Putting butter on vegetables or meats while grilling is satisfying for flavor or texture. Butter brushed onto a thick steak can help you bring more intense flavors to the crust than oils.
But what is grilling butter?
Honestly speaking grilling butter is quite different than normal butter that we consume. We use it for multiple purposes like to scramble eggs, sauté vegetables or serve seafood etc.
Despite being a controversial choice, most of us prefer using butter. This is because of the richness it provides and because the healthy fat it adds to your diet makes a difference.
Moreover, adding butter to steak gives it a glossy finish and presents itself as an easy sauce.
This article will discuss everything about grilling butter and why you should consider using it on your steaks.
What is Grilling Butter?
Often mistaken as the same, grilling butter is very different from normal butter. The outcome of milk fats is skillfully separated from butterfat through melting and heating the same.
Specially used to scramble eggs, sauté vegetables and serve seafood, on top of that the grilling butter has also been used as a garnishing agent for a long time.
Preparing grilling butter is an extremely seamless task and doesn’t involve rocket science. You must just melt the butter and heat it until the milk solidifies.
After this, gently skim the foamy milk solids with a slotted spoon and store them in an airtight container.
Now, your grilling butter is ready to use! Once made, you can store it for 6 months to 1 year without using a refrigerator.
Why do They Put Butter on Steak?
To get the best out of a cut of beef, steak butter is the key ingredient. Although it takes only five minutes to prepare the steak butter, the flavor it adds to your meals lasts long.
The only reason we prefer putting butter on steak is that it dramatically spices up our meals and leaves us wanting more. When mixed with lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs, the butter perfectly increases the flavor and richness of your steaks.
Despite being a simple addition, it’s certainly an effective one that succulents the steak and enhances its delicious taste. Butter softens your steak, ensuring it melts completely when kept in the mouth. Putting butter on steak savors the juiciness of a well-cooked food and satisfies your taste buds entirely.
How do You Spread Butter on the Grill?
Now that you know that nothing can match the mouth-watering taste of steak butter let us discuss the best way you can spread it on the grill.
To butter the grills properly, you just need to consider the following steps:
The case is different if you have wrapped your steak in the foil or haven’t kept it in direct contact with the heat. In this context, the butter will not burn or smoke; hence, you can keep it in the packet sooner.
What kind of Butter is Best for Steak?
While not all kinds of butter will bring that satisfying taste to your steak, using the right one can work like magic. The best butter for cooking steak is the one that contains a perfect mixture of salt, garlic, pepper, and fresh herbs like parsley, chives, and thyme.
Moreover, if it contains lemon zest and lemon juice, use it at once without thinking anything else.
Well, it’s not necessary that you have to use salted butter for your steaks to taste better; unsalted butter also works fine. However, using the unsalted one is much healthier as you can easily add seasonings to your steak without making it soggy.
Can you Season a Grill with Butter?
Seasoning the grill is important to seal and get the best results from the grates while using only oil and heat. Now, when it comes to seasoning a grill with butter, chefs don’t consider it the best option to go for.
While you can always use butter to season a grill, too much grease may obstruct the fire flow. Moreover, seasoning a grill with butter will not affect your taste and won’t cause a difference.
According to grill manufacturers, the finest greasing ingredients are peanut oil or canola, as they have a smoke point of over 450 F. Besides, sunflower oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil is also fine.
Should you Coat a Steak in Butter Before Grilling?
Yes, you can, but butter is not needed when cooking a steak. Your steak already has plenty of fat in it to continue the process of grilling.
You can apply butter on a steak during the last stages of grilling when the meat is approximately 9-10 degrees from the final temperature.
Conclusion
Grilling butter, also known as clarified butter, is one of the most preferred yet underrated additions to steaks. Despite being a controversial choice, we, too, prefer the use of butter over oils. Moreover, the presence of vitamin k2 in it makes it a healthier choice too.
Also, oil being unstable to heat may get oxidized and degrade your steak taste. Therefore, the next time you prepare for grilling, use butter immediately instead of looking for alternatives.
