The Herbaceous Basting Brush That Adds Flavor To Your Steak
To baste is to introduce moisture to meat or roasted vegetables using pan drippings, sauces, or liquid fat during the cooking process, per Recipe Tips. This technique adds wonderful flavor. It takes dishes further than just adding juiciness, too; it helps achieve a beautiful golden brown color. Whether you're using a turkey baster at Thanksgiving or a brush to coat your steak, the tool is quite important when it comes to distributing this magical liquid evenly.
While basting brushes don't have the suction feature that a turkey baster does, they can still coat the meat in the liquid, yielding flavor all over, per Food & Nutrition. However, if you want to take the flavor even further, you can utilize that bunch of fresh herbs you've got in the fridge.
That's right — a bundle of fresh herbs can be used to baste your meat, while also infusing it with loads of flavor. Many steaks are seared alongside a bundle of fresh herbs and garlic cloves, and a spoon is often the go-to utensil that professional chefs use to baste. But the herbs themselves are the perfect vehicle for brushing and evenly distributing the fatty liquid.
How to make an herb-filled basting brush
According to Epicurious, all you have to do is bunch a few sprigs of fresh herbs together, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and chervil, and use kitchen twine to tie them together. Once your meat has had its first sear, melt your butter and let it brown slightly, dip the herbs in it, and brush the meat. The hot butter will cook the herbs, releasing their natural oils and infusing everything they touch. (This trick is key to convincing your guests that a cast-iron skillet steak can be as good as a grilled one.)
To use this trick for grilling, the Cooking Channel suggests wetting the kitchen twine before wrapping it around the herbs, as this will prevent it from catching on fire.
A fun way to use up extra basting liquid is by brushing the rest onto bread and searing or grilling it to perfection. You can serve it as a delicious starchy side or cut it into cubes to make croutons.