Different Ways To Upgrade Steak Using Spicy, Creamy Cowboy Butter

A little herby, sometimes spicy, and all-around creamy, cowboy butter can encourage the Maillard reaction in your steak when cooking, enrich it with flavor, and seal in its juices.

You can add cowboy butter to the top of a steak or the frying pan you're cooking in, use it as a dip for the steak if melted, or a spread if kept at room temperature.

There are many different recipes for cowboy butter, but all of them suggest starting with soft butter to facilitate the process of mixing in savory herbs, spices, and condiments.

You can add herbs like thyme, parsley, chives, rosemary, Bay leaves, and oregano. Spices like pepper, salt, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes work well.

Garlic, which sometimes acts as an herb and sometimes as a spice, is a great addition, too. As for condiments, Dijon mustard and hot sauce work themselves into many recipes.

If you're making a spread, put the mixture into a mold and refrigerate it to solidify first. Note that you should use high-fat butter with at least 80% fat to make cowboy butter.