Description
Cowboy Butter is a flavorful compound butter perfect for enhancing the taste of steak and a variety of other dishes. Made with garlic, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, chili flakes, and seasoning, this versatile butter adds a rich, smoky, and mildly spicy kick to meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Base
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, divided
Seasoning
- 1 large garlic clove, finely minced (about 1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (can substitute regular paprika)
- 1 tsp chili flakes or red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt (halve amount if using table salt)
Instructions
- Sauté Garlic: In a small frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon (15g) of the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam. Add the finely minced garlic and cook, stirring continuously, for about 30 seconds until the garlic turns very light golden. Remove the pan from heat and let the garlic butter cool for 3 minutes to deepen the garlic’s color and flavor.
- Mix Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining softened butter, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, chili flakes, and salt. Pour the cooled garlic butter into the bowl and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Serve: Use the cowboy butter softened to enjoy its thicker melt over hot steak. It can also be melted gently for dipping steak bites or rolled into a log using cling wrap, refrigerated, and sliced into coins to place on top of meat for a luscious finish.
- Versatility Tip: Cowboy butter is excellent not only with steak but also enhances other cooked meats, seafood, and even vegetables, bringing a smoky, garlicky, and mildly spicy flavor boost.
Notes
- Finely mincing the garlic using a knife instead of a press preserves a better texture and flavor.
- For table salt, reduce the salt amount by half to avoid over-seasoning.
- The butter can be stored rolled and sliced as a convenient flavor enhancer ready for use.
- Adjust chili flakes quantity to taste for milder or spicier versions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce & Condiment
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cowboy butter, compound butter, steak butter, garlic butter, smoky butter, spicy butter, condiment for meat, steak topping, easy butter sauce
