I love to use the expression “butter makes everything better”. It just has a nice ring to it. But this isn’t your typical butter, oh, it’s so much more. I’m not sure the origins of cowboy butter but I bet it started slathered on a giant ribeye hot off the grill, left to slowly melt, instilling all of its glorious goodness in every crack and crevice of a perfectly grilled steak. But this butter doesn’t end with luscious cuts of beef—I could put it on anything and EVERYTHING! Chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, it doesn’t matter what you put it on, it’s going to be oh-so heavenly. So here it is, my cowboy butter recipe.
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon coarse Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
In a medium bowl, add the softened butter, dijon mustard, chives, parsley, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.
Mix together until combined. This will make about ⅔ cup of butter. (You could also mix the ingredients in a food processor.)
To make a compound butter: Scoop the cowboy butter onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roll the butter into a log shape, pressing and shaping as you go until the butter is completely wrapped in plastic. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap together and refrigerate until firm.
To make a butter dip: Melt the mixture in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted.
