Tenderloin, filet mignon or simply filet – who doesn’t love a sizzling steak straight from the grill? But it can be a bit nerve-wracking when you’re the one preparing one of these gorgeous and expensive premium cuts of meat. Want to know what takes a steak from good to great? Two words: steak butter.
“Steak butter is really a gem for the steak,” explains Jason K. Morse, executive chef and founder of 5280 Culinary in Denver, Colorado. Ahead of Father’s Day weekend, Chef Jason prepared steak with his signature steak butter and pound cake with grilled strawberries and homemade whipped cream for Dairy MAX’s “High Stakes Grilling” Facebook Live cooking demo. This special cooking demo was scheduled to help raise funds for GENYOUth’s COVID-19 Emergency School Nutrition Fund – and to have some fun learning to prepare these tender steaks.
“Utilizing the grill for the whole meal is a great way to be sustainable at home,” explained Chef Jason. “Plus, it means I’m not heating up the house in the summertime by turning on the oven!”
Chef Jason’s steak butter included garlic, 5280 Culinary’s BBQ Provisions Island Boys Coffee (or your favorite steak rub), Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. He softened the butter to add the ingredients then rolled it into a log to cool again before topping the steak. To take it up a notch, Chef Jason recommended making the butter with smoked blue cheese from your local grocery store.
And for dessert, Chef Jason walked viewers through making whipped cream from scratch using heavy whipping cream, vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar. In just a few simple steps, he combined the ingredients and whipped the fluffy topping with a mixer until soft peaks formed. “You’ll never want to buy whipped cream from a can again – homemade is so good,” said Chef Jason.
Missed all this grilling goodness in real time? You can find the full recipe and instructions for Chef Jason’s steak butter, steaks and dessert below:
The Perfect Filet and Steak Butter
Ingredients
Steak Butter
- 2 sticks salted sweet cream butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons garlic (crushed)
- 1 tablespoon 5280 Culinary Island Boys Coffee or steak rub
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley (chopped, leaves only)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Steak
- 2 (10-ounce) tenderloin filets
- 5280 Culinary Island Boys Coffee or steak rub (to taste)
- canola/olive oil blend (as needed)
Gear
- high-BTU gas grill
- long grilling tongs
- silicone basting brush
- high-temperature BBQ gloves or insulated oven mitts
- 8-inch cast-iron skillet
- digital instant-read thermometer
- disposable aluminum pan
Preparation
Steak Butter
- Add softened butter to a small mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Place in a small ramekin for use or roll in plastic wrap to make a butter roll.
Steak
- Take the steak out of the package and place onto a plate.
- Allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Rub with a very light coat of canola/olive oil.
- Season the steak with the 5280 Culinary Island Boys Coffee as heavy or as light as desired. Cooking note: Be sure to season the steak on all sides.
- Rest the steak and let the rub work for 10 minutes.
- Open the gas grill, clean your grill grates and ensure they are brushed off.
- Light the grill and adjust temperature to 550 F.
- Allow the grill to heat up to the recommended temperature, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking note: Add smoke tube or smoker box if you want a nice addition of wood smoke.
- Sear the steak on the first side for 6-8 minutes, depending on desired doneness (refer to this link for proper cooking temperatures of meats and adjust as needed to fit your preference). Rotate for cross marks if desired.
- Carefully flip the steak and sear the second side to your desired doneness. Cooking note: Steaks “carryover cook,” so always pull your steak approximately one temperature (5-7 degrees) under desired doneness and let it rest/finish to temperature.
- Remove steak from the grill when done, place onto a plate or cutting board and allow to rest.
- Top with the steak butter, if desired.
Grilled Pound Cake With Roasted Strawberries
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 8 slices pound cake (sliced 1-inch thick)
- 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 2 pints strawberries (stemmed and sliced in half)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark rum or 2 tablespoons of rum extract, if desired
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gear
- high-BTU gas grill
- long grilling tongs
- silicone basting brush
- high-temperature BBQ gloves or insulated oven mitts
- 8-inch cast-iron skillet
- digital instant-read thermometer
- disposable aluminum pan
Preparation
- Toss the strawberries with the sugar, rum and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Start grill and adjust temperature to 400 F.
- Set the grill for direct, medium heat grilling and set the iron skillet in the center.
- Brush one side of each slice of pound cake with the soft butter, set aside.
- Combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, set aside.
- Pour the marinated strawberries into the skillet to roast for 5 minutes and close the lid.
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Photo credit: Chef Jason K. Morse, CEC
