It’s time to admit it: I have plans for world domination. The world of smoked butter, that is! Smoked steak butter is the next evolution of our hot honey butter, smoked butter and smoked chimichurri journey. Adding that charcoal to the sauce for savory smokiness really does kick up the flavor for the best steak around.
Whether you cooked a Porterhouse steak, bone-in rib eye steaks, top sirloin, NY strip steaks or even filet mignon on the new FYR Grill or just on your skillet inside your house, you’ll find this smoked steak butter makes a huge difference for a fantastic steak!
Also, did I mention that the FYR Grill is now live! Make sure you check it out and possibly add it to your fire cooking arsenal.
Why You’ll Love Smoked Steak Butter
Smoked steak butter is my take on a classic mâitre d’hôtel butter or compound herb butter. The key is the confit garlic, which gets super soft and delicious for the smoked compound butter. You’ll feel like you’re at your favorite steakhouse, except even better because you have the pride of making this freakin’ delicious dinner yourself.
Smoked Steak Butter Ingredients
The biggest thing here is you want high-quality natural charcoal from your grill to drop into the jar. Do NOT make this recipe with a briquette! The natural, lump charcoal plays a very important role in taking this spicy butter to the next level. Here’s what goes in the rest of the jar:
- Clarified, Melted Butter: Not to worry, I’ve got a recipe tip for you for clarified butter below! You can also buy it pre-made at most grocery stores.
- Confit Garlic: You’ll need about 12-15 garlic cloves and enough oil to cover. If we didn’t call it smoked steak butter, it’d be smoked garlic butter!
- Pantry Ingredients: We use lots of herbs to flavor this butter. For dried herbs, we’ll use rosemary and thyme, plus kosher salt and black pepper.
- Fresh Ingredients: On top of our dried herbs, we’ll use fresh herbs — chopped parsley and chopped chives — to round out this butter.
If charcoal added into butter doesn’t sound like your thing, don’t worry! I have lots of other compound butter recipes that you’re sure to find one that suites your fancy, so make sure to check them out!
More with Butter
How to Make Clarified Butter
I’ve got this tip in the hot honey butter and smoked butter recipes too, but wanted you to have it here for easy reference. The reason we use clarified butter here is because it has a higher smoke point than regular butter, making it perfect for high-heat cooking and grilling.
First, a stick of butter — actually, four sticks of unsalted butter. Melt the blocks of butter slowly over direct heat (low setting) in a small saucepan. The goal is to let the butter melt gradually and completely but without boiling it. As it melts, you’ll notice the milk solids start to separate from the butter “oil.” Next, pour the liquified butter into a clear glass container and then let it cool for about two minutes.
As it cools, the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the jar. Then, pour the top portion of the butter into a new jar. That is the golden, pure yellow portion of the butter, also known as the clarified butter. Try to keep any of the milky white solids from getting poured into the new jar. That’s all there is to it! Now, you have your very own clarified butter.
How to Make Smoked Steak Butter
First up, we’ve got to make our confit garlic. Add 12-15 garlic cloves to a small skillet, then enough oil to cover the cloves. Add the skillet to a medium-heat fire and let the garlic gently simmer until the cloves are softened and dark amber brown, about 45 minutes. Pull the skillet off the fire, let it cool, then smash up those delicious cloves for the butter.
To finish up the smoked steak butter, whisk the clarified butter and all your ingredients — 1/2 cup of the garlic confit, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons of chopped chives, 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper — in a mason jar. Then, add a smoldering coal (not a briquette, real charcoal only) from your grill fire. Ideally, you want this coal to be white hot. So, use tongs to grab one! Cover the jar quickly to capture the smoke flavor, then set to the side to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
If you want to adjust the amount of smoke flavor in the smoked steak butter, then just reduce or increase up the minutes of smoking time the coal sits in the butter. I found the 20-30 minute time range to work well, but you can find a butter recipe that works best for your personal preference.
What to Serve with Smoked Steak Butter
It’s right there in the name: STEAK! No joke, this butter recipe will make any steak next level. The flavor profile is insane, so it’s my new favorite way to dial up a steak dinner. It’s also great on seafood or burgers. Let me know your favorite way to use it in the comments!
Storing and Reheating
Once you’ve made your smoked steak butter, let it cool to room temperature (no longer than a couple of hours) before placing it in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can also freeze the butter in ice cube trays for up to six months.
Make sure to check out more of the Best Butter Recipes here!
FAQs
Nope. If you prefer just mincing garlic, that works just fine. But the confit garlic is so freakin’ delicious and worth it, so give yourself the extra 45 minutes next time you make this recipe!
I’ve got you covered. Check out my roundup of my favorite grilled steak recipes.
If you’ve been here a while, you know I think Cowboy Charcoal is the best thing. The coals get super hot and burn really clean, which is ideal here. Just promise me you won’t use briquettes! It’s got to be natural lump charcoal!
Get stoked for life
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Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure.
Smoked Steak Butter
Ingredients
Smoked Steak Butter:
- 2 cups Clarified Butter melted
- 1/2 cup Garlic Confit
- 2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 2 tsp Chopped Chives
- 2 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp of Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- Smoking Charcoal
Confit Garlic:
- 12-15 Garlic Cloves
- Oil enough to cover the garlic
Instructions
- Add a small skillet with your garlic cloves and enough olive oil to cover the cloves.
- Add to a medium heat fire and let gently simmer for at least 30-45 minutes until softened and dark amber brown. Pull off and cool, then smash up for the butter.
- Add all the ingredients for the butter to the mason jar along with a smoldering coal from the fire (ideally white hot). Cover quickly to encapsulate the smoke, then set to the side to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- After the 20-30 minutes has passed. Open the jar and remove the charcoal. Give the butter a good stir and then add it to the protein of your choice!
