Lemon Herb Butter Steaks

Good evening everyone! One of my favorite pastimes has to be recreating restaurant dishes. This particular hobby started a few years back after Maggie and I had dinner at a higher end seafood restaurant in the Des Moines metro. I ordered a delicious lemon butter tilapia – and while I enjoyed every bite, I was left…wondering… at the end of the meal.

What exactly did they do that I couldn’t do? Sure they smoked the tilapia and slow roasted it, but the star of the dish was the butter sauce, and I didn’t see any reason why that couldn’t be duplicated. That started the process of meal duplication (for lack of a better phrase) that I still continue to enjoy today.

Tonight’s recipe may be familiar if you spend time at steakhouses or watch any cooking programs on Food Network or Cooking Channel. I first stumbled across the dish on Chopped, but I’ve also seen it on steakhouse menus for upwards of $50. Tonight, I’ll show you that you too can cook up this delectable steak dinner for about $3.50 a plate.

The Recipe: Lemon Herb Seared Steak on Garlic Toast

What You’ll Need:

2 Steak Cuts (Your choice of quality and cut. Filet Mingon to Strip Steak all work well)

1 Leaf French or Italian Bread, Sliced Thick (2 slices per steaks served)

Side Salad (Watercress works well for visual flair, if you’re looking to “Show off”)

1 Tablespoon Butter (Softened)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Marjoram

1 Tablespoon Chives

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Begin by placing your butter in a small dish. Using a spoon, mash the butter until it becomes creamy and slightly “airy”. Slowly add the olive oil to the dish and continue mashing until it is blended nicely with the butter. Next, add the marjoram and the chives. Continue mashing until the herbs are evenly worked into the butter. Finally add the lemon juice, once again mashing with the back of a tablespoon until the mixture is evenly blended. Set this mixture in the freezer to chill until you’re ready to serve.

Lightly season each steak with salt and pepper and allow them to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes. (This is the ideal amount of time to heat your grill, so it works well).

Bring your grill up to 500 degrees before cleaning the grates and lowering the temperature to 300 degrees. Place the steaks over direct heat, and allow them to sear for 3 to 5 minutes before flipping them and cooking for an additional 3 to 5. Depending on the thickness of your steak, cooking times may vary. For a standard, ½ inch thick steak, this cooking method will yield a medium rare steak. Add additional minutes (1 to 2) for each “step” of doneness you prefer.

While you’re steaks are cooking, apply a healthy layer of butter to each side of your bread slices. Season each side with a few shakes of garlic powder as well. As your steaks are nearing completion, place the garlic bread onto the grill. Allow the slices to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until they turn golden brown and crispy. Transfer the garlic bread to your serving plates.

Once the steaks have cooked to your liking, place them atop two slices of garlic bread and serve with a dollop of the her b butter. Allow the steaks to rest for a few moments, so the butter can melt and the steaks natural juices can settle. Serve and enjoy!

The Results:

I had never tried this concept before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The result is simply delectable. The garlic bread adds both a garlic flavor and a crispy texture to the steak which you cannot duplicate by any other means (it’s almost like a breading for the steak – without overwhelming the natural flavors of the beef). I can see why this recipe is a steakhouse favorite – and now that I know I can cook it up for pennies on the dollar (our steaks were 2 for $5, plus the bread was $1.29 – that’s $6.29 total cost for 2 meals. MUCH better than $50, no?)

That’s all we have for you this evening. Maggie will make her triumphant return to the kitchen tomorrow with a brand new dish of her own. Until then,

~cheers