Cook Steak With An Herby Ingredient For A Simple Flavor Infusion

When it comes to steak, there is no shortage of ways to kick things up a notch or two — whether it's with a bold, creamy peppercorn sauce, or by whipping up a basic marinade to let your beef really absorb as much flavor as possible. But the truth is, in order to upgrade your steak and really let its natural flavors shine, all you need is a simple herby infusion. 

Rosemary and beef are one of the all-time great duos, right up there with Bert and Ernie, Abbott and Costello, and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Steak with rosemary rocks, plain and simple. They're the best of friends, and taking your steak to the next level is as simple as chucking a sprig of fresh rosemary into the pan while your steak cooks. Then, once you've flipped it, brush the steak with the rosemary sprig, and let those flavors naturally mingle. The heat from the pan will help the rosemary express its oils, which will be picked up by the fat and steak juice in the pan and meld into a gorgeous woodsy, subtly peppery aroma, which will perfectly complement those big, beefy flavors.

Another way to achieve a really intense infusion of herbal flavors is to use a homemade compound butter. Making one with rosemary — or really any herb — is a simple yet very effective route to dressing up your at-home steaks. And if you're wondering how to make compound butter, wonder no longer. A stand mixer is great, but for smaller volumes, all you really need is a fork! Finely chop your chosen herb and put it into a bowl with softened, room-temperature butter and salt. If you want to go further still, a clove or two of roasted garlic will work wonderfully here. Then, just get mashing! Once it's all come together, roll it up into a log shape on some parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Et voila! A shockingly simple way to seriously upgrade your steak.

If you're feeling fancy (and you have the kit) you can also infuse your steak as it cooks in a sous-vide bath! Sous-viding is becoming increasingly popular among enthusiastic home cooks, and it's the most sure-fire way to achieve a perfect wall-to-wall medium rare, every time. When you vacuum seal your steak to give it a bath, chuck in some rosemary (or any other herb). The gentle heat will allow the rosemary to retain its more delicate notes, infusing them deeply into the steak and reducing the risk of any of that flavor being washed away in the pan.