Grilled T-bone Steak with Anchovy Butter

 

The only thing I like better than a grilled steak is a grilled steak with anchovy butter. The fat in the butter makes each bite silky smooth. And talk about umami! This compound butter boasts the perfect flavor trifecta...anchovies, garlic and lemon juice. Try this butter recipe once...and you will spend the rest of your life making sure there is always a fresh slab of it in your fridge.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick of butter (8 ounces) at room temperature*

10 anchovy filets, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

4 T-bone steaks, 16 ounces each and 1-1/2" thick

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

*A note on butter. Always choose butter from cows that have been grass-fed. The taste of the butter is so much better than cows that have been grain-fed. If you buy your butter at Costco, like I do, rest assured that all the butter they carry comes from grass-fed cows. As an aside, I always prefer salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted for this recipe.

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the anchovy butter. Put the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Use an immersion blender to combine all the ingredients until the compound butter is completely smooth.
2. Set a piece of parchment or wax paper next to the bowl. Scrape the bowl clean onto the parchment/wax paper. Form the butter mixture into a log by rolling it up in the shape of a tootsie roll. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before use.
3. Prepare your grill for a 2-zone fire: High heat on one zone and no heat on the other. Season the steaks on both sides with the salt and pepper.
4. When your grill is hot, place the steaks over the high heat zone and grill the steaks for 4 minutes (grill covered). Then flip the steaks and grill for 4 more minutes (grill covered)
5. Move steaks to the indirect zone and cook for 5 minutes (grill covered). (Note: This timing will yield medium rare steaks when cooked over charcoal. Your mileage may vary.)
6. Place steaks on a platter. Cut the butter log into coins about 1-inch thick. Put a butter coin on each steak, then cover steaks with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes. Then serve.

Wine pairing: Barolo

2-zone fire on a Weber