Compound Butter - 3 Recipes - HONEY BOURBON BACON, Cajun and Lemon Herb

Did you happen to catch my post yesterday about Grilling Surf and Turf (Filet Mignon and small Lobster Tails)???

I am a pretty firm believer that steaks should be seasoned with Salt and Pepper and a little drizzle of Olive Oil.  But about the only accompaniment to a great steak that I do like is to slather a bit of Compound Butter on top and let the butter melt into the meat while the flavorings hang out on top.  It just literally OOZES Luxury!

Here's you a definition...

Compound butters (French: "Beurre composé", pl. "Beurres composés") are mixtures of butter and supplementary ingredients. Primarily, they are used to enhance flavor in various dishes, in a fashion similar to a sauce.

Compound butters can be made at home or purchased commercially. A compound butter can be made by whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. The butter is then reformed, usually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or used to finish various sauces.

So many uses... Once made I love to add to vegetables, top a steak (like here)... and I even used a Lemon-Herb Butter to baste the Lobster....

But really, it is mostly all about the steak!

It really is very very easy to make.  I usually think of this whenever Butter is on sale.  Good old Land-O-Lakes was recently selling for just $2 a pound.  The rest of the ingredients are just about always hanging out in my pantry...

Lemon Herb Butter...
     2 Sticks Butter, softened to room temp
     Zest of 1 Lemon
     2 TBS Assorted dried Herbs (I used Dill and Rosemary)

Instructions are simple...
Combine everything and whip


For the CAJUN Butter...
     2 Sticks Butter, softened to room temp
     2 TBS Brown Sugar
     2 TBS Commercial Cajun Spice Mix

Combine everything and whip


For the Honey Bourbon Bacon Butter...
     2 Sticks Butter, softened to room temp
     2 pieces thick slice BACON, fried crisp and Crumbled
     1 TBS Honey
     1 TBS Good Kentucky sippin Bourbon

Combine everything and whip

As to storage...

Easiest thing to do is to keep a tube in the refrigerator if you know you will use it up within a week.  Otherwise, best to freeze it.  The butter doesn't go bad but the fixins could make the butter mold.

So, form the butter into a tube on a sheet of plastic wrap.

roll up so you have a tube.  Then just wrap the whole thing up, making sure the ends seal.

Best to use this up, even when frozen within a month.

It's not hard to do.

Steaks and lobster... Fantastic with this butter.
but also try...
Just about any vegetable.  I just sauteed some Vidalia Onions and add the Honey Bourbon bacon butter.  Just ate the onions like that, nothing extra!
The Lemon Herb goes great with Snap Peas.
That spicy CAJUN Butter is perfect with bread (toasted on a grill!!!).
Corn on the Cobb season is coming soon... any of these would add something special to my favorite vegetable!
Even a simple hamburger gets an upgrade with a bit of this!

This is one of the easiest, least expensive (shop the sales) ways to add luxury and an amazing presentation to a simple backyard BBQ...

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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