavor element. Try adding things like mushrooms, truffles, anchovies, or Parmesan cheese to your butter, especially if you’re grilling an expensive cut of meat.

Wooden serving platter with a smear of herbed butter.

Variations for Resting Steak Butter

Now that we’ve talked about what needs to go in your butter, let’s talk about how you can play with ingredients to make your own flavor profiles.

Salted or unsalted butter. If you want to have more control over the saltiness of your butter, opt for unsalted butter and add salt and pepper to taste.
Worcestershire sauce, vinegars, lemon juice, or lime juice. When choosing your acidity any of these will work well depending on the flavor profile you’re going for with your steak. I often reach for Worchestershire sauce when making steak, and lemon or lime juice would go great with some grilled chicken.
Garlic, shallot, or red onion. I tend to reach for garlic when making my steak butter, but shallot and red onion will also add a delicious flavor to the butter. Fresh aromatics will add a sharper punch, or you can cook these elements down and caramelize them for a more mellow and sweet flavor.
Thyme, rosemary, scallions, dill, sage, parsley, cilantro, or basil. These herbs will all taste amazing in your butter. Mix and match to find flavors you really like. I love dill with salmon, cilantro or basil with chicken, and thyme, rosemary, and sage all work wonders with beef. You can also use dried herbs, but use about 2/3rds of what the recipe calls for. Also, rub any dried herbs in your hands to release the oils inside before using them in your steak butter.
Mushrooms, truffles, anchovies, or Parmesan cheese. Get creative with any extra savory ingredients you choose to add to your butter. They can add some serious pizazz to an expensive cut of meat. These umami flavors can mimic or enhance flavors of expensive dry aged beef.

Grilled steak with a dollop of herbed butter resting atop the steak.

Best Steak Recipes for Resting Butter

Now that you know everything that goes into making the best resting butter ever, click on one of these recipes below to experiment on some delicious grilled beef!

Resting Butter Recipe