Top Your Steak With A Miso Compound Butter For An Extra Hit Of Savory Flavor

There's nothing quite like a hearty piece of steak. When it's high-quality beef, all it needs is some salt, pepper, and a pat of butter. However, if you want your steak to be absolutely delectable, combine the fat with miso paste to make an unbeatable compound butter. We love to give steak a mouthwatering umami-rich touch with a miso marinade. But a compound butter offers new flavor frontiers. The fermented paste pulls out steak's beefy flavor, while also giving it a nutty sweetness. Whipping up a compound butter is also a creative way to use miso paste – plus, you can reserve some to use for fish, chicken, vegetables, or anything else that needs a boost.

When making the compound butter, opt for white miso paste; anything stronger may be too overwhelming. Use 1 tablespoon of miso for 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter for balanced flavor. Once the butter is room temperature, stir it with the paste until they're properly combined. Shape the butter using plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until it hardens. When you're ready to use it, simply slice off a small amount and pat it onto freshly-cooked steak, allowing it to melt into the beef.

Miso paste compound butter is packed with flavor, but you can elevate it further with a few more ingredients. A sheet pan steak dinner can be memorably tied together with a deliciously herby butter, consisting of minced sage, thyme, rosemary, and miso. The butter's richness grounds this array of flavors, leading to a steak filled with umami intensity that never becomes overpowering. It also helps to temper the saltiness of the miso paste. 

Adding a dash of lemon zest or rice vinegar to your compound butter accomplishes something similar by bringing out the tanginess of miso while reducing its salty flavor. If you like the sweetness of miso, a squeeze of honey provides a wonderful spin on the fermented product. Into miso's nuttiness? Embrace it with some roasted garlic, then balance everything out with some peppery minced green onion. The resulting compound butter can be swiped onto a sizzling steak and served with a side of broccolini, mashed potatoes, or even spicy noodles.