Here’s a Thai-style recipe with a fish-sauce compound butter being the star of the show. I recommend using a high-end cut of beef, such as ribeye or even a New York strip steak for best results.
The compound butter is quite flavorful and actually pairs well with a number of foods, including roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, or mixed into pasta. Melted, the butter would make a good dip for shrimp or scallops.
Please note that the butter needs about 1.5 hours of non-active time before it’s ready.
This recipe is based on one published in Food & Wine, reprinted by permission from the Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cu’o’ng Pham.
What you’ll need for the butter
- 8 oz unsalted butter, softened (shoot for a high-quality butter, such as Kerrygold, for best results)
- 1.5T (4 cloves) garlic, minced
- 1.5T shallot, minced
- 1T fish sauce
- 0.5t Maggi seasoning (you could use soy sauce or Korean BBQ sauce, in a pinch)
- 0.5t rice vinegar
- 2T fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1T fresh cilantro, finely chopped
What you’ll need for the kabobs
- Enough steak to make as many kabobs as you want (maybe 2lbs.), cut into about 1.5-inch cubes
- 1T Kosher salt
- 1T neutral cooking oil
What to do for the butter
Melt 2T of the butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. When the butter melts, add the shallots, cooking for about 5 minutes, before adding the garlic and cooking for about 3 more minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic scorch.
Stir into the garlic/shallots the fish sauce, Maggi seasoning and rice vinegar. Cook until the mixture starts to reduce—about 5 – 10 minutes. Thoroughly stir in the cilantro and basil then let it all cool in the pan for 30 mins.
After the shallot mixture has cooled, in a small bowl stir it into the softened butter, ensuring it’s thoroughly mixed in. Put the butter in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up for rolling into a log. To roll it into a log, put the butter onto a small sheet of plastic wrap and gently shape it into a log. Roll up the butter in the plastic wrap before folding over the edges. It won’t be perfect, but it will work just fine. Refrigerate for at least an hour before using. Note that the butter will stay good in the fridge for about a week.
What to do for the kabobs
Heat your grill or broiler to about 400 – 450 degrees F.
Toss the steak pieces in the salt and oil until evenly coated. Thread them onto metal skewers with the pieces touching but not crowded. Melt 3T of the butter for basting. Oil the grill grates or broiling racks before putting the meat on them. Cook until seared—about 4 minutes—before flipping the skewers over for another 4 minutes—basting them with the butter for the last 2 minutes of cooking. The largest piece of steak should be about 120 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the skewers to a platter and salt to taste before topping the meat with pats of the butter, letting them melt just before serving.
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