One of my favorite meals on a special occasion are steaks basted in butter. This isn’t a weekly recycled meal, as it’s decadent and not exactly weight watcher approved, but my husband and I love to eat it paired with a nice bottle of wine from the Wine Merchant on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day.

My husband Gene introduced me to basted steaks over the stovetop.  Growing up I always ate steaks on the grill, but now that the temperatures have dropped, Gene and I have discovered the beauty of pan seared, butter basted steaks. Gene has a way of creating a beautiful crust along the outside of the steak, sealing in all the juices. We typically use strip steaks, but you could use the same techniques for any cut.

To make these steaks, you will need

• 2 boneless strip steaks ( or your favorite cut of meat. Filet works wonderfully)

• 4 tbsps butter

• 2 whole cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp fresh cracked salt and pepper

• fresh rosemary and thyme.

Bring your steak to room temperature, then apply a dry rub - equal parts coarse salt and freshly ground pepper is classic and always a winner. 

Next, heat your pan over medium high. Add 2 -3 tabs of butter and stand the steaks up on end to sear the sides first. This takes a bit of practice because steaks tend to be a bit slippery. Let each side sear for about a minute. Sear the top and bottom faces in a similar fashion.

As you finish the last surface of your sear, reduce heat to adagio and add 1/4 stick of butter and a few whole sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and garlic cloves. Be careful to modulate heat carefully; thick steaks need a decent amount of heat to cook through, but you can easily burn the butter if too aggressive; patience is key. If the steaks are cooking unevenly from surface to interior, cover the pan with a suitable object. Periodically baste the steak with a spoon with the melted herb butter until your preferred temperature is reached. Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Tweeze the herb sprigs from the pan and drizzle the fond over your steaks immediately before serving. 

We love eating this with pan seared oyster mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and a nice acidic side salad. Cheers!