Why You Should Never Skip Butter If You Want Perfect Steak (2024)

FAQs

Why You Should Never Skip Butter If You Want Perfect Steak? ›

Butter has a rich, creamy taste that, when melted over the hot surface of a perfectly cooked steak, creates a symphony of flavors. This combination doesn't just add fat; it introduces depth and complexity, enhancing the natural savoriness of the meat.

Absolutely! To achieve a tender and juicy steak without using butter or oil, you can opt for cooking techniques such as sous vide, where the steak is vacuum-sealed and cooked in a water bath.

Any meat coming off of the grill will benefit from a little seasoned butter to jazz up the flavor and moisture. After mixing the ingredients for your resting butter, simply paint the cutting board with the back of a spoon. Then, place your cooked meat on the butter while it rests.

Butter brushed onto a thick steak can help boost the heat and give the crust a more intense flavor.

Now, before you accuse restaurants of butter sabotage, let's talk about the "tenderizer" effect. The fat in the butter can help soften the meats' protein fibers, resulting in a more tender steak. It's like giving your steak a spa day, minus the fluffy robes and cucumbers on the eyes.

The primary allure of adding butter to steak is the unparalleled flavor it introduces. Butter has a rich, creamy taste that, when melted over the hot surface of a perfectly cooked steak, creates a symphony of flavors.

WHICH IS BEST FOR COOKING STEAK: BUTTER OR OIL? Unlike butter, many oils have higher smoke points, making them the better option for cooking steak. Furthermore, there are some oils e.g. olive oil or grape seed oil that are healthier alternatives to butter. However, don't expect oil to taste better than butter.

Basting it with butter both deepens the crust on the outside and helps the steak cook more quickly.

Butter actually helps to enhance the Maillard reaction in a searing steak. According to Serious Eats, the proteins in the hot butter will quickly cook and add color to any pale areas of the steak when spooned over the top, resulting in a flavorful, golden-brown crust.

As you can see, between butter and oil, butter has a dramatically lower smoke point. Because of this, if you heat up a pan hot enough to sear your steak, putting a dollop of butter in first means it is likely to burn up. However, that doesn't mean you can't still get the delicious flavors of butter with your steak.

What is it called when you put butter over steak? ›

Instead, it's a classic pan-searing technique called butter-basting that, for my money, often gives me the kinds of steaks, chops, and fish I crave.

This is why I've chosen a filet (or flank steak). If you don't have avocado oil, substitute olive oil. You can potentially use margarine instead of butter, but the sauce has a greasy aftertaste if you do. Ghee is a much better choice.

The Aging. Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

By adding salt to your steak, you will help pull out moisture from the meat, enriching the flavor of your steak while tenderizing it in the process. Salt will act as a natural brine and can be added up to 24 hours before cooking, instilling deep, rich flavors and tenderness to any cut of beef.

The secret: Placing the steaks in a cold nonstick skillet with no oil. This counterintuitive technique was developed by former Cook's Illustrated staffer Andrew Janjigian, who discovered a well-marbled cut doesn't need extra oil; enough fat comes out during cooking to help brown the beef.

Much to our surprise steak cooked with olive oil brought out the natural flavors of meat and helped maintain a desirable texture much better than butter. Try it for yourself.

Season steak both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet with Teflon™ nonstick coating. Add garlic and sauté over medium until garlic browns lightly; remove from pan. Using tongs, place both steaks lengthwise fatty-edge strip down; then turn down flat in the pan when strip on each steak is browned.