Mixed Grill Topped with Cowboy Butter

Yesterday, I mentioned that I have already been entertaining and feeding people again. Coconut Lime Rum Cake In the week and a half we’ve been home, I have already cooked for others twice. This time I made a mixed grill with chicken, shrimp and sausage and I made a batch of cowboy butter to top any and all of the meats, as wanted. I served a simple tomato, cucumber and onion salad and a potato salad on the side to round it all out.

Cowboy butter is a delicious and flavorful compound butter often used to enhance the taste of meats, seafood, and vegetables. While its exact origins are unclear, the name likely stems from its association with hearty, rustic cuisine reminiscent of cowboy cooking and the cowboy way of life. Common ingredients include garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, mustard, and herbs like parsley, chives, and thyme, but there are so many other different variations, giving lots of options and way to butter things up. Usually it has a little extra kick added, giving it a bit of spice.

Cowboy Butter

This is just one of many possible varieties. Use your imagination. The possibilities of compound butters are endless. 🙂 I remember once when I was in culinary school, and we were making compound butters, I broke rank, and did not make what everyone else was making, but came up with my own creation instead. My chef instructor, Chef Aversegn, was saying “No, no, no Jeanne (in his heavy French accent pronounced Gee-nee), dis is not da way”. Then he tasted it and said, “Oh, dis is good”.

1 stick of butter

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 red onion, diced fine

1/4 red bell pepper, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes (I used a blend of pepper flakes)

1-2 TBSP chopped parsley

1-2 TBSP lemon verbena, chiffonade (optional)

Get a skillet hot and add the butter, onions, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for about 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the seasonings and spices and continue to cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the fresh parsley and lemon verbena right at the end, right before serving and mix in thoroughly.

Use this for anything you want to add some extra flavor to and giddy up!

It is lemon verbena season again, and once again, my whole back yard has been taken over by this fresh, lemony member of the mint family. I love it and use it as much as I can, but there is NO WAY, I will ever be able to get through all that I have. Every year, I seem to have more and more too. If anyone wants some, come on over help yourself. 🙂

You can use any kinds of pepper flakes to your saucy butter too, but Bob and Janet had given me a jar of blended pepper flakes, made here in Boulder, that I wanted to try. I LIKE it!!!!

We all need an extra little cowboy kick every now and then. Kick it up. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.