Bavette Steak with Compound Butter & Herbed Corn
I was never a big cooking competition shows and then my husband introduced me to Top Chef. The caliber of the competition and the structure of the show are a completely different level than some of the dramatic, gimmicky competitions I was familiar with. It’s a really great show and has brought into popularity some incredible talent. One of those chefs is Brooke Williamson. If you watch the show, you’ll often see a few chefs in the competition that can consistently cook at a very high level. Brooke is definitely high on that list. And so often, when I’m searching for new recipes, I’ll search for some of the chefs that I’ve seen cook amazing food and locate some of their recipes. There’s just a credibility that comes with them that you can trust to be good.
This was a recipe I found searching for Brooke’s recipes. The recipe called for tri tip, but we purchased a ¼ of a cow and didn’t have the tri tip cut. Instead, we used bavette which is a cut that comes from the same region of the cow as the flank steak or skirt steak. It’s sometimes referred to as the bottom sirloin and is one of our new favorite cuts. It’s lean, has a long grain to it (like flank) and yet is extremely tender. In fact, Mike and I recently went to a local steak house to celebrate our wedding anniversary and we both ordered a version of bavette – even ahead of a rib eye or filet. It’s that good!
I’ve made this recipe only once and would probably adjust it the second time around. I love butter, but this recipe has SO MUCH butter in it. I think it’d be just as good with about half of what it calls for. I’d put less of the compound butter in the herbed corn. And prioritize the compound butter for the steak. This recipe also calls for Calabrian chilis, which can be hard to find. Calabrian chilis are an Italian pepper known for a combination of sweet, fruity, smoky, and spicey. They’re not like any other pepper I’ve had, so it’s hard to substitute another. Our local grocers didn’t carry them – including the high end grocery stores near us. So we ended up having to order a couple of jars online.
Bavette Steak with Compound Butter & Herbed Corn
If you're looking for a flavorful steak recipe that is suited for summer, this is it! A delicious bavette, flank, or tri tip cut served with smoky, and slightly spicey compound butter.
Ingredients
- 3-4 LB Bavette Steak (see note)
Spice Rub
- 2 TBSP black peppercorns
- 2 TBSP salt
- 1 1/2 TBSP smoked paprika
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- 2 TSP coriander seeds
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 TSP dried oregano
Compound Butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 Calabrian chili peppers, stems removed
- 1/2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- salt
Garlic & Herbed Corn
- 4 ears of corn, husks removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 anchovy filets
- 1 Fresno chili pepper, minced
- 1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
- 2 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped
- salt
Instructions
First, toast the whole peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind all spice rub ingredients into a fine powder working in batches if necessary. Mix thoroughly in a bowl.
Next, pat the steak dry with paper towels and place on a sheet pan. Season thoroughly with a spice rub mixture on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Cook the steak to your desired doneness, but make sure to get a nice crust on the outside over high heat. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it.
Next, make the compound butter by combining all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stirring to combine. Divide this in half in two separate bowls and let sit at room temperature.
For the garlic & herbed corn, grill the corn over high heat until lightly charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and cut corn from the cobs once cooled slightly.
Place a cast iron skillet over medium high heat (or onto the high heat portion of the grill). Melt half of the butter and add the garlic to the pan. Once the butter melts, add the shallot and anchovies to the pan. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the shallots are fragrant and the anchovies dissolve. Add Fresno chilies and cook for another couple minutes. Add the corn and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and add parsley, oregano, thyme, and the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.
Slice the meat against the grain, serve with the compound butter atop the warm meat and along side the herbed corn. Enjoy!
Notes
Inspired by: Brooke Williamson
Steak: We made this with a Bavette Steak, which comes from the same section on the cow as the flank or skirt. It has a long grain like a flank, but is incredibly tender. If you haven't cooked with it before, I'd highly recommend. If you can't find a Bavette, you can substitute, a flank steak, hangar steak, or even tri tip.