House Compound Butter
Compound butter is pure plate polish. Salted fat carries herbs, citrus, and pepper right where you need it—on the slice, melting into the crust, waking up smoke without hiding it.
House Compound Butter
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Sauce
Cuisine
French
Author:
Chief Flame Tamer Michael McDearman
Servings
~1 Cup
Prep Time
10 minutes
The Meat Hook
Compound butter is pure plate polish. Salted fat carries herbs, citrus, and pepper right where you need it—on the slice, melting into the crust, waking up smoke without hiding it.
Ingredients
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8 Tbsp Unslated BUtter (1 stick or 113g - soft but cool)
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¾ tsp Kosher Salt (to taste)
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½ tsp Black Pepper
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1 tsp Lemon Juice
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½ Lemon Zest
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2 Tbsp Parsley (finely chopped)
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2 Tbsp Chives (finely chopped)
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1 Small Garlic Clove (microplaned)
Directions
Mash all ingredients until completely smooth. Taste for salt/acid.
Scoop onto parchment, roll into a tight log, twist ends, and chill 1–2 hours. Slice into ¼-inch coins.
Pitmaster’s Tip: For steaks, add a single coin just as you slice—don’t drown the bark.
Recipe Note
— ✦ — ✦ —
Rookie ✦ Backyard Pro ✦ Pit Legend
Rookie
✦ Use on steak, salmon, corn, or baked potatoes.
Backyard Pro
✦ Add ½ tsp Dijon for silk; swap lemon for sherry vinegar.
Pit Legend
✦ ½ tsp smoked paprika + pinch cayenne for ribeye; or ½ tsp porcini powder for beef ribs.
From the Fire
French technique, backyard heart—salted fat plus herbs equals finish-line flavor.
Tips, Tricks & Techniques
Keep butter soft, not greasy for a smooth emulsion.For neat coins, chill 20 min, then re-roll tighter and chill fully.Freeze up to 2 months; slice from frozen.
Pair It
Ribeye • Salmon • Grilled veg • Sourdough toastZero-proof: Lemon fizzCabernet or a malty amber
Pitmaster/Grillmaster
Michael McDearman is a PitMaster/Grillmaster, Restaurateur, and Good Ol’ Country Boy with a Passport full of Cook-Offs and a Phone full of Grill Photos — not a backyarder playing PitMaster online. He’s represented 50+ Major BBQ & Grilling Companies, served 3 Years as Grillmaster for Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., Won Contests Around the World, earned SIX Straight Golden Tickets to the Steak World Championship, and Judges Food Competitions on the World’s Largest Food Sport Stages.
Michael and Stoking the Coals helps busy families, new grillers, and seasoned hosts get Pro level results without the chaos or catastrophes. We are in this together!