The First Step To Making Compound Butter Starts In The Grocery Store

A log of compound butter is only as good as what you put in it. To get the best results, the process starts at the grocery store — not in the spice aisle, choosing between Maldon salt or fleur de sel, or by weighing thyme against tarragon in the product section, but in the dairy aisle, looking over the high-quality butters.

Like a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top of bruschetta, compound butter is the cherry on top of everything from steaks to corn on the cob. While not necessary, it elevates a dish, so choosing a high-quality product is the most important tip you need when making compound butter. The taste of the dairy itself should be good enough to sit on top of a meal — the extra ingredients simply enhance the finished product. When shopping for gourmet butter, pay attention to things like the amount of butterfat in each product.

The natural fat from milk has a rich taste, so the higher the butterfat content, the better-tasting your butter will be. The USDA requires butter to have at least 80% butterfat, while the EU sets its limit at 82%, which means European-style butters will give you a better log of compound butter. A higher fat content also produces a creamier, easier-to-spread texture. Something like Amish butter, which is 84% butterfat, is best for an incredibly rich compound butter.

Along with a high butterfat content, the diet of the cows the butter comes from is equally important. Unsalted butter brands such as Kerrygold use milk from grass-fed cows. Not only does this make the product more nutritious than other butters, but the flavor is a lot richer. You can taste the difference between regular and grass-fed butter, with the latter having a nutty, slightly herbaceous hint to it.

The way the butter is churned also makes an impact on its flavor and texture. Mixing butter at a slow, deliberate pace gives butter a smoother, creamier finish. Before it makes its way to a barrel or mixer, though, slow-churned butter is matured for a few hours, which is what gives it a distinct taste. During the maturation process, the sugars in the cream break down into lactic acid, leaving the butter with a nutty flavor or tangy tinge.

Once you have your butter of choice, keep it refrigerated and wrapped in foil to maintain its taste and texture. For the compound butter, the freshest ingredients are best to match the quality of the butter itself. Opt for crisp herbs and alliums, as well as freshly-squeezed citrus, when flavoring your compound butter.