Maître d’what?? Maître d’hotel butter is pretty much just a fancy name for butter with lemon and parsley; Maître d’Hotel is the formal name for Maître d’ or restaurant host. The origins of this compound butter is somewhat obscure, but I do know that it’s the first compound butter you learn in cooking school and is generally served with steak and fish.

I have added a small amount of Dijon Mustard to the Maître d’hotel butter as I think it enhances both the lemon in the butter and the beefiness of the simply seasoned steak.

T-bones steak is (obviously) named for its T-shaped bone which connects two lean and tender steaks — a strip steak (top loin) and a filet mignon (tenderloin). There are two major differences between the T-bone and it’s bigger brother, the Porterhouse steak, the thickness of the steak and the size of the filet or tenderloin portion. T-bone are thinner – generally 1-inch thick or less and the potion of the tenderloin is much smaller.

Grill it up, slather it on and enjoy!

Grilled T-Bone Steaks with Maître d’Hotel Butter

serves four

4 T-bone steaks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper or steak seasoning
Olive oil

For Maître d’Hotel Butter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Method: direct heat

You can season the T-bones with steak seasoning right before grilling and they will be great. Alternatively, season them and place in the refrigerator for a couple hours or as long as a couple days for more deeply seasoned steaks. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before grilling.

For the butter: combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and use a fork to thoroughly blend. Scrape butter with a rubber spatula onto a piece of kitchen parchment or plastic wrap. Roll up and twist the the ends to form a cylinder. Refrigerate for a couple hours until firm. Can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Set up grill for cooking over direct high heat. Brush and oil the grates before cooking.

Drizzle steaks with a little olive oil and lay them on the grill at a 45 degree angle to the grates and cook for 3 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the steaks 90 degrees (think 10 and 2 on a clock) and cook for another 3-5 minutes (we’re shooting for medium-rare, cook longer for more well done). Like all things, the actual cooking times will depend on the thickness of your steaks and the actual temperature of your grill.

Again using tongs, (never a fork), flip and finish cooking to the desired temperature (125°F to 130°F for medium rare; 130°F to 135°F for medium; 135°F to 140°F for medium well. Carryover cooking will raise the temperature another 5 degrees). Total cooking time with be 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 7 or 8 minutes before cutting into it.

Top with a couple slices of Maître d’Hotel Butter and swirl the melty deliciousness over the steak.