Maître d’what?? Maître d’hotel butter is pretty much just a fancy name for butter with lemon and parsley; Maître d’Hotel is the formal name for Maître d’ or restaurant host. The origins of this compound butter is somewhat obscure, but I do know that it’s the first compound butter you learn in cooking school and is generally served with steak and fish.
I have added a small amount of Dijon Mustard to the Maître d’hotel butter as I think it enhances both the lemon in the butter and the beefiness of the simply seasoned steak.
T-bones steak is (obviously) named for its T-shaped bone which connects two lean and tender steaks — a strip steak (top loin) and a filet mignon (tenderloin). There are two major differences between the T-bone and it’s bigger brother, the Porterhouse steak, the thickness of the steak and the size of the filet or tenderloin portion. T-bone are thinner – generally 1-inch thick or less and the potion of the tenderloin is much smaller.
Grill it up, slather it on and enjoy!
- 4 T-bone steaks
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper or steak seasoning
- Olive oil
- Maître d'Hotel Butter (recipe follows)
- You can season the T-bones with steak seasoning right before grilling and they will be great. Alternatively, season them and place in the refrigerator for a couple hours or as long as a couple days for more deeply seasoned steaks. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before grilling.
- Set up grill for cooking over direct high heat. Brush and oil the grates before cooking.
- Drizzle steaks with a little olive oil and lay them on the grill at a 45 degree angle to the grates and cook for 3 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the steaks 90 degrees (think 10 and 2 on a clock) and cook for another 3-5 minutes (we’re shooting for medium-rare, cook longer for more well done). Like all things, the actual cooking times will depend on the thickness of your steaks and the actual temperature of your grill.
- Again using tongs, (never a fork), flip and finish cooking to the desired temperature (125°F to 130°F for medium rare; 130°F to 135°F for medium; 135°F to 140°F for medium well. Carryover cooking will raise the temperature another 5 degrees). Total cooking time with be 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 7 or 8 minutes before cutting into it.
- Top with a couple slices of Maître d'Hotel Butter and swirl the melty deliciousness over the steak.
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and use a fork to thoroughly blend. Scrape butter with a rubber spatula onto a piece of kitchen parchment or plastic wrap. Roll up and twist the the ends to form a cylinder. Refrigerate for a couple hours until firm. Can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
OOOOOOOHHHHHH
Mmm yes please!
Super easy and super tasty! 😉