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Steak Butter Recipe (Restaurant Style Compound Butter for Steak)

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Ingredients

Spring Onion Butter

  • 2 lb unsalted butter room temperature, 907 g
  • 8 to 10 spring onions or cebolla onions tops and bottoms separated, about 500 g total
  • 2 cups spring onion tops chopped, about 120 g
  • 1 cup grilled spring onion bottoms finely chopped, about 150 g
  • 1 cup spinach 30 g
  • 2 to 3 tbsp neutral oil or algae oil 30 to 45 g
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh tarragon finely chopped, 10 to 20 g
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Neutral oil for grilling onions, about 1 tbsp

Steak

  • 2 to 3 lb steak of choice such as tri-tip, New York strip, or ribeye, 900 g to 1.3 kg
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Neutral oil as needed

Mushroom Pan Sauce

  • 2 cups maitake mushrooms torn into pieces, 150 g
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 30 g
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 15 g
  • 1 cup beef stock 240 g
  • 1 tbsp butter 14 g
  • Steak drippings from the pan optional
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Separate the spring onion tops from the bottoms. Slice the onion bottoms in half lengthwise, then toss with a little neutral oil and kosher salt.
  • Place the spring onion bottoms on a hot grill or grill pan and cook until deeply charred, softened, and caramelized. Let cool slightly, then finely chop. You should have about 1 cup of grilled spring onion bottoms.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spring onion tops and spinach, then blanch for about 30 seconds, until softened and bright green. Drain well.
  • Blend the blanched spring onion tops and spinach with neutral oil and a pinch of salt until smooth and vibrant green.
  • Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Mix in the chopped grilled spring onions, green onion spinach puree, fresh tarragon, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Whip the spring onion compound butter until light, fluffy, and fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Transfer the spring onion butter to a container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.
  • Season the steak generously with kosher salt and black pepper. For tri-tip, salt ahead of time and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator to help dry the surface and build a better crust.
  • Heat a pan or grill over high heat with a little neutral oil. Sear the steak until deeply browned and cooked to your preferred doneness. Rest before slicing, and reserve the pan drippings for the mushroom sauce.
  • Add the maitake mushrooms to the same pan used for the steak. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture, then continue cooking until deeply golden brown and caramelized.
  • Add the rice wine vinegar and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce until nearly dry.
  • Stir in the Dijon mustard, beef stock, and reserved steak drippings if using. Simmer until the mushroom pan sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
  • Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter while shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce. Season with kosher salt to taste.
  • Slice the steak and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over the top. Add a generous spoonful of spring onion steak butter directly onto the hot steak so it melts into the meat.
  • Serve with grilled onions, roasted potatoes, toast, or vegetables.

Notes

For the best spring onion steak butter, make sure the butter is fully softened before mixing. Cold butter will not whip smoothly and can make the compound butter uneven.
Blanching the spring onion tops and spinach helps keep the butter bright green, while grilling the onion bottoms adds smoky, steakhouse-style depth.
Blend the greens longer than you think. A smoother green puree gives the butter a more vibrant color and a cleaner restaurant-style texture.
Do not rush the mushrooms. They need time to release their moisture before they can properly brown and caramelize.
This spring onion compound butter is not just for steak. Use it on grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, toast, pasta, eggs, seafood, rice bowls, or corn.