Featured Recipe
Steak with Jalapeño Miso Butter
By Kate
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Ribeye steak pan-seared with a spicy-sweet butter made from jalapeño, green onions, miso, and maple syrup. The butter is rolled, chilled, and sliced atop resting steak. Visual cues: a well-browned crust on the meat, a melted swirl of butter that melts into folds and crevices. Balances heat from jalapeño with umami-rich miso and sweetness. Substitute tahini for miso if needed. Use ghee or clarified butter if lactose intolerant. Resting time crucial to redistribute juices and prevent dryness. Simple sear, no overcooking, quick prep with food processor—knows kitchen wins are in timing and temperature control.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
7 min
Total:
32 min
Serves:
2 servings
steak
fusion
main course
spicy
butter
Introduction
Steak with a compound butter packed with miso and jalapeño. Bold umami colliding with heat and sweetness. Hand on seasoning—salt deeply, pepper just before serving or after. Get that skillet smoking hot but not blazing; crust forms from high heat and dry surface. Watch edges, not time alone. Controlled rest—handle with care. Butter’s no afterthought here. Rolled firm and sliced like coins. The trick? Heat the blade. It keeps butter from tearing, globs swallowed in a smooth spread melting into the meat’s crevices. Serve this with a simple side; keep your spotlight on steak and butter. No distractions.
Ingredients
Butter
- 1 green jalapeño, chopped, seeds kept or removed
- 3 green onions, sliced into 1.5 cm segments
- 90 g (3/8 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) white miso paste
- 10 ml (2 tsp) honey
- 1 bone-in ribeye steak, about 600 g (1 1/3 lb), 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in) thick
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) vegetable oil
Steak
About the ingredients
Butter: soften fully but don’t melt. If miso is too salty or intense, adjust honey for balance. Jalapeño heat varies by freshness, size, and how much seed you keep. Want milder? Remove seeds and membranes. Butter quality matters—European-style or high-fat butter gives silkier spread and flavor depth. For vegan option, swap butter for coconut-based spreads and miso with tahini to maintain saltiness. Steak: a bone-in ribeye is best for flavor and juiciness. Thickness matters here: thinner cook too fast, thicker need longer rest and rely less on preset times, more on touch. Pat meat dry to kickstart Maillard browning—skip this and steak steams. Room temp meat sears evenly; cold meat contracts on heat and toughens.
Method
Butter
- 1. Pulse jalapeño and green onions in food processor until finely chopped but not puréed; texture matters. Add butter, miso, and honey. Blend until fully combined, smooth but punchy. Saltiness from miso carries through; adjust if swapping miso for tahini, adding extra salt.
- 2. Lay plastic wrap on counter, slightly damp underneath to stop slipping. Spoon butter mixture at one end, shape quickly into a cylinder about 4 cm diameter—smaller so it slices easily. Wrap tight, twist ends to seal. Refrigerate at least 90 minutes until firm but easy to slice.
- 3. Pat steak dry with paper towels to remove all moisture for better Maillard. Season both sides generously with kosher salt. No pepper yet—add after resting or it burns under high heat. Leave at room temperature 45-55 minutes to take chill off; this helps even cooking.
- 4. Heat heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high until it just starts to smoke. Swirl in oil, coat pan. Lay steak down away from you to avoid splatter. Should hear immediate loud sizzle, a deep crackle. Cook undisturbed 3-4 minutes. Look for dark brown crust forming edges. Flip, cook other side 3 minutes for rare/medium-rare. Adjust by thickness, use fingertip pressure: steak resists, still soft and springy.
- 5. Remove steak, tent loosely with foil. Let rest 7-12 minutes. Crucial. Juice redistributes, meat fibers relax. Cut too soon and liquid floods plate. Rest on cutting board off heat or warm spot.
- 6. Unwrap butter. Wipe knife clean, heat blade briefly over pan edge or hot water, dry quickly. Slice butter into discs roughly 5 mm thick. Butter soft but firm, slices cleanly.
- 7. Run knife along bone to separate meat, then slice steak across grain into 1.5 cm thick pieces. Arrange on warm plates, top each with a slice of jalapeño miso butter. Butter will melt gently, pool flavors. Serve with mashed potatoes or crisp salad if you want. Keep leftover butter refrigerated tightly wrapped.
- Tips:
- Substitute ghee or clarified butter for regular butter—prevents lactose intolerance discomfort but still carries flavor.
- If jalapeño is too fiery, deseed fully or use mild pepper. Honey can replace maple syrup to avoid overpowering sweetness.
- Avoid overcrowding pan or pressing steak down; crust suffers.
- Butter mixture can be prepped a day ahead; freshness of jalapeño critical for brightness.
Steak
Technique Tips
Process butter components quickly; no mush, some texture keeps it interesting. When wrapping butter, dampen one side of plastic wrap to keep it steady during rolling. Rest butter in fridge preferably 90+ minutes but can do overnight. Steak salting early draws moisture out—don’t skip drying before cooking to get crust. Oil must shimmer and slightly smoke before steak hits pan. Don’t move steak around initially; crowding or flipping too soon stops crust formation. Let steak reveal visual clues: browned edges curling away, deep mahogany crust with little indentation upon pressing. Rest is non-negotiable to redistribute juices. Use warm knife for butter slices to avoid crumbling. Top steak just before serving to keep butter from melting too soon and diluting texture. Slice against grain for tenderness. Leftover butter is excellent melted on roasted veggies or stirred into rice for depth.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Butter’s texture matters—don't over blend. Pulse jalapeño and green onions until finely chopped. Keep some character in your mix. Saltiness from miso can vary with brands. Adjust honey if miso's too intense.
- 💡 For the steak, patting dry is crucial. Moisture means steam, not sear. Let steak rest before cooking—45-55 minutes for even heat distribution. If you skip this, expect tough meat.
- 💡 When searing, heat your skillet until it's just about to smoke. Oil must shimmer. Move the steak once it's down—crust develops best without crowding or flipping too soon.
- 💡 Resting steak is not negotiable. Tent it loosely—7-12 minutes. Juicy steak needs this time to redistribute. Cut too soon sees juices flood your plate, and that’s a waste.
- 💡 Store leftover butter wrapped tightly in the fridge. Excellent on roasted veggies or stirred into grains—great way to use up leftover flavors without fuss.
