The Pioneer Woman's Game-Changing Cowboy Butter Instantly Upgrades Steak

It's so rich and flavorful.

Cooking steak in a mixture of oil and butter is a delicious feat of science. The two ingredients work together in a hot pan to create the most perfect caramelized crust, while also somehow securing a tender and juicy interior. While I’m on #TeamButter when it comes to cooking steak, I have some feelings about serving steak topped with butter. I love butter, and I love steak, but isn’t that overkill? That’s what I thought, until I tried Ree Drummond’s steak butter.

Drummond lives on a ranch in Oklahoma and if you’ve watched her show, then you know she’s always cooking up meals to serve “the boys” when they’re done with the day’s labor-intensive “ranch tasks.” Her Rib Eye Steaks with Cowboy Butter are likely one of the meals she created just for them. It’s simple, but tasty, and perfect for a weeknight dinner, especially after a long day

Her recipe for cowboy butter—a highly seasoned compound butter served alongside steak—is pretty easy to make, whip some butter with some seasonings, roll it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until it’s firm. This is done hours in advance so when it’s time to cook the steaks, the butter is solid and ready for slicing.

How to Make The Pioneer Woman's Cowboy Butter

When the time came for me to make the recipe, I did as instructed and pulled my butter out of the refrigerator to soften. After about an hour, it was ready, so I added it to the bowl of my stand mixer and whipped it until it was light and fluffy. The rest was easy. I minced up some flat-leaf parsley and garlic and added that to the butter, along with black pepper, crushed red pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. I used a small spatula to transfer it to a piece of plastic wrap, then shaped it into a log (the spatula worked well for that task). I wrapped it up and stuck it in my refrigerator, then dreamt about it and the steak I’d be serving it on.

My Honest Review of Cowboy Butter

The steak was, of course, delicious, and as much as I didn’t want to like the cowboy butter, I placed on top, I did. It made the steak somehow feel elevated, almost elegant (No wonder cowboy butter had its trending moment!). The pop of lemon brightened things up, making for a nice balance to the creamy butter and juicy steak. I even enjoyed dipping my toasted baguette in the buttery puddle on my plate. Overall, I liked Drummond’s cowboy butter, but in my opinion, if you’ve got a good cut of beef, you don’t need it. However, if I’m looking to impress guests or in need of a yummy, buttery spread, you know I’ll be making this one!

Read the original article on All Recipes.