Dashi Butter Basted Steak Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

FAQs

How to cook the perfect butter basted steak? ›

Add the steaks and cook over high heat until crusty on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks and add the butter, thyme, garlic, and rosemary to the skillet. Cook over high heat, basting the steaks with the melted butter, garlic, and herbs, until the steaks are medium-rare, 5 to 7 minutes longer.

The concept of this umami butter is to enhance the brininess and sea-flavors of the oysters, adding a little richness with the butter. I call it Dashi butter, because it has the two main ingredients that create Japanese Dashi broth – seaweed and bonito.

By basting (spooning hot butter) your steak on a hot skillet, you'll get an evenly seared, golden-brown crust. Plus, butter basting helps distribute flavors from aromatics for an even more delicious steak.

Butter Baste the Steak: Drop the heat to medium-high and add Unsalted Challenge Butter (it should be bubbling but not burning). Add garlic, rosemary and thyme, start to spoon the infused butter over the steak. The butter should sizzle and bubble as it hits the steak.

Once a good initial sear has developed on both sides of the meat, add unsalted butter to the pan along with aromatics. A garlic clove or two, or a halved shallot, are both good ideas, as are woodsy herbs like thyme or sage. The butter will melt and the herbs and aromatics will infuse the fat with their flavor.

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.

Dashi most commonly utilizes a combination of kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), but other ingredients used to make dashi are shiitake mushrooms and niboshi (small dried fish).

See how it can add flavour to stews, such as this beef and mushroom one or a Japanese cream stew. It can also form the basis of amazing ramen broths, miso soups and even marinades and glazes for meat.

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.

Why do steakhouses put butter on steaks? ›

This combination doesn't just add fat; it introduces depth and complexity, enhancing the natural savoriness of the meat. The milk solids in butter brown as they heat, contributing a nutty, caramelized note that complements the umami of the steak.

If you do decide to add some fat, stick with olive oil, not butter, says Angelo Auriana, executive chef at Factory Place Hospitality. "There is no real need for butter when cooking a steak because it already has plenty of fat and flavor in the meat itself," he says.

Add all the butter, garlic bulbs, rosemary and sage to the dutch oven and let melt (about 5 minutes). Next, add the plain NY Strips to the butter bath, cover and cook until they are 120F internal (about 30 minutes). Once the steaks are done & have hit temperature, pull them off and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Butter basting while searing means the steak cooks on both sides simultaneously so that it comes up to temperature faster and doesn't have chance to overcook beneath the crust. (Flipping the steak continually as we cook also helps keep it rosy from edge to edge.)

Instead, start cooking your steak in the bare pan until it's about 20-30 degrees from your desired doneness, THEN add the butter. It will sizzle right away and you'll create the ideal basting situation.

Pounding

Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. Simply place the meat in between pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it prior to cooking. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can also use a heavy kitchen tool such as a skillet, saucepan or rolling pin.