Easy Herbed Compound Butter

I've said it before and I'll say it again, butter just brings steak to a level that no steak sauce could ever achieve. You grill some steaks ... you go to the fridge for that A-1 sauce ... STOP! Put it back, and get out a stick of butter. Cut off a pat, and put it on your steak. Now you're in heaven.

This recipe is easy. Oh sure, you could mince some garlic and fry it, or you could get some fresh basil and make a lovely chiffonade to slice. And you could also stick your finger in your eye and swirl it around. Sometimes, the easy way is better.

Ingredients
- 1 Stick of unsalted butter
- 1 TBSP garlic salt
- 1 Tsp. dried basil
- 1/8 Tsp. ground black pepper

Set the butter out to soften for about an hour. You don't want it melty, just soft enough to smoosh with a spatula. (Think Julia Child ever said "smoosh?") In a small bowl, mash the butter with the spatula and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. It may take a few minutes to incorporate all the ingredients into the butter.

Spread the butter mixture out onto a long sheet of wax paper. Use the paper to roll the butter into a log. This may take some time to get exactly how you want it. When you are satisfied with your log, roll it up in the wax paper and put it in the freezer for an hour or two. Remove from the freezer and place in plastic bags in your fridge for later use.

Related: Compound Torch Butter, Ginger Butter, Oil and Butter, Hand in Hand