The Compound Butter That Makes Hibachi Steak So Delicious

Succulent and fragrant, a Hibachi steak prepared by a showman chef is phenomenally delicious. And while it's the high heat of the flat top griddle that lends this Teppanyaki favorite its characteristic savory sear, there's another key ingredient that turns it into an aromatic umami powerhouse: Compound butter made with heaps of garlic and seasonings like hondashi and chicken powder.

According to a YouTube video by Back-Yard Hibachi there are several types of garlic butter used at Japanese steakhouses, the most basic of which is a simple mixture of room-temperature butter and garlic cloves whizzed up in a food processor. However, you can easily prep a richer version by processing your garlic cloves with heavy whipping cream and salt first. This creates a salty, garlicky foam that's intensely pungent. Simply add this mixture to your softened butter and mix it thoroughly by hand in a large bowl or in a stand mixer. Once the two elements are thoroughly combined you can transfer your compound butter to a smaller bowl and pop it in the fridge for later use. Keen to amp up that savory flavor further? All you need to do is combine chicken seasoning, a dash of sake, and a sprinkle of hondashi to your prepped butter to imbue your steak with a complex, meaty taste.

Hondashi (sold by popular Japanese brand Ajinomoto) is a more convenient, instant version of dashi that comes in powdered form. Made of dry bonito and yeast extract, it has an intensely savory flavor and is generally combined with hot water — in the same way as you'd prep an instant stock cube — to make a broth for miso soup, ramen, and hot pot. However, you can also add it in its powdered form to garlic butter to suffuse it with a rich, smoky aroma. Hondashi also contains MSG, a flavor enhancer that's similar in appearance to salt, which bolsters the savory notes of any dish and almost rounds off or "completes" its flavor, lending it a satisfying quality. Pair this with the natural sweetness of sake and the savoriness of chicken powder and your garlic butter is quickly transformed into an umami-rich fat ideal for melting over sirloin or strip steak. Unlike an Italian-style garlic butter, which is flavored with fresh herbs, these seasonings provide the butter with a meaty, rich aroma rather than a herby, brightening bouquet. This depth complements the caramelized, nuttiness of a freshly-prepared steak, loading it with a fulsome mouthfeel.

If you want to recreate a true Hibachi-style steak experience on an outdoor grill, like this portable flat top gas griddle, consider using boneless cuts of beef, such as hanger, flank, skirt, and sirloin because they'll cook more evenly.