Cowboy Butter

Cowboy butter can be added as solid slices over top hot dishes so that it flavors the food as it softens. It can also be spread on cornbread or melted before serving and used as a dip for grilled steak in true cowboy fashion.

Other than the traditional steak pairing, smokey, spicy, herbaceous cowboy butter — with a nice punch from Dijon and lemon — is delicious on chicken, pork, fish, roasted veggies, bread, crackers, and more. It's really very versatile.

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp lemon zest

2/3 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Combine butter, garlic, parsley, chives, mustard, lemon zest and juice, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, thyme, chili powder and crushed red pepper in a small food processor.  Cover and process until well combined.  

Transfer butter mixture to a piece of plastic wrap, then wrap and roll into a log.  Holding both ends of plastic wrap, twist the log until tight and uniform in shape.  Chill at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days) to allow flavors to meld and mixture to firm.