The Chili Paste That Makes Compound Butter Even Better On Steak

It's hard to deny the impact of flavorful compound butters on steak. The butter brings richness, amplifying the natural beefy, umami flavors in the steak, while simultaneously rounding out the unctuous, fatty richness. But, when you add in a heat component, there's a whole new bouquet of flavors to behold. By relying on the thick texture and concentrated heat of a chili paste as opposed to dried or fresh chilis, a chili paste-infused compound butter is a simple way to get a deeper, more intense flavor. And there's no chili paste that delivers layers of flavor quite like harissa. Usually made with dried chilis, roasted bell peppers, garlic, coriander, and caraway seeds, harissa paste bursts with rich and smoky flavors with origins in North Africa.

While harissa recipes vary, and jars sold in stores have different ingredients, in general, harissa pasta is full of complex, intense flavor notes — it's earthy and rich with plenty of spicy, smoky heat, making it a no-brainer for spice rubs, marinades, and sauces. It's great on its own, but when teamed up with butter, you get an unstoppable force of flavor. The butter is crucial; it's an injection of richness while helping to caramelize the meat in the pan or on the grill, as well as a way to mellow out the heat level in the harissa paste.

At this very moment, you're just three steps away from creating a harissa compound butter. Using a ratio of four to one for the butter and harissa paste, mash together softened butter, harissa paste, and some lemon zest in a bowl, then wrap the butter in plastic wrap in a long log shape and refrigerate it until it's ready to slice and use.

While harissa is just one of the delicious ways to add elevated heat to a compound butter, there are plenty of other spicy compound butters that will make home-cooked steaks restaurant quality. Ben Wenzel, chef and general manager at River Stone Chophouse in Suffolk, VA, shared with Tasting Table one of his go-to compound butters using smoked paprika, minced garlic, and a dash of cumin for a smoky, spicy flavor, ideal for sirloin or New York strip. He also suggests a compound butter made with chipotle peppers in adobo, which packs the one-two punch of the smoky, slightly sweet chipotle peppers, as well as the tangy sauce made with tomatoes, vinegar, onions, and spices like paprika, oregano, and cumin. Make a compound butter with the chipotles in adobo, softened butter, roasted garlic, olive oil, and salt, and revel in the flavor dimensions melted over any cooked steak.

To really turn up the heat for your steak, make a chili crisp compound butter. Made with oil, chili flakes, onions, and salt, chili crisp infuses incredible heat into butter, while also adding in a delightful crunch from the dried chili flakes. Make your compound butter and let it melt into the meat as soon as it comes off the heat. Don't forget a splash of lime juice on top for added zest and brightness.